Understanding the Dynamics of Racism: “The I Don’t See Color Illusion”
First of all, anyone that has convinced themselves that they don’t draw racial lines and they don’t make decisions based on race is delusional. I will simply say that anyone who questions this should read the book Propaganda by Edward Berneys (A white man by the way), Breaking the Psychological Chains of Slavery by Na’im Akbar or Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy DeGuy. I would also suggest Brainwashed by Tom Burrell.
It is impossible not to see things along the lines of race when everything is based upon it. The actual race war, from its origin, has always been about socioeconomic status; however, the systematic oppression of blacks in America has kept them at the bottom of the socioeconomic edifice — creating a polarization of black and whites, so now things are seen in black and white.
The power of propaganda spread through mainstream media, consistently bombards the world with images that immense impact the development of social paradigms, including the manner in which the black race is viewed, and especially the manner in which black men are viewed. This not only impacts the way the world views us, but it impacts our perception of ourselves. So, for someone to say that they don’t see color is like a person saying that they don’t get a different feeling when a stray poodle walks up on them verses a pit-bull breed. The images of both animals have been inculcated into the psyche of every individual for years and it determines how they view each and how they respond to each. These responses are either subconscious or even unconscious.
To gain a lucid perspicacity of what is being set forth here, it is important to understand the difference between racism and bigotry as well. Racism is the systematic approach to ensuring that a specific group of people maintains or conserves their position of wealth and power. It is, in essence, a race for power. This is perpetuated in every area of our culture — finance, economics, politics and even religion. On the other hand, bigotry is simply hatred of another based on differences, primarily race.
When it comes to police officers protecting or defending erroneous behavior by other cops that is also a conditioned response. There are a number of psychological mechanisms that are set in place within any police force that drives officers to think like officers. There is the institutionalized paradigm of the Blue Wall of Silence. Simply put, cops don’t snitch on cops and they don’t openly ridicule the actions of other cops.
When it comes to police officers automatically defended what seems to be great injustices at the hands of other police officers, the very assertion that there are no racial lines is indicative of assimilation into what has become a higher order for this person. When it comes to the Michael Brown case, even with additional evidence and testimony from two white men who saw the incident and corroborated other eyewitness testimony that shots were fired while Michael Brown was fleeing and when he turned around and put his hands up while saying, “OK, Ok, Ok,” at least six more shots were fired, cops are still trying to defend this cowardly act. The audio of the shooting reveals the same pause that is being expressed through personal testimony.
When you have a situation in which the violence against unarmed black men in specific (at the hands of law enforcement officers) has escalated exponentially over the last decade, while over and over violent armed white suspects are being talked down despite waving firearms at police officers and citizens, you cannot deny that there is an issue, and that race plays a major role in the disparity. The frustration in Ferguson is actually the culmination horrific crimes against Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell, Eric Garner, Madou Diallo, Ronald Madison and the list goes on. Federal statistics reveal that every week two black men are killed by white police officers in this country. When security officers and vigilantes are added into the equation, the number increases to one black man being killed by a white person acting as an agent of authority every 28 hours. Whether a person wants to admit that there is a problem, there is one.
Any black person that believes that there is not a problem is either suffering from some form of psychosis — many are — or they have not conducted significant research into the history of their people or this country. Until a person is willing to have a mind that is open to the possibility that everything they believe may rest on a foundation of lies, they will always be under the control of the one who controls the images that form their paradigms.