Racism in My Community

Chieftains and Warriors

I live in the bluest of blue states. Perhaps this is up north hypocrisy.

There's a big debate going on in my community about the mascots used for the athletic teams of the town's two high schools. One calls itself the Chieftains and the other the Warriors. The concern is the racist overtones of the two mascots and message they convey about our community's attitudes. The argument against changing the names goes along the lines of keeping tradition. "They're just names. Changing the mascots and the names will cost $100,000! There's no harm meant. One resident said that this is load of PC crap. If the majority is okay with these names, it's okay."

The names and the mascots aren't the only issue. The name of one of the student newspapers is the Powwow. The student cheering sections are called The Tribe and The Reservation. The Mascot for the Chieftains depicts a Plains Indian in full headdress. It's an image that Native Americans find offensive.

Stereotypes - Racism

Here's a definition of racism from Merriam-Webster:

1:  a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

2:  racial prejudice or discrimination

Racism goes beyond the definition. It is evident in the language children are using on a daily basis. And, it isn't only white children. Racist language is used daily on our playgrounds. It is a form of bullying. Lola Okolosie, an English Teacher and writer in Great Britain, wrote about racism on the playground.

How white, black and brown students learn the language of racist bullying

She points out that "Children are bombarded with racist messages in the media and public debate. It's no wonder this has reached the playground." The words we use have an effect, especially when used to categorize and demean. We are teaching our children intolerance.

The Business Insider published an article last year, "11 Racist And Offensive Phrases That People Still Use All The Time." Among those words was "uppity." the example used was in reference to disparaging remarks made against Michele Obama.  

A couple years ago, Rush Limbaugh pontificated that a NASCAR audience booed Michelle Obama because she exhibited "uppity-ism." Glenn Beck even defended him, citing the First Lady's love of arugula. During segregation, Southerners used "uppity" to describe blacks who didn't know their socioeconomic place. Originally, the term started within the black community, but the racists adopted it pretty quickly.

But what about mascots? There's an enlightening essay on the CNN Website by Simon Moya- Smith titled, Native Americans: We're not your mascots. In the essay Moya-Smith says words like brave and warrior are not racial slurs, but that misses the point. "When the status of a Native American is demoted to that of a caricature, we are objectified and diminished as a people. We become entertainment, not fellow citizens. How are you supposed to take me seriously if all you see is the stereotypical image of the Hollywood or sports mascot Indian?"

What is most disturbing is the comment from a parent who excused racism because of traditions and because the majority seems to be in favor of keeping the mascots. What is he saying? Is it okay to propagate racism because we've doing it for a long time? Because it is a tradition? To him, and others like him, the opinions of the minority who are offended by the terms used don't matter. If you take his argument back to the time of Jim Crow, the lynchings of that period were justified because it was the prevailing viewpoint of the majority. A recent study found that 4,000 people were lynched in the South between 1877 and 1950. The reasons for the lynchings included political activism and testifying in court. The victims were "uppity." Lynchings continued in this country into the 1960's and not just in the south.

History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4,000 Names

Learning From Our Mistakes

What we teach our children is important. It shapes our future. When I was in high school we studied the civil rights movement. We read and discussed books like "To Kill a Mockingbird,","Native Son," and "A Raisin in the Sun." The hope was that we would expand our understanding of others and become well-rounded citizens. I'm wondering if that happens anymore. What we have here is a learning opportunity. What better place than in school. We cannot undo what we've done, but we can move forward and try to get it right from this point on.