How is racism overcome?

[loverofhumanity]

I am interested in people sharing their ideas and views on how racism should be addressed. I believe it exists on all sides and all have the responsibility to mend relations and improve them but how is the question? Many societies struggle with this problem but have yet to find a solution.

Can religion help?

Myself personally I don’t believe heavy handedness or more security is the true answer. Tougher laws may act as a deterrent to an extent but does not change attitudes.

There are three levels of any society. The individual, the community and the institutions or governments.

I believe that from childhood equality and the oneness of all humanity needs to be taught in all schools in the world so as to educate people to view all humankind as equals and be fair and just to all and to spurn prejudice and discrimination on any grounds.

On an institutional level laws need to be administered justly to one and all without any preferential treatment.

Without acceptance of all as equals through education I do not believe laws against racism on paper can ever work. A change of attitude I believe is required and I believe it will take many generations to purge the worst of racism out of cultures which have it ingrained.

Where there is darkness my view is that only light can help and it is my firm belief that where racism existS only a spirit oneness can ever hope to defeat and overcome it.

This is my understanding what do you think is the solution? The quote below summarises how I think racism should be addressed.

“Close your eyes to racial differences and welcome all with the light of oneness” - Baha’u’llah

 

[Rival]

I dropped National Socialism in favour of Judaism. It can be done!

Education didn't help. It was always religion.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I dropped National Socialism in favour of Judaism. It can be done!

Education didn't help. It was always religion.

I agree religion can be a very potent instrument to change attitudes if it promotes oneness and equality of all.

 

[ChristineM]

From as early as i remember we have had family friends of various nationalities, and I don't have a racist bone in my body, familiarity is the key.

I cannot see religion helping in any great way, it is far to fragmented and much of it teaches, at the very least dislike, at most outright hatred of other religions. What chance have other nationalities got?

 

[Vee]

I am interested in people sharing their ideas and views on how racism should be addressed. I believe it exists on all sides and all have the responsibility to mend relations and improve them but how is the question? Many societies struggle with this problem but have yet to find a solution.QUOTE]

By not seeing others as a different race. We're all humans.

Can religion help?
It can an it should, but most religions don't give a great example. Fortunately, there are exceptions.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I am interested in people sharing their ideas and views on how racism should be addressed. I believe it exists on all sides and all have the responsibility to mend relations and improve them but how is the question? Many societies struggle with this problem but have yet to find a solution.

Can religion help?

I don't believe so. I think racism is more a result of cultural indoctrination than it is about religion.

I grew up in a very racist household. Religion had absolutely nothing to do with my overcoming it.

 

[loverofhumanity]

From as early as i remember we have had family friends of various nationalities, and I don't have a racist bone in my body, familiarity is the key.

I cannot see religion helping in any great way, it is far to fragmented and much of it teaches, at the very least dislike, at most outright hatred of other religions. What chance have other nationalities got?

What do you think would help solve the problem? It seems that nothing is working so far in the current climate.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I don't believe so. I think racism is more a result of cultural indoctrination than it is about religion.

I grew up in a very racist household. Religion had absolutely nothing to do with my overcoming it.

How do you think is the best way to fix this very serious problem?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Can religion help?

Not any of the religions that have failed to help so far (i.e. almost all of them).

 

[Nimos]

I am interested in people sharing their ideas and views on how racism should be addressed. I believe it exists on all sides and all have the responsibility to mend relations and improve them but how is the question? Many societies struggle with this problem but have yet to find a solution.

Can religion help?

Yes and no, I think.

In some cases religion can bind people together and change the focus to something else. Like the message of the bible, the love for Jesus etc. But just as religion can connect people it can also split them apart.

For instant, if I mention Islam and muslim, most people will probably automatically think something like this....

Instantly people will also think of terrorism etc. Even though its a minority of muslims that have anything to do with it. For some people I think these associations will also to some degree turn a bit racist, because obviously there are more people in the arabic part of the world that are muslims, and they just happen to live in areas that make their skin slightly darker. The same goes for Africa, where you obviously have a mixture of both religions and several others as well.

However racism doesn't seem to take religion into account all that much, meaning that rarely, at least as far as I know, the person being racist probably wont ask the person first whether or not the other one is of a given religion or not.

