The Discussion on Race

In class this week we've been having a discussion on whether or not slavery is the cause of differences between African-Americans and white Americans today. The discussion was introduced through a quote from Obama's speech on race, where he said that slavery was the original sin and the remnants are still with us today. I totally agree that slavery is the original reason why African-Americans and whites didn't start out in the same place economically. Slavery stunted their growth as a whole and prevented them from progressing. With that being said, I also think there are other factors contributing to the differences.


In our society today we have an obsession with not being racist. Especially in the younger generation, mentioning any difference between races is often taboo. Even though there are clear differences in statistics between African-Americans and whites (for example, African-Americans have a lower life expectancy), mentioning even factual evidence could lead to an accusation of stereotyping. During our discussion in AS, I realized that it was the first in-class discussion I'd had at school where we could openly talk about race. This preoccupation with not being racist actually leads to a heightened sense of race because a person has to focus so much on not noticing differences that they in turn notice them more. This leads to a kind of "us and them" mentality, and it changes the way people react with each other. Someone may be more cautious or say something differently when speaking to someone of a different race.
By doing this we are digging a deep hole for ourselves. We are creating an atmosphere where we can't even talk about race. If we don't feel comfortable talking about racial differences how are we ever going to get around to solving them? I thought our conversation in AS was a step in the right direction, people were sharing their ideas freely with out worrying about judgement, and it made for a very interesting discussion.