So You Want to Talk About Race

Racism is inextricably woven into – and reinforced by – systems of power.

After Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, many people speculated that the Democratic Party had lost because America’s societal problem was about class, not race. They felt the Left had been too focused on the needs of Black people, Latinx people, women in general, and trans people while leaving out working class white men. If you improved things for the lower classes, they argued, things would improve for minorities. 

Author Ijeoma Oluo found herself exhausted from constantly having this debate – after all, the injustices that keep an able-bodied Black woman poor are not the same as those that keep a disabled white man poor. So she started directly asking people: “Why do you think Black people are poor? Do you think it’s for the same reasons white people are poor?” 

The truth is, race is one of the largest variables determining your success in the United States – a point that often goes unacknowledged.

The key message here is: Racism is inextricably woven into – and reinforced by – systems of power.

Today, more than half a century after the civil rights movement, the racial wealth gap is just as large. This is no accident; racism was built into the US economic system. It has long justified white supremacy, which offers those deemed superior the promise that “you will get more because they exist to get less.” 

This promise can’t be undone purely by addressing class, so we need to start talking about race. But often, the first hurdle to clear is the question of whether or not something is in fact about race.

To begin, consider these three points:

First, if a person of color thinks it’s about race, it is. Their racial identity is a part of them, and it’s interacting with the situation.

Second, if it affects people of color differently or disproportionately, it’s about race.Finally, if it fits into a larger pattern that differently or disproportionately affects people of color, it’s about race.

Before we continue, it’s helpful to establish a clear definition of racism. Two common ones are: “any prejudice against someone because of their race” and “any prejudice against someone because of their race, when those views are reinforced by systems of power.”

The second definition is more applicable here because, in the United States, racism is typically reduced to the actions of the individual. “How so?” you may wonder. Well, in an environment where racism is systemic, its maintenance is fueled by the complacency of individuals. And so the only way to fight systemic oppression is by personally, actively dismantling it.