Hey White People, Let's Talk About Racism!

It's infuriating that we can't talk about Racism. The class on Monday, reminded me of one of the most inspirational people I know, Mara Keisling. Mara is the founder and executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. In every speech that Mara gives she makes a point to take a potion of the time to present a segment she calls, "Hey White People, Let's Talk About Racism!" It is one of the most important lessons I have learned from her. We live in a society where "Racist" is the worst thing you can call someone. As Mara points out, when George W. Bush was asked what the lowest point in his Presidency was he replied "When Kayne called me a racist." Even my own Intercultural Communications teacher told the class that "Racist, that's the worst thing you can call someone." Really, racist is the worst thing you can call someone? Not, pedophile, war criminal, murderer, terrorist, rapist? No, for some reason we think that Racist is the worst thing in the world. Racist, that basically breaks down to ignorance, misconceptions, and being mislead by historical prejudice that you have been taught by the society and institutions, is the worst thing to be. We need to take a step back and stop thinking that racist is the most hurtful word. Instead of defensively shutting down and proclaiming "I'm not a racist!" as my Intercultural Communication teacher chooses to do, we need to stop and think "okay, what was the racism that provoked that comment?" We need to be aware that everyone is subject to the systemic racist thinking of our society. We to constantly evaluate why we say or think in certain ways and actively try to combat the racism that is ingrained in our minds. The more we talk about racism the more we can work to combat it. So, Hey White People, Let's Talk About Racism!