In my years here at UW I have learned many things, but none come close to my evolution on the topic of race and my cognizance on the realities of American race relations. First off, I want to explicate that this editorial is based on my five-year undergraduate career and UW, and my current graduate one. As Tessie Lui concedes in her article “Teaching Differences Among Women from a Historical Perspective,” “We can view the world only from where we stand,” and this is what I intend to do — give you a black male’s perspective of UW. In no way do I intend to, or could I, speak for all blacks or non-white students, and I do not attempt to do so.
Whites here at UW-Madison expect non-white students to free them from the chains of American racism that continue to hold them hostage. White students are quick to explicitly assert that they are not racist, but their actions countervail their attempt to absolve themselves of racism, and their subtle racist proclivities are almost always eventually unmasked. One of the doctrines of white supremacy is the issue of racial purity — the so-called preservation of the white race. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, white supremacy is an ideology and is not only apparent in things such as the KKK, lynchings and other more overt forms of the philosophy. Whites at UW are more than willing to befriend a particular, non-threatening type of non-white — in other words, one that is not “too ethnic”–but would rarely date outside of their own race. “Not that you’re not attractive . . . but I am just not attracted to YOU.”
Let’s examine this “YOU” for a second. “YOU” is simply a euphemism, another way of saying “your kind,” or your group. Whites feel that just because “one of my best friends is black” they couldn’t possibly be a perpetuator of racism and a contributor to America’s legacy of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” for some and not others.
The appropriate question is not “would you date outside of your race?,” not if you would experimentally have intercourse with a non-white, but would you, or more importantly, could you bring someone who was not white home to Mommy and Daddy? Think about that one, and consider what it means about you, your family, and what the influences are on your answer to both of these questions.
In my experience, most whites say “no” to both of the questions but avoid the disturbing realities that exposes.
Contrary to their belief, the way many whites operate here at UW is a very white supremacist way of thinking. Racist whites, and I will use the South as an example, lived side by side with blacks, conducted everyday transactions with them, and on some levels had humane relations with blacks. However, the wheels of racism and white supremacy turned uncontrollably when one of their kind (a white son or daughter) was found to be sexually involved with a “darkey.” This is the sentiment, and these are the attitudes that are predominant on the UW campus and remain pervasive and divisive in America.
When will white America realize that the social and cultural pressures they feel for acceptance are not only applicable to them? Non-whites also feel the need for acceptance, and the exclusion of whites is one, apathetic; two, hypocritical; and three, isolating. The anger of many non-white students is engendered by the hypocrisy of whites, this campus’ race chauvinism, the perpetual reinforcement of institutional racism, and whites’ unwillingness to challenge and eradicate racism because it favors them to sustain it.
Non-whites are the most visible invisible students on this campus. We have a very small voice, and ASM representatives’ recent political subterfuge is equally disheartening, disgusting and infuriating. I ask the white students: are people who blatantly attempt to silence a portion of the student population the people who represent your beliefs? If not, why don’t white students take a stand against what they know is injurious? Once again, actions speak louder than words. Your silence is confirmation that what they are doing is okay. Well, it is not okay!
As a black student, I ask in my precarious situation, as one of my classmates recently said, “What do you want me to say?” I cannot and will not pardon or absolve white students who are cordial and friendly to me of their racism, because as the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” My principles do not allow me to compromise with anything that I know is wrong. I have lived on this campus for many years, and I know what it can do to someone who is not the “average student” (white), as one ASM rep put it. It is time for white students — especially so-called white liberals — to speak with their actions, because all the excessive talking has done nothing to dissolve this campus’ hostile racial environment. UW provides nothing but feelings of discouragement and constant self-evaluation for non-whites, in the process fostering a nasty backlash from non-whites that serves no other purpose but that of a tactic for survival in a place where you are constantly reminded that you are unwelcome, unwanted, unaccepted, and misunderstood.
John Adams ([email protected]) is a graduate student in African American Studies and History.