I think its common all around the world with stereotypes, so I would assume that in the US a lot of people will see the typical mexican as an illegal immigrant. A black person might be seen as either poor, a criminal and associated with drugs and so forth. Despite a lot of them doing very well, we have the same issue in Denmark, where arabic looking people, are often associated with being criminal, they have a more difficult time getting a job, purely due to their name and so forth, but also a small group of them have managed to create some drug related gangs and are ruining it for the rest, as these things obviously reaches the press and is constantly reminding everyone that these drug wars are happening. Despite most of these people that are related to these things are born in Denmark and are danes like everyone else. Yet you can't get passed that they are always referred to as 2nd generation immigrants. Probably not a lot different, I could imagine in the US for instant, where a black person is not referred to as an American, but most likely as an Afro american, even though they are just as american as a white person.

So to me a lot of the issue is with the press, constantly having to point out the skin color of people rather than just calling them a dane or an american etc. To me that would be a very good start of combating racism.

Secondly I think, people have to be educated, to me racism is the absolute best example of stupidity and being uneducated (Not meaning like a degree, as highly educated people can be racists as well.) but educated in humanism or the human race or what to say.

Third there are all the traditions, each religion and country etc have traditions which also help defined people. Which at least to me, in a lot of cases, when talking about religion is not helping. Because traditions of one religion can make those of other religions hate some of the things they do.
For instant personally I think it stupid that a lot of muslim women covers their hair and face, not because they shouldn't be allowed, but purely because it have its reasons based on religion and I think its ruins them as individual humans. Obviously that is my personal view and in general I find most religious rules stupid as they are based on none sense in my opinion. But most traditions doesn't have a huge impact on people so its of no concern. But all in all I think these traditions helps make people distance each other from each other and not really wanting to get involved in each other.

Doing these things and given time, I think it could be improved.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

From as early as i remember we have had family friends of various nationalities, and I don't have a racist bone in my body, familiarity is the key.

I cannot see religion helping in any great way, it is far to fragmented and much of it teaches, at the very least dislike, at most outright hatred of other religions. What chance have other nationalities got?

Exposure and familiarity seem pretty key to me, too.

 

[SalixIncendium]

How do you think is the best way to fix this very serious problem?

In my experience, if one's intent is to help others overcome shortcomings, leading by example is usually an effective method.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

From as early as i remember we have had family friends of various nationalities, and I don't have a racist bone in my body, familiarity is the key.

I cannot see religion helping in any great way, it is far to fragmented and much of it teaches, at the very least dislike, at most outright hatred of other religions. What chance have other nationalities got?

Growing up within the Children's Aid, I had intimate exposure to pretty much everybody. My high school (which was a boarding school so I lived there 10 months of every year) had students from every continent, faith and colour. It was run by Quakers, but taught no religion.

The more people you get to know -- actually get to know -- the easier it is to like people, given even half a chance.

I grew up knowing the phrase "familiarity breeds contempt." It's one of the many that I learned are completely useless. Familiarity breeds comfort and ease.

 

[bobhikes]

I am interested in people sharing their ideas and views on how racism should be addressed. I believe it exists on all sides and all have the responsibility to mend relations and improve them but how is the question? Many societies struggle with this problem but have yet to find a solution.

First it is not Racism, There is only one human race, we are all the same. Stressing commonalities is surely one of the best fixes.

What it really is "Human Observational Bias"

What is needed
Stressing commonalities
Inclusion of all outward appearances
Interaction with all outward appearances

What I mean. Human Observational Bias will only stand up if you have minimum or limited interaction with different appearance. If you don't deal with people of the Bias your bias will stand, if you only have limited interaction your bias's will stand. This is true for people of color as well as women in the work place and people that go against societal standards in appearance. Appearance for this definition includes non-standard actions as talking to yourself all the time, jerk actions of you limbs, etc....


All humans have differences but in aggregate we are all similar but we need a good number of experiences with each other to see that. Integration of schools, government and business's will all decrease our bias's. The problem being in the United States you have the ability to freely change school, state and company so it isn't entirely successful especially for people of modest wealth.

The problem for the police is much worse. They mostly deal with people breaking societal rules so it could easily enforce there bias's. They need more exposure to good inclusion and interaction to balance the negative.

I could give examples and into more detail and am open to questions.

