Jokes

Most of the racism we learn is covered in jokes. They may be termed stereotype jokes or ethnic jokes but it does not take long to slip over the line of racist jokes. The problem is that they are funny and we all like to laugh. Even if it is not funny a good comedian can deliver it in a tickle-the-funny-bone kind of way. The problem we are confronted with is whether we turn off the TV and stay away from public spaces because these jokes are unavoidable. An alternative may be to campaign against bad jokes which is a great setup for a bad joke. Each individual is confronted and must address this issue and probably addresses it in a personal way. One way is avoidance, another is "join-em."

Conversations and Actions

Conversation are all well and good but it is action that creates change. To move this agenda forward we need organization. No major change has been thrust upon society through the niceties and good graces dependent on the charity of people. Rather most change worth having had to be organized and placed on the public agenda. For my part I will start a magazine to address these issues but the magazine or newsletter can only form a basis of organization if people subscribe and follow up on the issues raised through educational sessions and through implementation of the learnings. Let me know if you would be part of the change you wish to see in this world.

William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was an British abolitionist and parliamentarian. In 1772 a judgement ruled that slavery was not allowed under British law and any slaves brought to Britain from America or any other locations would not be treated as slaves under British law. Wilberforce started his political career in 1780 and addressed the British involvement in the slave trade pressing for the Slave Trade Act of 1807. This exacted penalties for slave traders but it also resulted in captains throwing slaves overboard to reduce those penalties. He continued pressing for the total abolition of slavery campaigning for the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. On his death bed he was informed that they had the votes to pass it and he passed just before the act passed.

Chief Albert Luthuli

Chief Albert Luthuli was a hero nobody knew. When Tutu received his Nobel Peace Prize he declared, I will not be an Albert Luthuli." What he meant was that he would not be silenced and obliterated from the minds of people like Albert Luthuli was. It was the western success of Albert Luthuli's obliteration that probably provided the inventive to obliterate Mandela from the consciousness of the world. Albert was the first South African, the first African, the first Black man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He was under house arrest at the time and because of international protests was allowed a temporary travel document to travel to Oslo to receive his Nobel Prize. He went back home immediately and was placed back into house arrest. His book, Let my people go, was banned and he was so well removed from the consciousness of the world that when I spoke for about 20 years about him nobody knew who he was until one day a hand rose. The person knew his name. I asked him how he knew of Albert Luthuli and his response was that Albert Luthuli was a room mate in college of someone he knew. Albert Luthuli was the President of the ANC was Nelson Mandela was the leader of the ANC youth League. He stood for non-violence when the younger generation led by Nelson Mandela proposed armed struggle.

Heroic Inspiration

In the annuls of racism one of the anti-racist strategies has been the heroic inspiration of those who broke the barriers. Jesse Owen was not only inspirational to blacks but to the whole west when he gained his olympic golds in front of Hitler, showing up his racist ideology as empty rhetoric.
Joe Louis inspired a generation as he held the world boxing title for 15 years.
Ali inspired another generation as he delivered on his poetic promises.
Jackie Robinson, Sidnet Poiter, and others come to mind. The latest inspirational heroes include King, Tutu, Mandela and now Obama.

Obama Breaks through

President Obama!
It feels good to have voted for President Mandela and President Obama.

Institutional Racism

Besides the definition of racism hurdle that must be overcome, the definition of truth, and the understanding of institutional racism are mountainous mental barriers to overcome.
If it is difficult to identify racism it is even more onerous to identify institutional racism. It is not impossible however. It simply takes training and practice. Once it is identifiable it is not understandable why it was not identified sooner since it is hiding in plain sight for everyone to see.