The 2010 Version of Racism.

I remember when I was 13 years old my parents would send me to a boarding school in Mississippi for the summer. School had about 400 students. Probably about 50 of them were black.

It was one day that we had taken a trip to the beach that I and this kid named Wolf got into a verbal argument. I remember him getting so mad it looked like he wanted to attack me. Of course, having his god given common sense, he didn’t, and opted for what he felt was the nastiest thing he could tell a black boy. “You Nigger!” He screamed. The 1^st thing I said was “That’s the best you can do? That’s so old.” Immediately all the counselors surrounded us. They huddled around me as if to guard me from what had already been said. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that.” They all kept repeating. I remember thinking “What’s the big deal? It’s just a word. Words only have as much power as we give them.” I can’t exactly remember what happened to Wolf, but I never saw him again.

Now its 2010 and I think Racism has a whole new meaning. A lot of people now a days don’t know what racism is anymore. Of course we have the common definition of what racism is. We all know what that is. And now we have the 2010 version of racism.

The 2010 Version of Racism is the one that’s a bit harder to spot. That’s the kind of racism where you can still be friends with someone of another race, but still think your better then them. I remember I cringed watching The View when Whoopi attempted to defend Mel Gibson. Claiming he’s been in her house. He’s been around her children. That doesn’t mean anything anymore. You can be friends with a black person, and still be racist. You can be friends with a white person, and still be racist. When you think your superior to someone because of their race, well that’s RACIST. Even if you are friends with them, or your polite to them. Like I said, its 2010. Racism has evolved. It would just be ignorant and old fashioned to walk around not speaking to someone because of their race. That’s a given. We all know, no matter what the race, they’re pretty much not going anywhere.

I find that with this new 2010 version of racism, we are black people feel a sense of “entitlement” because of the awful things that have been done in the past. So it’s almost like we feel like were “allowed” to be racist just because we are the minority or because of slavery. I say, save it. It’s old. I never was a person who let racism take over control of my life and affect how I feel about anything. It is what it is. Maybe I’m too laid back. But I’m not going to stress about something that I know isn’t going to change.

I always find it so funny, how people try to defend Kanye West. Claiming he’s not a racist. He’ll make a movie, with all black people sitting at a table, with all white servers, and say it wasn’t racism, it was about color schemes. He’ll march on stage, and embarrass and humiliate a girl because he feels like because Beyonce is talented and BLACK and successful, that she deserved that award over Taylor Swift, who is white and talented, and successful, AND sold more albums. But that’s not racism? It’s that sense of entitlement. He felt like he had the RIGHT to do so, because he’s black, he’s the minority, people can’t possibly think he’s racist because he’s black, he doesn’t have the power to be racist. No sir, you are definitely a racist. And you don’t even know it.

This week alone I’ve even found myself defending Oprah against 3 different people. 2 black, and 1 white. Funny right? Black people think Oprah is racist because she caters to a white audience to much (in THEIR opinion, I don’t think so at all, but that’s always they’re argument) or that she often degrades black men. Like she doesn’t lay with Stedman every night. Maybe she’s simply stating the obvious. I guess we forget that Oprah did the have the “Legends Ball” where she had Gladys Knight, Pattie Labelle, Tina Tuner, Cicley Tyson, Maya Angelou, ROSA PARKS, Alice Walker, and Dionne Warwick. That’s just to name a few. Or that she opened an all girls school in AFRICA. But that’s not enough us. Why didn’t she open a school in America? For white girls? What about them? That’s what my white co-worker said. Oprah is supposed to change the world I guess. I digress.

It’s always so interesting how people will see one thing, and totally disregard the other, and so quickly make up their mind without going down the list of facts.

DISCLAIMER: I personally don’t actually think Taylor Swift is talented. But talent is based on opinion. In some people’s mind she can really sing. I don’t think so, but that’s just me. And I definitely think Beyonce deserved the award over her. But again, that’s my opinion. Everyone has one. Numbers said different I guess.