Dear Editor:
I am writing concerning Eileen Rush’s article “Appearance of Sidewalk Affairs.” I read through the article and was struck by the familiarity of Joshua Jones’ actions. Then I recalled a forward that an acquaintance posted on myspace railing against the supposed inequities of, or perhaps brought about by, black pride while endorsing the notion of white pride and, in addition to that, comments that were made in a Facebook group following the row and heightening of racial tensions which followed the condemnation and firing of Don Imus. While I think that forward and many of the comments made in that Facebook group were obviously misguided, Jones’ bold actions give me reason to think that the sentiment expressed is not an isolated matter among a few angsty privileged white college students, but perhaps representative of a more prevalent notion within the white community, of being victimized, blamed and defamed – of being made Other just as minority communities have been and continue to be in this country.
In other words, perhaps there is a growing feeling of being subject to a sort of “reverse racism.” That feeling is juxtaposed to anger in the minority communities, the African-American community especially, concerning the perseverance of racism – despite it’s form moving from overt to covert – disregard of the legacy of white supremacism in this country ( e.g., “Courts dole out justice to everyone equally, regardless of color.”), and, perhaps most of all, the recent cases, largely disregarded by the popular media, which have been blatant evidence of that legacy (e.g., the dealings with Katrina victims, the Jena Six case, and the racially motivated rape and assault of Megan Williams).
The result of that recipe has been, for me at least, a heightened sense of racial tensions and anger and I believe it should be addressed.
That being said, I think that Ash-Lee Henderson’s assertion concerning open dialogue is right on. I think much of the misunderstanding and, perhaps, malignity arises mainly from ignorance and that is, at least partially, due to a lack of discourse concerning these issues. Many of us may like to think that race is an issue of the past, but it remains a living construct – solely a construct since there is no objective biological grounds for the notion of different races – which is continually used and manipulated socially and politically for the perpetuation of societal hierarchies and preservation of the status quo.
Despite the illusory quality of race, however, it should not be denied that it has had very real effects. When someone believes something in such a way that it affects her or his actions, that something is made effectively real in the actor’s lives and those with which he or she interacts. Inquiries into this issue, as with all other inquiries I can presently call to mind, should be centrally concerned with Socratic questioning, a process which can help us get at the truth.
I suggest that we start with questions of the concept of racial pride or ethnocentricity – What does it mean to be proud of something? Is it intellectually valid to be proud (or ashamed) of something about yourself over which you had no control? – and questions about nomenclature as relates to specific groups – Should the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People be revised nominally to the National Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights? Does the historical basis of the name merit its continued use? What does it imply?
If the interests of the campus group “Black Affairs” is to promote equality, what need is there for a racial delineation? Is the terming “Black Affairs” somehow more valid than “White Affairs?” Why? Are exclusive solidarities rather than human unity being promoted by these terms?
I believe it is time to engage in critical conversation, rather than array ourselves behind bastions fashioned in classic Manichean us vs. them stances. I think that a great seed for dialogue has been placed. What quality of soil do the minds present on our campus make up?
Sincerely,
-Charles Jones

Author