On August 14th, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote a TIME magazine article on race relations in America, entitled – The coming race war will not be about race. He used the current situation in Ferguson as a back drop. The article was impressive – well researched and clearly presented. So, rather than recap his dialogue in my words, I’ve attached the site address and suggest that you take a few minutes to read it thru.
Here's the site for Kareem's article:
Outlined below is my response to Karim’s article; and although I thought he accurately captured the historics of the dilemma with events, dates and statistics, I concluded that he missed the mark on truly identifying the problem, such as it is and/or recommending a long term, workable solution. Here’s my view – comments are welcome.
Kareem is absolutely correct in his perspective that racial conflicts are invariably NOT about race; someone I know also made a comment that “… Race is a social construct, designed to keep the masses in check…” This, I think, is also incorrect. For me, the drivers that push the racial conflicts we endure continually, are far deeper than either a social construct or some one dimensional, emotional response to a situation not to “our” liking. These behaviors stem from deep within us – part of a human, rather than a social construct and an element over which we continually struggle to control. There are two major behavioral structures that drive, probably as much as 90 % of what we do, as human beings – certainly as it relates to interaction with other human beings, as follows;
a) Humans are social animals and seek to interact with others who are like “themselves”; b) In the mind of a human being “I will always be better than you”
These two traits drive us forward, but even more important they are, of themselves contradictory. We crave interaction with others but look for ways to ridicule them for who they are. These traits work against each other and this conflict has perplexed “us” ever since we first walked out of the “Cave” For us to truly understand what is at work here, we have to be – a) extremely introspective and honest; b) very observant. Consider even the most casual of situations where 2 or more people are thrown together; they will immediately begin seeking out the areas of commonality – who do I know that you also know; where did “you” grow up; what school did you attend, etc. on and on until a 2 or more events synchronize. At that point the foundation for a conversation may be formed and thus, moved forward. Failure to achieve this synchronization and the group will fall apart – people will simply walk away. I have never encountered a introductory gathering – formal or informal, where this process is not unfolded and executed. However, having said that, the process is anything but simple; on the contrary, it is extraordinarily complex and very difficult to track.
With that in mind, let’s see if we can follow the pathway. If we are discussing 2 people of similar race, that immediately eliminates a key societal bias, even before the first words are spoken. However, even between/among people of the same race , if there are any visible differences – e.g dress, manner of speaking, visible disfigurements, too short, extremely unattractive, these visuals will immediately cast an unconscious negative shadow over the engagement. The “I am better than you” kicks in a lot sooner than would otherwise have been the case. Take a minute to digest the above, then step back and try to grasp the full impact of this concept on human behavior. This sizing up process progresses almost unconsciously. The touch points are numerous but I’m sure everyone can identify the important ones and for each, they have a weight unique to each person. Just think about the size of that equation being solved in the minds of any and everyone, as they go thru this process – and further complicated by established Social Norms.
Social Norms, constructed over time, were designed and have been used to determine the structural hierarchy of everyone. The word Everyone is relative to the environment in which it is used. The smaller the group, the tighter the hierarchy; however, this concept spans the world. Consequently, as we make the circle larger – to encompass more groups/nations, the hierarchy also expands. I think at the top of this pyramid sits race – easily identified and the first real distinguishing factor. examples of others – skin tone, color of eyes, hair; height, weight,religion, ethnic background, etc. the list is almost endless. AND, He who rules, gets to choose. Consequently, caucasians have made it their prerogative to establish this hierarchy on a global scale. Go ahead! challenge that statement, then step back and look at the world in which we live, the norms we accept and follow without challenge then tell me the statement is false.
The permutations and combinations of human behavior are independent variables, too numerous to address. Sufficed to say, the result is endlessly complex and not explained with a simple one-dimensional perspective. We tend to categorize – and Kareem, in his article, no less, people into behavioral groups or even worse, compare what we see, to ourselves; a common refrain is “… I would never have done that…” Such a statement absolves us from any association with a person and their miscreant behavior/action, but it does not address the problem, which is “… how do we prevent ‘this’ from happening again…”. Point is, on the surface, We Can’t and the person who will commit that exact act – whatever it might have been, was just born a minute ago and the cycle was just started, AGAIN.
