September 12, 2020
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Mindlessly using the word “racist” can provoke misunderstanding, a scandal, a fight or a political discussion - depending on your luck.
There is an opinion that it is outdated, and in general, this is “with them, abroad,” and does not concern us. In fact, it is akin to an old shell found in a former battle zone: it may or may not explode.
There is no point in making hasty conclusions before thoroughly understanding what racism is and why this concept requires careful handling.
What is racism?
Racism is a set of attitudes that imply prejudiced (usually negative) attitudes towards members of other races. A characteristic, but not obligatory, feature of racism is confidence in the intellectual, moral or any other superiority of one’s own race. In addition, people tend to be biased towards strangers - with distrust and fear. And if a person is very different in appearance, we intuitively perceive him as a stranger.
For several centuries, racism remained the cause of serious defeats in the rights of entire peoples. Some people put themselves above others, believing that the color of their skin and other features of their appearance gave them this right. Nowadays it does not go to such extremes, and yet racism continues to exist in most countries. Many people are confident in the “incompatibility” of different races, so they have a very negative attitude towards foreigners who move to their cities, settle next door, start families, give birth to children and send them to the same kindergarten or school.
Racism and Christianity: what is your answer?
Alexander Solzhenitsyn said in his book The Gulag Archipelago:
“The line dividing good and evil does not pass between states, not between classes, not between parties - it passes through every human heart - and through all human hearts... You cannot completely banish evil from the world, but you can push it out in every person.” .
We live in difficult, troubled times when “because iniquity abounded, the love of many grew cold” (Matthew 24:14). We hear rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6), “nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:7). But the worst thing is that brothers oppose brothers, causing physical and emotional pain, humiliating and even sometimes killing.
On May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, was killed by a police officer after a white police officer “pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck and back, pinning him to the asphalt, and held him in that position for 8 minutes and 46 seconds that led to Floyd's death" (Wikipedia). George was handcuffed and lying face down at the time. He repeatedly told his attacker and three other police officers present, “I can’t breathe,” but no one cared about his pleas. This event led to numerous, including violent, protests against racism and violence against blacks in the United States, which continue to this day.
According to Ozhegov’s explanatory dictionary, racism is “a reactionary theory and policy that asserts the superiority of one race over another.” How should we as Christians feel about this? What can God's children do to combat racism?
In the Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul teaches:
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).
In Romans Paul says:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and then to the Greek.”
In the Book of Mormon we also read:
“He invites all to come to Him and partake of His goodness; and He refuses no one who comes to Him: neither white nor black, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female; and He remembers the Gentiles; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile” (2 Nephi 26:33).
But the most important teaching is found in Matthew 22. When one of the lawyers, tempting, asked Jesus which of the commandments is the greatest in the law, the Savior answered: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself.”
Who is our neighbor? He did not say to love only those who correspond to us in intelligence, status or ethnic origin. He wants us to love everyone, and not just love, but like ourselves. His gospel is for every person, no matter where he was born, and His salvation is available to all.
President Gordon B. Hinckley declared:
“I remind you that no one who makes offensive remarks about members of another race can consider himself a true follower of Christ. Nor can he claim to live in harmony with the teachings of the Church... We all need to realize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father who loves all His children" (The World Needs Kindness, Liahona, May 2006 .).
President Dallin H. Oaks also taught:
“Racism is probably one of the most prominent sources of prejudice today and we are called to repent of it. But in the history of mankind there are many groups of God's children who have been persecuted, persecuted or denied any privileges on the basis of prejudices based, for example, on ethnicity, culture or nationality, as well as circumstances related to education or economic status" (excerpt from address of June 1, 2020, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the revelation of the priesthood in 1978).
No national policy can change what happens in our hearts. The world around us may have different ideas regarding other races and nations. Historically, slavery and humiliation of representatives of certain peoples existed in many countries for a long time. During World War II, millions of people died as a result of hatred and racism. Even within the Church, at one time black brothers were denied the priesthood until a revelation was received in 1978 to abolish this rule.
