The True Definition Of Racism

By Daniel Miessler on May 22nd, 2007: Tagged as PC | Philosophy | Politics | Race | Racism

Racism means many things to many people. Oxford says it’s “the belief that there are characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to each race”. That’s a pretty broad definition, and arguably isn’t negative in and of itself.

The common use of the word is far more malicious and, in my opinion, ill-informed. Most people use the word to mean “any sort of behavior or view that reflects negatively on a race other than their own.” Both of those definitions are incorrect, in my opinion. Here’s my view:

True racism is when a person has negative feelings toward someone based on race alone. When person A has all of the characteristics that person B normally accepts as constituting a “decent” person (education, dress, speech, attitude, etc.), but they reject them anyway because of their race, that makes them a racist.

Too often this is confused with behavior-based judgment, and this misunderstanding harms society greatly. When a group of 15 black men walk into a mall dressed as gangsta-rappers — shouting, laughing, and ogling every woman that passes by — the hate that is directed at them is based on their behavior, not their race.

This is in stark contrast to the stereotypical white father who won’t let his daughter marry a black guy from a great family who just got his MBA from Harvard. That’s racism. And until we as a society can openly acknowledge and discuss this distinction we’re doomed to continue in our fear-based silence that does nothing but harm us.:

  • http://www.traderjoes.com/ Trader Joes

    I think you are forgetting one additional aspect. In the context of your example of judging the group of 15 black men and their behavior, you must also consider, would your judgement of them be consistent with your judgement of 15 white men engaging in the exact same behavior.

    If you find that your judgement of the black men is harsher than that of the 15 white men, then that is racism as well.

  • http://www.traderjoes.com Trader Joes

    I think you are forgetting one additional aspect. In the context of your example of judging the group of 15 black men and their behavior, you must also consider, would your judgement of them be consistent with your judgement of 15 white men engaging in the exact same behavior.

    If you find that your judgement of the black men is harsher than that of the 15 white men, then that is racism as well.

  • Andrew Hoffman

    Cambridge definitions

    racism the belief that people’s qualities are influenced by their race and that the members of other races are not as good as the members of your own, or the resulting unfair treatment of members of other races: “The authorities are taking steps to combat/fight/tackle racism in schools. The report made it plain that institutional racism (= racism in all parts of an organization) is deep-rooted in this country.”

    racist someone who believes that other races are not as good as their own and therefore treats them unfairly: “Two of the killers are known to be racists.”

    I disagree with both of you. There is racial discrimination, racial prejudice, and racism. They all imply different things.

    So say a black woman won’t date a white man because hes white. Shes a racist because she is racially discriminating?

    Nonononono, these are two very very VERY different things! Some racial discrimination is harmless if the discrimination isn’t based on racism, that the white man is inferior and thus unworthy, for example.

    Same thing with racial prejudice. Lets say police unfairly find white people more suspicious than black people based on statistics, its NOT fair, but its also NOT racism. These are again very very VERY different things!

    Because racism will always imply that you think less of someone based on their race, these terms cannot go hand in hand.

    Racism, racial discrimination, and racial prejudice are different things. One does not imply the other. Therefore we must keep the definitions separate and not blend them together.

  • Andrew Hoffman

    Cambridge definitions

    racism the belief that people’s qualities are influenced by their race and that the members of other races are not as good as the members of your own, or the resulting unfair treatment of members of other races: “The authorities are taking steps to combat/fight/tackle racism in schools. The report made it plain that institutional racism (= racism in all parts of an organization) is deep-rooted in this country.”

    racist someone who believes that other races are not as good as their own and therefore treats them unfairly: “Two of the killers are known to be racists.”

    I disagree with both of you. There is racial discrimination, racial prejudice, and racism. They all imply different things.

    So say a black woman won’t date a white man because hes white. Shes a racist because she is racially discriminating?

    Nonononono, these are two very very VERY different things! Some racial discrimination is harmless if the discrimination isn’t based on racism, that the white man is inferior and thus unworthy, for example.

    Same thing with racial prejudice. Lets say police unfairly find white people more suspicious than black people based on statistics, its NOT fair, but its also NOT racism. These are again very very VERY different things!

    Because racism will always imply that you think less of someone based on their race, these terms cannot go hand in hand.

    Racism, racial discrimination, and racial prejudice are different things. One does not imply the other. Therefore we must keep the definitions separate and not blend them together.


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