 

[Vouthon]

I dropped National Socialism in favour of Judaism. It can be done!

Education didn't help. It was always religion.

Wowser!!!

And I thought the biggest conversion experience / perceptual shift in intellectual history, from one worldview to another, was St. Paul on the Damascus road.

Exchanging Neo-Nazism for Noahidism surely takes the biscuit. I've gotta hear your personal story at some point, if you're ever interested in speaking some more about it - I'm all ears (well, eyes technically on a forum like this but you know what I mean).

@loverofhumanity In terms of overcoming racial prejudice, I'd say the most important things are at the societal and social-cultural spheres. The law can also help a bit - blunt instrument though it may be and unefficacious in reaching the conscience - inasmuch as the state can ensure civil equality and clamp down upon segregation, as well as increasing educational opportunities for children from ethnic minority backgrounds to attend college and universities, where youngsters from diverse heritages can befriend each other (and perhaps even partner up romantically). This can create a better, more pluralistic environment for more "exposure" to people from different background to take place.

Racism, I feel, often arises from ignorance of the "other" and limited personal horizons. That's why you tend to find it more in isolated, endogamous, enclosed communities that rarely mingle with "outsiders" as opposed to cosmopolitanized folk used to travelling around different countries.

So, increasing economic opportunities for people to get to know those from ethnic or racial backgrounds different from their own is essential in my opinion. Often this exposes prejudice for the hollow stereotyping that it is, because close contact with the "other" tends to demonstrate just how similar they really are, until the subconscious "Othering" just ceases by itself.

As for religion, yeah I'm prepared to say that the universalist moral values and humanitarian teachings of many world religions can be efficacious in changing attitudes to race and ethnicity, if the religion in question has a strong and respected central authority committed to preaching to the "laity" about respect for the equal rights and dignity of other human beings.

Pope Francis - for example - used his papal office and platform as spiritual leader of 1.3 billion people to impress in his followers minds that the way many migrants were being treated on the U.S. - Mexico border was systematically racist:

https://cathedralstpats.org/strangers-longer-catholic-teaching-information-immigration/ 1

Statement from Pope Francis on Unaccompanied Minors and Families crossing the USA’s southern border:

“Many people forced to emigrate, suffer, and often, die tragically; many of their rights are violated, they are obliged to separate from their families and, unfortunately, continue to be the subject of racist and xenophobic attitudes…A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalization – all typical of a throwaway culture – towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world.”

“I would also like to draw attention to the tens of thousands of children who migrate alone, unaccompanied, to escape poverty and violence…This humanitarian emergency requires, as a first urgent measure, these children be welcomed and protected.”

(Statement to the “Mexico Holy See colloquium on human migration and development”)​

Likewise having an official definition of racism from the perspective of one's religion, as in that issued under Pope John Paul II’s Magisterium by the Vatican in 1989, can be useful in catechizing followers of a given faith:

http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/PCJPRACI.HTM 1

Today racism has not disappeared.

The victims are certain groups of persons whose physical appearance or ethnic, cultural or religious characteristics are different from those of the dominant group, and are interpreted by the latter as being signs of an innate and definitive inferiority, thereby justifying all discriminatory practices in their regard.

If, in fact, race defines a human group in terms of immutable and hereditary physical traits, racist prejudice, which dictates racist behavior, can be applied by extension, with equally negative effects, to all persons whose ethnic origin, language, religion or customs make them appear different.

Some mention must also be made of ethnocentricity. This is a very widespread attitude whereby a people has a natural tendency to defend its identity by denigrating that of others to the point that, at least symbolically, it refuses to recognize their full human quality.

Harboring racist thoughts and entertaining racist attitudes is a sin against the specific message of Christ for whom one’s “neighbor” is not only a person from my tribe, my milieu, my religion or my nation: it is every person that I meet along the way.​

 

[ChristineM]

What do you think would help solve the problem? It seems that nothing is working so far in the current climate.

Familiarity, it will take time.

 

[Wandering Monk]

How can racism be solved? By living and working together.

 

[Windwalker]

Can religion help?

It could it if were more pluralistically leaning. Traditional religions tend to be more ethnocentrically focused. "God's chosen ones". Typically this is one's own immediate racial or cultural group, which which whom they hold religious ties.