The love for one's neighbor that Christ spoke about begins with each of us. Only we ourselves can bring kindness, care and support into the world. Only we can “squeeze out” the evil in our hearts. But how to do that?
The answer will likely sound painfully familiar to you. Ask for help through the Holy Spirit to help discern any discriminatory thoughts or tendencies on our part. King David exclaimed in one of his psalms: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts; and see if I am on a dangerous path, and guide me on the everlasting path” (Psalm 139: 23-24).
We all need relentless, deep introspection. What judgments or assumptions am I making based solely on the concept of race or skin color? Do my circle of friends include people who are different from me? Am I contributing to stereotypes and division? Or, on the contrary, do I actively help find a common language and establish a dialogue? Ask Him to help you see racist thoughts, words, or actions that you may not think much of right now. Repent where necessary and, of course, serve others.
We are all His children, created in His image and likeness. Absolutely each of us, even if it sometimes seems incomprehensible to us. Racial hatred and discrimination are more than just gross social injustice. This is a direct insult to God and the entire human family. Racism goes against everything our Savior's gospel stands for. It contradicts the principles of the Christian faith.
Ask yourself what you personally can do to “displace” evil throughout the world and love as the Savior taught? Better yet, ask Him, and then act on the instructions you receive.
“Changing society as a whole will be difficult, but we must work to improve the moral climate around us. Latter-day Saints in every nation should be good citizens, engage in social issues, study those issues, and vote” (Quentin L. Cook, Lamentations: Beware of Slavery, November 2013).
With the Lord we need not be afraid. We can move forward with faith in Him, striving to do all we can to impact our communities, states, nations, and ultimately the entire earth forever. As we seek to “Hear Him,” He will help us know what we can do in our personal sphere of influence.
If we hope to see change, it must start with ourselves.
Author: Elena Shannon.
How does racism manifest itself?
The essence of racism comes down to the fact that people have a negative attitude towards representatives of other human races, while extolling their own. Negative attitudes can range from mild disdain to outright hatred, fear and contempt. History knows many terrible genocides, the only cause of which was racism.
To fully understand what racism is and how terrible its consequences can be, we can consider the Holocaust as an example. This is a crime committed by the Nazis against the Jews (in a broader sense, the Holocaust refers to all the genocides that the Nazis committed during World War II). When studying this historical event, the word racism is practically not used, but it is important to understand that racism was the main cause of the Holocaust.
The Nazis called themselves representatives of a fictitious Aryan race, which they considered superior. At the same time, they considered many other races inferior and not worthy of existence. It was thanks to such propaganda that Hitler managed to instill hatred among the German population towards many peoples and start a war. And if we consider that Japanese militarism was largely built on racial prejudice, we can conclude that it was racism that served as the main reason for the outbreak of World War II.
Today, all over the world there is an active struggle against racial prejudice, so it is almost impossible to encounter many manifestations of racism that were relevant half a century ago. Regardless of skin color, accent or other characteristics, people can engage in any activity, become politicians and receive prestigious positions in large companies. However, at the everyday level, racism persists, since xenophobia is one of the basic instincts, which not everyone can suppress.
The problem also lies in the fact that representatives of different races actually have certain differences in endurance, resistance to low or high temperatures and other physical abilities. And there are always a huge number of people who, instead of simply recognizing differences, look for a reason for a negative attitude.
Races: what they are and why racists fail
In Russian, this term has become famous since the middle of the 19th century. It has European roots, going back to the French "race", German "rasse", Spanish "raza" and Italian "razza", meaning origin, breed, beginning .
Race is a group of people who are similar in hereditary biological characteristics that manifest themselves externally. These characteristics are formed in a certain geographical region, mainly as a result of adaptation to living conditions over many generations.
