We could argue the reality of racism in America for days. Better minds than mine have already taken that on. Sadly, progress towards answers or reasonable solution is always lost in a veritable barrage of semantics. I would rather discuss empirical evidence that is rarely brought to light due to threat of job loss, lowered grades, stagnating income, the threat of home and livelihood, or social ostracization. After all, we have to eat don’t we? But since Aurora is a nineteenth century writer, now deceased, she is, thankfully, no longer in need of these things and therefore free to write what she witnesses from the “other side.” Arguably, the most outrageous situation observed from my “otherworldly” vantage point is the use of the educational system as a training ground for racism, bigotry and the suppression of equality in the United States. No, I do not wish to discuss the obvious issues, such as the creation of a lowered educational standard by the legislative condescension of the Bush Administration's "No Child Left Behind" program, or the creation of a "ghetto class" through economically influenced neighborhood zoning that leaves the most needy segment of the population without funds for teachers, materials, or even hospitable classroom environs, while levels of third grade literacy are used to predict future prison populations. Rather, allow me to draw your attention to what happens should non-white students managed to run the gauntlet of K-12 and actually find their way into the echelon of higher education. The following three stories, my friends, are true.
In one of the Midwestern Big Ten Universities, a Latino student finds herself seeking work-study opportunities. She types an approximate 90 words per minute and has some experience in fundamental book keeping techniques. Her white roommate, who types approximately 40 words per minute, and has no work history, but is also in the work-study program, is given a position in the school library, while the Latino student is told the only position available to her is in housekeeping.
On one of the campuses of the University of North Carolina, white students of a certain professor can enter their education methods class up to ten minutes late, or miss a week of class without having to account for their whereabouts. However, should a Black or Native American student be late or absent, even carrying a doctor's notice, they are penalized with either verbal abuse or the drop of a letter grade. If they report their situation to Student Affairs, or anyone else in a position to discipline the professor, not only is unlikely that the teacher will receive anything more than a slap on the wrist, but the student who "breaks confidentiality" will receive a failing grade. Lumbee tribe members in this class are routinely exercised from the program because "Indians are stupid and lazy" not because certain teachers award them lower grades or conveniently "misplace" completed assignments, stating later that the student never turned in their work.
In one of the country's leading East coast music schools, a Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions winner is never awarded anything other than a minor role in the Opera Theatre program. Could it be because this student is African American? Another Hispanic student in the same program is told that she will never have a singing career because she would never be believable in Euro-centric operatic roles. Furthermore, since she is not a mezzo-soprano, she can’t sing the role of Carmen. When the student tells her teacher about the comments, the director of the program tells the faculty that she is “mentally unstable.”
Members of academe routinely state: “disadvantaged” students come to the table with “lowered expectations and poor work ethic.” The sensible response to this, were it indeed true, would be to encourage and uplift students who work under the so-called restrictions of race and economic hardship. Aurora, however, speculates that anyone experiencing the type of “subtle” discrimination described in these three situations, would come away from the events with a profound sense of discouragement and disillusion. When this is the totality of educational experience from K through college, it easily translates to the aforementioned lack of incentive or enthusiasm. I believe your average human being in such circumstances would quickly come to believe “resistance is futile”- that equitable treatment is NOT to be expected unless you belong the ethnicity of choice. In predominantly white environs, a subliminal lesson is conveyed: that discrimination is acceptable, even expected.
A nasty side-effect of this phenomena is the creation of stereo-types. Society likes stereotypes, it makes for easy filing and categorizing of the complex human animal, the creation of the proverbial “us vs. them” mentality. I can cite, once again, the Obama campaign, in which a man of "mixed" racial origins has mysteriously morphed into someone who is merely "Black,"and hence, "un-American." Stereotypes are easy to dismiss. As one erudite educator stated to his class, “it must be difficult to be a black man and not be angry.” When this statement was challenged by a student who mentioned that a certain Black classmate who dressed and behaved in the manner of a Harvard professor, was anything but an angry young man, the erudite educator responded: “(Student X) is not really Black.” This type of insidious racism is practiced by white and black alike. Stereotypes, after all, are easy to sell, and as I stated previously, everyone needs to eat. Therefore, heaven help the "sista" who likes French symbolist poetry, the Latino who doesn’t speak Spanish, the Native American who isn’t a story-teller, or the White girl with a black boyfriend. We have reached the unthinkable, dark day when educational institutions encourage students to believe that “the content of a man’s character” by which Dr. King hoped we would all eventually learn to judge each other, is only validated if it meets the stereotypical expectations dictated by the color of his or her skin.
Of course, there is solid reasoning behind this type of discrimination. While legislation now prevents academic institutions from turning away minority students, once within the confines of a college or university, there is no way to guarantee their retention. Racial stereotypes, demographic designations, etc. form a body of “empirical evidence” through which these students may be discredited and dismissed. Often, the student is left to choose between enduring a less than supportive environ, staying below the radar, or acting out. It’s interesting to note that when middle class white children “act out”, it’s attributed to quaint phrases such as “sowing wild oats”, “youthful exuberance”, "ADHD" etc. When the other ethnicities follow suit, the consequences usually result in incarceration.
In reading this, you may or may not see yourself. Interestingly, none of the persons perpetrating the blatantly unfair conduct discussed here consider themselves prejudiced or racist. They believe this is how the world is, has always been, and should remain. They sincerely believe that due to circumstances of birth and luck, they are better than those who are not like them, and that those who are not like them had bloody well be grateful to them for their tolerance. Most humans want to feel important. That we gain that feeling of superiority at another’s expense might be part of the human condition. A common characteristic of human nature is to attack those who challenge our ego, our sense of self worth. We defend ourselves through conquering and subjugating those who are different, who challenge our self-importance. However, the hallmark of a civilized society is the ability to rise above our animal nature.
Fear based thinking lies behind every war ever fought, every atrocity man commits against fellow man. The fact that institutes of “higher education” in the United States continually advocate this fear-based mentality in order to maintain their reputation for excellence, forty years after the civil rights movement allegedly raised our awareness of racism, is the greatest testament to their failure as a force for social change in this country. It is also why American educational standards remain among the lowest in the modern world. Meanwhile, most Americans remain deluded in thinking that there is no longer any need for NAACP, Affirmative Action, or any other programs enforcing standards of fairness for minorities. They fail to realize that in allowing immigration to grow over the past years, we have created among Hispanics, a new type of slave class. As a nation, we have not become less prejudiced, we have only become better at hiding it.
Is there a solution? Legislation works at a snail's pace, even in those rare, historic moments when public opinion demands action. At this moment in history, Boomers in particular, seem obsessed with maintaining their comfort zone at all costs. And it is the Boomer educators - those in their late 40's through mid 60s, who form the vanguard in this movement to preserve the status-quo. Perhaps, as national economic conditions deteriorate, they will learn the lesson of cooperation rather than "tolerance"- that societies, ultimately, rise and fall as one. Of course, in France we simply stormed the Bastille when there was no longer enough jobs, housing or food, and took the ruling class to the guillotine. It seemed a good idea at the time, but now I am ashamed to say, the current prejudice most of my former countrymen demonstrate toward both Muslims and Jews is hardly reminiscent or representative of “Liberti, egalité, fraternité”. The French might note that the evolution of the guillotine to the car bomb may represent a leap of technology but not of social pathology. They say those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Isn’t it time we all recognized each other as part of the species Human, or must that wait until the mother-ship of Venutions arrives to bitch slap some sense into us or begin the War of the Worlds? In the meantime, to all you racial egomaniacs - Get over yourselves, this is the 11th hour.
Aurora Delacroix
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