So True – Part One

"So True" was the title of an email message that landed in the inbox of a YWCA employee. The content was alleged to have been Michael Richards’ (Seinfeld’s Kramer) defense of his comments considered by many to be racist in nature. The original email forwarder said of the remarks, “This is so true!!!!! I could not have said it better myself!!!!!!” (The quote is verbatim including all exclamation marks.)

How ironic that the message would make it to the YWCA!

Well, if Mr. Richards actually said all he’s credited with saying, there’s enough for a couple of blog posts! This is in part, old news. It’s curious that it would resurface. Oh, well! Hopefully, if you’re out there Ms. or Mr. Forwarder and you read them, perhaps another perspective on what you see as “true” would be helpful. Then again, you may not care.

“There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc.And then there are just Americans. You call me ‘White boy,’ ‘Cracker,’ ‘Honkey,’ ‘Whitey,’‘Caveman’ and that’s Ok, but when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger [more ugly names were included and deleted]…you call me a racist.”

Well! That’s a lot of rude, ugly language for sure and none of it should be condoned. Name calling, however does not, necessarily, make one a racist, ignorant and rude, but not racist. Many people who repeat slurs like that don’t even understand what they’re talking about.

The use of “just Americans” is an interesting comment. It smacks of contempt for those who are proud to proclaim their country of origin. As a nation of immigrants—either forced or voluntary—what’s wrong with the celebration of one’s culture, especially since Africans, Mexicans, Asians and Arabs don’t subscribe to the melting pot fairy tale? With the exception of native people, everyone in the U.S. is an immigrant!

In the YWCA’s Unlearning Racism: Tools for Action training, we teach that racism has three components: prejudice, privilege (skin color not monetary) and power (the level of results in discrimination). There are individuals who are racists and there are institutions that through the perpetuation of discriminatory practices help to maintain racism in society. That’s a teaser. We have a class starting on September 28 at 1:00. Attend it to learn more.

Next, we’ll discuss all the special things we people of color have created for ourselves at the exclusion of whites. We’re making a fortune!