It was not possible to create a unified classification of races; moreover, the latest genetic research indicates the impossibility of clearly distinguishing races.
Nevertheless, there are at least 3 general groups (they are also called “large races”):
- Caucasoid is the most numerous, comprising about 40% of the population. Its representatives are distinguished by straight or wavy, often soft hair, thin or moderately thickened lips, and a protruding nose with a high bridge. The eyes have a wide cut, their color, like the hair color, comes in light and dark shades. Caucasians have lighter skin than other races. The lightest shades are observed among the inhabitants of the northern regions. The further south the areas of residence, the darker the skin.
- Negroid . Its representatives are distinguished by their very dark skin, hair and eyes. They have curly and coarse hair, a wide and flat nose with wide nostrils, large teeth, thick lips, an elongated body with elongated limbs. In the 19th century, the word “negro” (from the Spanish “negro” - black) came into use, but in the second half of the 20th century its official use declined.
- Mongoloid . People of this race have blue-black, coarse and straight hair, wide faces with noticeably prominent cheekbones and flat noses, dark eyes, and dark (yellowish) skin. Mongoloids are distinguished by a special structure of their eyes: they are narrow, their inner corners are located below the outer ones. The upper eyelid seems to hang over the eye. In the inner corner there is a “third eyelid” (scientifically called epicanthus). The incisors of the teeth from the front have the appearance of a shovel.
Within large races, there are numerous subspecies and branches - the classification is difficult and confusing. The fact of the existence of human races is not recognized by all researchers today.
In any case, there is no initial negative in this. Racism begins where one race is declared superior and the rest inferior.
Negroids have historically been settled in conditions of full sun. To protect against ultraviolet radiation, nature has provided a protective pigment. A wide nose with large nostrils and large lips are an adaptation to a hot climate, making it easier for the body to cool down in high temperatures. Curly, cap-like hair protects the head from overheating.
The specific structure of the eyes of Mongoloids reduces the risk of dust getting in during strong winds. People with light skin color are more susceptible to the effects of ultraviolet radiation - this is how nature solved the problem of lack of sunlight and vitamin D.
The differences between races are secondary, since regardless of this, all people belong to the same biological species, Homo sapiens.
Skin pigmentation is just a phenotypic trait that has changed evolutionarily due to adaptation to environmental conditions .
Race is also a well-established term in the fantasy genre.
The main “lawmaker” here was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. With his light hand, elves, hobbits, orcs, etc. appeared, essentially more types of intelligent beings than races in the classical sense.
Causes of racism
Racism is a phenomenon that has been formed and strengthened over many centuries. When Europeans began to actively colonize lands on other continents, they saw that the level of technical development that the indigenous people had achieved was much lower. They came to the conclusion that the Caucasian race is the most perfect, since it managed to create such an advanced civilization.
The “imperfection” of other races allowed the colonialists to appropriate their lands and take people into slavery with a clear conscience. In those days, there were quite a lot of authors who wrote pseudoscientific works about the origins and characteristics of various races. It is important to understand that these questions remain open even today, and scientists, having the opportunity to study the human genome in detail, cannot give accurate answers. What can we say about medieval authors?
At the beginning of the 18th century in France, a theory was formulated that became known as “Nordism”. It is based on the assertion that the northern (Nordic) race is the oldest and wisest of all races existing on the planet. Proponents of this theory argued that it is to the “Nordids” that humanity owes all the achievements of scientific progress and, in general, all its development.
Where do racists come from?
The doctrine of races initially developed in a natural scientific context: researchers sought to organize anthropological information concerning the diversity of humanity.
It appeared in a different light during the era of great geographical discoveries. When America and India were discovered, Europeans encountered people with pronounced external differences. They spoke different languages, believed in different gods, had different houses and sang different songs.
The European man, who perceived what he saw through the prism of his worldview, noted his superiority in technical and cultural terms. The discovered worlds lacked production, modern (at that time) technology and weapons.