To get a shift to happen between that and a pluralistic view, one that integrates in a common interest, requires a shift in overall worldview. It's a major advance forward away from our earliest kinship and tribalistic systems which we inherited from our ancestors, and carried forward into our systems today. That shift of perspective is a radical evolutionary step forwards, which sees humanity as inclusive of all, rather that love being for those within the immediate group itself, and remains largely just there.

This is not meant as a criticism of traditionalism, as it itself was a major step forward from previous kinship systems, of brother against brother.

All of this applies not just to religion, but cultural worldviews or perspectives in general. It is after all, the cultural worldviews that get brought into the religious perspectives. So if you see divisions of "Christians and Non-Christians", that is itself that us vs. them or the "other" perspective brought into it though the cultural lens of ethnocentric divisions, or memberships defined through cultural, religious, and racial associations.

Myself personally I don’t believe heavy handedness or more security is the true answer. Tougher laws may act as a deterrent to an extent but does not change attitudes.

Very much true. Add to this that force often reinforces division, even if it can temporarily beat the "other" back into submission for a time. Force is counterproductive.

There are three levels of any society. The individual, the community and the institutions or governments.

I believe that from childhood equality and the oneness of all humanity needs to be taught in all schools in the world so as to educate people to view all humankind as equals and be fair and just to all and to spurn prejudice and discrimination on any grounds.

I agree, but this is exactly with the Christian Right has pushed back against, calling it a corruption of traditional moral values. That is an example of strong ethnocentric currents reacting against a pluralistic society. They see that as the devil. It threatens the structure they have built within their traditionalist value systems.

We've been trying to make the world more humane, inclusive of the other, the downtrodden and oppressed, but that threatens power structures which manipulate and use the Christian Right for its own political ends of repression of minority groups. That is the age-old dance that we are on the latest cycle of right now.

On an institutional level laws need to be administered justly to one and all without any preferential treatment.

Without acceptance of all as equals through education I do not believe laws against racism on paper can ever work. A change of attitude I believe is required and I believe it will take many generations to purge the worst of racism out of cultures which have it ingrained.

The war on culture waged by the Christian Right is responsible to put the brakes on all of this. We can see clearly what this all is is basically the Civil War centered on black slavery in the South, continued through the politicization of the the Christian Right, the wolf of racism in the sheep's clothing of Christian truth and values.

What does need to be done to end racism? Expose it and those who themselves might never put on the KKK cap, yet are eerily silent when it comes to black inequality and discrimination. You will hear them plenty loud enough however, if the black man becomes "uppity". Then you hear them say things like this, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts".

Where there is darkness my view is that only light can help and it is my firm belief that where racism existS only a spirit oneness can ever hope to defeat and overcome it.

And how does Empathy come about? Because that's what this is. A lack of empathy.

This is my understanding what do you think is the solution? The quote below summarises how I think racism should be addressed.

“Close your eyes to racial differences and welcome all with the light of oneness” - Baha’u’llah

We can say these things, and many have. Yet, people have a hard time seeing beyond just themselves or those of their immediate group. Inclusiveness, is a major shift in one sees the world, others, and themselves. How that comes about, is never by force. Showing what Love looks like, is an invitation to growth.


P.S. All of this in the news right now is in my backyard, so this is rather poignant to me right now. It's bad enough with Toxic Trump at the helm, then the pandemic, then the stay at home, then the murder, then the looters and burners, then the curfews, and then Donald the Dangerous wanting send in the military to shoot our citizens, sending a clear message of repressing the blacks with threats of violent retribution, something they are well too familiar with historically.

It's a rather tense, almost surreal time here. But we're great here. Hopefully our voice of reason will be heard, since we are not a state run by right-wingers.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What do you think would help solve the problem? It seems that nothing is working so far in the current climate.

The current climate... of the US?

The US lags behind many other countries in terms of racial equality. I think a good starting point would be to consider approaches that have worked elsewhere.

 

[sun rise]

What do you think would help solve the problem? It seems that nothing is working so far in the current climate.

Dramatic change is not overnight. I would have been utterly disbelieving when I was young that we'd have a black President in my lifetime. Even that did not end racism as we've seen.

Light is required to banish darkness. The more we manifest seeing beyond race in our thoughts, words and deeds, the more it will disappear.