Why racism? It solves nothing

Four hundred or more years ago, the first missionaries into Africa wrote of the “ebony skin” of the native population. Some speculated that if a black skinned person interbred with a white skinned person the result could be like a zebra’s stripes. I am not kidding.

In America the name calling, categorizing, mental segregation, differentiation and just plain overt racism in America seems not only acceptable but desired across all political factions. Here are some of the divisive words used as description heard just this morning on NPR and ABC (and I quote in each case): Jew, Black, Afro-American, Italian-American, Hispanic, of color, of racial background, Jewish (people in New York), Mexican-Americans, Gay, lesbian, Arab-Americans, Baptists, Arabic citizens (of America), Native Americans, Indian and tribal.

As a child, I was taught that to singularly choose or differentiate between people based on color, creed, choice or religion was bigotry, racism and un-American. Yet here we are bombarded every day with the media and politicians telling us that it is not only normal to do so, it is acceptable. I refuse to think of the color of someone’s skin as a defining character that should be used as a means to know who he or she is. 

I do not think the term “Black director” when talking about Spike Lee tells me anything, unless the purpose is to tell me that the user is a racist who thinks that the color of Mr. Lee’s skin somehow colors the work he is able to produce. Now, before anyone tells me I’ve missed the point, that his very ethnicity does affect the timbre and impact of his creativity, let me say that I do feel his background, his sensitivity to oppression and slavery, injustice and struggle, and the plight of a significant portion of American society with those issues all do color his creativity. 

My argument is, what the hell does his skin color have to do with it? If you simply express these factors as one of color, you allow racism to be reduced to sound-bite acceptability. He’s “Black,” his work is “Black,” and, therefore, you can only see it in that context. Art, surely, does not need to be segregated in your mind. Do you really need to know the color of his skin to see the movie?

America was not created as a people within a people, a nation holding nations. We were created as “One Nation under God.” Why, then, do we allow the media to talk of politicians pandering to the “Christian vote” or the “Afro-American vote” or the “Jewish vote?” Are they referring to people of a specific race or religion who, somehow, are apart from the rest of American society? Are they, perhaps, referring to people who have issues of a particular religious significance (e.g. Israel and Palestine) with which they would like to see politicians fall into accord? Is it important that their religion is Jewish? No. Is it that their sympathies are pro-Israel? Probably. However, to label them, stick that star on them and call them Jewish, is to segregate them in the reader’s mind, to reduce their collective and individual opinion on serious issues to one only of different religion. That is un-American.

As someone who has traveled fairly extensively, I have briefly been discriminated against because of skin color or ethnic origin. I had the option to return to our country where that is supposed to be forbidden and thereby avoid the hurt and frustration that differentiation brings. People who have, historically or recently, been discriminated against because of their origin, choice, beliefs or skin color, need a safe haven here in America, they need a place where the laws protect them and where they are no longer treated as separate, or identifiable as separate. We need to remove the stars from their breasts, yellow, pink, Black, rainbow, or otherwise and accept them for what they are: individual Americans. 

Any time you use the words “he’s a Black guy…” or “they’re Hispanic…” or “she’s pro-Jewish…” you are condoning a type of segregation that allows those who are racists and bigots to ply their trade. Let’s beat them at their game and see people, talk about people, and understand people for the complex individuals they really are not simply the ancestors of those discriminated against.

 

Writer Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, now resides in New Mexico.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Millerton News and The News does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Latest News

Fallen trees injure man, destroy fences at dog shelter

Two uprooted locust trees still lie in the yard in front of Animal Farm Foundation’s original kennels where they fell on a fence during a storm on Thursday, June 19.

Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Fallen trees, uprooted and splintered during a thunderstorm, injured a man, destroyed fences and damaged a dog kennel at the Animal Farm Foundation facilities in Bangall.

Isaias Nunez was cleaning along a road on the property with Marco Ortiz, another employee of the dog shelter, when the storm rolled in on the afternoon of Thursday, June 19.

Keep ReadingShow less
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit millertonnews.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less