The aborigines lived according to different principles, perceiving nature not as a source for pumping out raw materials, but as a home that must be cognized and strive to live according to its laws.
It is today that humanity, faced with environmental problems, has come to understand that such principles for building civilization are not a sign of backwardness. But in the 15th and 16th centuries, the technological advantage of the Europeans appeared as their natural superiority.
The “progressive” Europeans, at the sight of new vast territories, were breathtaking from the unfolding prospects. There was only one “but” on the path to happiness: the local population, the owners of open lands.
Racism divided humanity into groups, some of which (the “superior”) were destined to become dominant, while others (the “inferior”) were left to remain submissive. It became the ideology of colonization , giving it legitimacy.
The unevenness of socio-economic development in different regions of the planet, which formed by the 15th–16th centuries, was recorded and artificially maintained for centuries.
Racism in the modern world
Many people today see the preconditions for a disdainful attitude towards representatives of certain nations. For example, looking at the low level of technical development of African countries, they conclude that their residents do not have enough intellectual abilities to build a normal economy, develop education and science. At the same time, they do not think that the inhabitants of African countries are initially in conditions in which they cannot receive a good education that allows them to develop, build and create.
To better understand what racism is and how it manifests itself in the modern world, it is important to consider that today it is almost entirely built on xenophobia, and not on pseudoscientific theories and concepts, as it was until the mid-20th century. It has been scientifically proven that at the genetic level the differences are very insignificant and are associated only with the fact that in different regions people were forced to adapt to different living conditions. Therefore, today the argument that some races are “less perfect” has lost all meaning.
If we talk about Russia, then racism here is of a very specific nature. For example, there are no pronounced negative attitudes towards black students. Rather, on the contrary, they are perceived as fairly strong-willed people who managed to move to another country to get a good education. At the same time, there is a disdainful and even negative attitude towards representatives of national minorities. The reason for this difference is that the black student is not perceived as a threat. But xenophobia in relation to national minorities is cultivated at the everyday level, and it will not be possible to completely eradicate it soon.
"Humiliated and Offended"
Racism has taken deep roots in modern American society. The differences in socioeconomic status between mainstream American society and the black population are significant and are passed down from generation to generation. It should be borne in mind that currently the number of African Americans in the United States is about 48 million people. According to official American statistics, even in the relatively prosperous year of 2020, African-American households had the lowest level of annual income in the United States, which amounted to $41.4 thousand, which was 1/3 less than the average income of all households in the United States, numbering $63.2 thousand, and more than 40% less than the average income of white households [].
Discrimination based on the amount of income received also predetermines large levels of poverty among the African-American population, both as a whole and in comparison with other ethnic groups. In 2020, nearly 21% of the total black population in the United States, or about 9 million people, lived below the poverty line, while in the United States as a whole, about 12%, or 38.1 million people, lived below the poverty line [].
Differences in the amount of income received are due to differences in the amount of labor income received (wages and official salaries). In 2020, on average in the United States, African Americans earned 27.5% less than white workers; It should be borne in mind that throughout the 21st century. these differences tended to grow steadily, amounting to 21.8% in 2000, and 23.5% in 2007. Differences in wages are also closely related to unemployment rates, which, even in years of relatively good economic conditions, among African Americans were twice as high as the US average. Thus, in the first quarter of 2020, unemployment in the United States was 4.1%, while among African Americans it was 7.1% (among the white population it was a record low 3.7%).
Increasing wage gaps directly explain the enormous gaps in accumulated wealth (personal wealth) between whites and African Americans. Thus, in 2020, the average white family owned net property (excluding debt) worth $171 thousand, while the value of personal assets of the average African American family was much less - only $17.2 thousand. All these data on the socioeconomic status of the black population gives the overwhelming majority a strong sense of an almost insurmountable “great social wall” erected between them and the rest of American society.