What occurred in Ferguson several months ago and culminated in the recent Grand Jury decision not to endict Wilson, is a prime example of this process at work. Blacks have been severely regulated by Social Norms; the ” I am better than you” internal question does not even occur. A white person sees a black person and (for the most part) that question is not even a thought – it’s a given. Now, I understand and accept that there are exceptions, however, speaking on a macro basis, that is invariably the internal response, appropriately camouflaged with socially acceptable words and gestures to make it invisible. But it’s there and will raise it’s (ugly) head at the first sign of a challenge or threat. Obama’s Presidency has created this threat and suddenly, the overt expressions of ridicule, distrust and other divisive rhetoric have become Center Stage, not only on our political platforms but across the country. These expressions of rage, vilification and discontent are infectious; and it doesn’t take long. (for anyone who has seen World War Z, well you get the idea). And we have seen this played out, time and again, over the centuries and throughout the world. A Grand Jury indictment of Wilson was not a conviction of guilt; it was merely to suggest that there was a reasonable doubt worthy of further investigation and a trial. However, the system would not allow this to occur. Said differently, the ” I am better than you” would not allow the integrity of a white police officer to be challenged by a black teen. End of Story.
The solution to this dilemma lies in only one source – in a phrase “Government Intervention” We simply cannot wait for humans to ultimately conclude that discriminatory behavior is wrong and should be discontinued. Sure, many may and have arrived at that conclusion but too many will not – never will and the cycle will continue. Civil Rights legislation made significant inroads into reducing wide spread discrimination by establishing a clear list of do’s and dont’s; and within just 2 1/2 generations, the gains are obvious. We need to understand that it is not possible for us, as humans, to totally eradicate discrimination – it’s who we are, our fabric, our DNA. But it can be managed and controlled with fair, logical and equitable legislation designed to level the platform. We have made several attempts to accomplish this task and with some successes, however, the more fragmented the laws – AKA States Rights, the less likely they will be implemented in a fair and impartial basis – and again, why? BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN. Remove color from the equation and some other distinguishing factor will take its place.
Federal Mandates are the only viable solution. We got off to a flying start in the late 50’s and early 60’s and we can repeat those successes and then some, if we work diligently to establish a Federal Platform for what is fair and equitable treatment for ALL and with teeth that punishes the deviators, regardless of who he/she might be. No fast talking lawyers, no special treatment for this group or that. Will this totally eradicate discrimination and prejudice ? No, it will not, but there will be a positive impact and, over time, the number of incidences will be reduced – a sign that a civilized society is maturing.
There is so much more to be said but this is already too long, so I’ll end it here. Thanks for reading.
Outlined below is my response to Karim’s article; and although I thought he accurately captured the historics of the dilemma with events, dates and statistics, I concluded that he missed the mark on truly identifying the problem, such as it is and/or recommending a long term, workable solution. Here’s my view – comments are welcome.
Kareem is absolutely correct in his perspective that racial conflicts are invariably NOT about race; someone I know also made a comment that “… Race is a social construct, designed to keep the masses in check…” This, I think, is also incorrect. For me, the drivers that push the racial conflicts we endure continually, are far deeper than either a social construct or some one dimensional, emotional response to a situation not to “our” liking. These behaviors stem from deep within us – part of a human, rather than a social construct and an element over which we continually struggle to control. There are two major behavioral structures that drive, probably as much as 90 % of what we do, as human beings – certainly as it relates to interaction with other human beings, as follows;
a) Humans are social animals and seek to interact with others who are like “themselves”; b) In the mind of a human being “I will always be better than you”
These two traits drive us forward, but even more important they are, of themselves contradictory. We crave interaction with others but look for ways to ridicule them for who they are. These traits work against each other and this conflict has perplexed “us” ever since we first walked out of the “Cave” For us to truly understand what is at work here, we have to be – a) extremely introspective and honest; b) very observant. Consider even the most casual of situations where 2 or more people are thrown together; they will immediately begin seeking out the areas of commonality – who do I know that you also know; where did “you” grow up; what school did you attend, etc. on and on until a 2 or more events synchronize. At that point the foundation for a conversation may be formed and thus, moved forward. Failure to achieve this synchronization and the group will fall apart – people will simply walk away. I have never encountered a introductory gathering – formal or informal, where this process is not unfolded and executed. However, having said that, the process is anything but simple; on the contrary, it is extraordinarily complex and very difficult to track.
