Racism is evil. Without question. Or apprehension.
Episode 47 of the Make Saints podcast: “Racism”
the episode script
A story broke last week about severe acts of racism in one of our local high schools. Intolerable acts of cruelty over the course of at least the last two years. The school corporation is investigating the allegations and will release its findings in the coming weeks.
The scope of these conversations is not actually new. When acts of racism, violence, or abuse are revealed there is genuine debate about sharing the details. Transparency is good. Needing to see the gruesomeness is important. It also prompts a reactionary response. And places it within a binary context of debate, which normalizes it as the “cultural identity” of one side.
We’ve seen this pattern before and frequently.
Details have a way helping us put a face on racism and individualizing it. Which almost makes it harder to address it.
The problem is systemic.
In our case, it is essential to see how widespread the problem is. The acts themselves can’t reveal it. Not without the real work of discernment.
Urinating in a student’s locker, for instance, seems an impossible task without either coordination between multiple students or a total lack of supervision. Or both.
Parents, staff, and administration all seem to have shown a distinct disinterest in dealing with a problem they were first presented with no later than last year.
We have a right to be angry.
As shocking as these local incidents were to many of us, they are also not impossible to predict. So many people of color deal with racism constantly.
Racism isn’t new. Nor is it something we can ignore because we think it is all quite complicated. It isn’t, actually.
If we’re against racism, we say so.
Not with buts or whatabouts. No “but they are the real racists.”
We don’t need to qualify these statements or score political points to even the score. Because that’s what so many of us do. When white people feel uncomfortable about how white people misbehave, we’re often compelled to try to “balance it out” and find some racists “on the other side.” Even the score.
That’s not how it works. We need to suck it up.
Same goes for political groups and powerful people.
Parents are out here defending their kids’ racism. I wouldn’t. These things aren’t accidents. And this includes the son of the newly-elected school board member.
Racism is evil.
And we need to say that.
Racism is a scourge on humanity. It is immoral. It is evil. And tolerance of such vile behavior is destructive to human flourishing.
These are not controversial words. And we must be able to say them. To one another.
We must be able to denounce evil wherever we find it. Which includes from our friends and neighbors and even ourselves.
This does not mean we don’t seek to understand. Or refuse to listen. But it does mean that we refuse to tolerate and make excuse for. Because the system will clearly defend itself. The school corporation will limit their legal liability. Parents will protect their kids. And racists will defend what they believe is a right to be racist.
We don’t need to pretend that calling racism bad is controversial.
We must be able to say that. And then, also, act accordingly. Because, in light of abuse happening to our neighbors, friends, and loved ones, not saying it is just as political an act as saying it.
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I’m Drew Downs. Thanks for listening to Make Saints. Because (eternal) life is hard. And we could use all the help we can get.