Racism exists yet I hear (mostly white) people making statements about how little racism exists in today’s world, like a little bit is okay. Or deny its existence, often using faulty logic to back up those claims, “I don’t see it so it must not be happening.”
Laws against racism are vital. But it should not end there. Laws can push the problem below the surface, like a dormant volcano. A dormant volcano can look harmless, and we can all stand around pretending and deny what is lurking beneath. It leaves us with a false sense of security. Everything is okay.
But everything is not okay. As we go about our business at the foot of the volcano, inside where we are not looking, it heats up, bubbles, festers unbeknownst to us. Of course, there are people who know better. They are hit with the heat that escapes. They can see it, feel it, and know it while the rest of us rationalize or simply refuse to see it. When people affected by racism speak up, we act surprised, say it is an isolated incident like that makes it okay somehow. Or we ask them if they are sure, maybe they are crazy…
Then one day, it blows and spews its violence so hard that we cannot ignore it. And we, the blind, can see it and we act shocked and we march on the volcano and show temporary solidarity with the fallen. Until it simmers down and we can go back to calling the volcano dormant.
Instead, we need to acknowledge that racism exists even if we do not see it and feel it. We need to open dialogue, to discuss the underlying issues that lead to racism and we need to change. Racism is a disease of the heart and of the mind, and we all need to be part of the antidote. We must all participate in our collective recovery.
Unlike villagers living under a volcano, we hold the power to effect change. And change, like laws, are vital.