Racism and the Sneetches

Electing the first African American president has opened many conversations about racial tension in America. It makes me wonder if people believe racism is coming to an end since we elected an African American president. I call this progress, but it still won’t bring Americans together in peace and harmony.

I am not a pessimistic person, I am just a realist. Racism always finds a way to creep into the back of our minds. It's been embedded into us as children. We have learned that racism is taught and has nothing to do with genetics. 

When a white police officer pulls over an African American driver, he may wonder if it was for an actual infraction or for driving while black (DWB). To flip the script, when the same white police officer first saw the African American man, did he automatically label the driver as a drug dealer or a criminal because of his skin color?

Granted, not all racists are so obvious, but they are everywhere. I have a term for racists who hide their racism. I refer to them as closet racists. The ones who tell “harmless” racial jokes and then claim that they have many black friends.

Racism breeds ignorance and will always exist. A future racist is born every second. People channel so much hate into another person's skin color. Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? Isn't this similar to discriminating against someone who has a different kidney or lung? Yes, it's the same, but then it's easier to discriminate against what you can see. Are you ready for the ignorance behind racism? It exists because someone thinks his largest organ is superior to someone else’s largest organ.

Dr. Seuss made the greatest analogy about discrimination and social status in his children’s book about the Sneetches. The story involves two groups of creatures called Sneetches. However, they all look the same. Only a star on their chest separates them. Sneetches with stars on their chests believe they are superior to those without stars.

To fix the problem while profiting from it, a huckster named Sylvester McMonkey, who sells stars to Sneetches without stars. The Sneetches battle for superiority. The only winner was McBean, who rides off with the money while leaving the foolish Sneetches to their own ignorance. The Sneetches finally realized they were all equal. It was a costly lesson but a valuable one. If only people could follow this simple lesson.