With that in mind, let’s see if we can follow the pathway. If we are discussing 2 people of similar race, that immediately eliminates a key societal bias, even before the first words are spoken. However, even between/among people of the same race , if there are any visible differences – e.g dress, manner of speaking, visible disfigurements, too short, extremely unattractive, these visuals will immediately cast an unconscious negative shadow over the engagement. The “I am better than you” kicks in a lot sooner than would otherwise have been the case. Take a minute to digest the above, then step back and try to grasp the full impact of this concept on human behavior. This sizing up process progresses almost unconsciously. The touch points are numerous but I’m sure everyone can identify the important ones and for each, they have a weight unique to each person. Just think about the size of that equation being solved in the minds of any and everyone, as they go thru this process – and further complicated by established Social Norms.
Social Norms, constructed over time, were designed and have been used to determine the structural hierarchy of everyone. The word Everyone is relative to the environment in which it is used. The smaller the group, the tighter the hierarchy; however, this concept spans the world. Consequently, as we make the circle larger – to encompass more groups/nations, the hierarchy also expands. I think at the top of this pyramid sits race – easily identified and the first real distinguishing factor. examples of others – skin tone, color of eyes, hair; height, weight,religion, ethnic background, etc. the list is almost endless. AND, He who rules, gets to choose. Consequently, caucasians have made it their prerogative to establish this hierarchy on a global scale. Go ahead! challenge that statement, then step back and look at the world in which we live, the norms we accept and follow without challenge then tell me the statement is false.
The permutations and combinations of human behavior are independent variables, too numerous to address. Sufficed to say, the result is endlessly complex and not explained with a simple one-dimensional perspective. We tend to categorize – and Kareem, in his article, no less, people into behavioral groups or even worse, compare what we see, to ourselves; a common refrain is “… I would never have done that…” Such a statement absolves us from any association with a person and their miscreant behavior/action, but it does not address the problem, which is “… how do we prevent ‘this’ from happening again…”. Point is, on the surface, We Can’t and the person who will commit that exact act – whatever it might have been, was just born a minute ago and the cycle was just started, AGAIN.
What occurred in Ferguson several months ago and culminated in the recent Grand Jury decision not to endict Wilson, is a prime example of this process at work. Blacks have been severely regulated by Social Norms; the ” I am better than you” internal question does not even occur. A white person sees a black person and (for the most part) that question is not even a thought – it’s a given. Now, I understand and accept that there are exceptions, however, speaking on a macro basis, that is invariably the internal response, appropriately camouflaged with socially acceptable words and gestures to make it invisible. But it’s there and will raise it’s (ugly) head at the first sign of a challenge or threat. Obama’s Presidency has created this threat and suddenly, the overt expressions of ridicule, distrust and other divisive rhetoric have become Center Stage, not only on our political platforms but across the country. These expressions of rage, vilification and discontent are infectious; and it doesn’t take long. (for anyone who has seen World War Z, well you get the idea). And we have seen this played out, time and again, over the centuries and throughout the world. A Grand Jury indictment of Wilson was not a conviction of guilt; it was merely to suggest that there was a reasonable doubt worthy of further investigation and a trial. However, the system would not allow this to occur. Said differently, the ” I am better than you” would not allow the integrity of a white police officer to be challenged by a black teen. End of Story.
The solution to this dilemma lies in only one source – in a phrase “Government Intervention” We simply cannot wait for humans to ultimately conclude that discriminatory behavior is wrong and should be discontinued. Sure, many may and have arrived at that conclusion but too many will not – never will and the cycle will continue. Civil Rights legislation made significant inroads into reducing wide spread discrimination by establishing a clear list of do’s and dont’s; and within just 2 1/2 generations, the gains are obvious. We need to understand that it is not possible for us, as humans, to totally eradicate discrimination – it’s who we are, our fabric, our DNA. But it can be managed and controlled with fair, logical and equitable legislation designed to level the platform. We have made several attempts to accomplish this task and with some successes, however, the more fragmented the laws – AKA States Rights, the less likely they will be implemented in a fair and impartial basis – and again, why? BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN. Remove color from the equation and some other distinguishing factor will take its place.
Federal Mandates are the only viable solution. We got off to a flying start in the late 50’s and early 60’s and we can repeat those successes and then some, if we work diligently to establish a Federal Platform for what is fair and equitable treatment for ALL and with teeth that punishes the deviators, regardless of who he/she might be. No fast talking lawyers, no special treatment for this group or that. Will this totally eradicate discrimination and prejudice ? No, it will not, but there will be a positive impact and, over time, the number of incidences will be reduced – a sign that a civilized society is maturing.
There is so much more to be said but this is already too long, so I’ll end it here. Thanks for reading.
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