Race Is Not A Card, Its A Reality
When I was a high school sophomore, I read a short bio of Huey P.Newton over my school’s loudspeaker during some sort of Black History Month activity. Later that day, my (Jewish) English teacher made a “joke” about my omission of the details of Newton’s death (he was allegedly killed while purchasing crack in 1989). I didn’t find this funny at all. Up until this point, he had been one of my favorite teachers. I decided to write him a letter expressing my feelings and at the end, I quoted Langston Hughes’ “Theme For English B:”
You are white—yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American. Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. But we are, that’s true! As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me—although you’re older—and white—and somewhat more free.
I felt mature and thoughtful…until he returned it to me with his response: “…if you play the race card, you’ll oft be ignored.”
While I understood his argument that he’d mocked the Puritans, Homer and plenty of other White folks…he’d only taught us about White folks. Most of whom were also male. This had been the case in most of my History classes as well: Whiteness at the center. So I took my opportunity to share some Black facts with my classmates very seriously. But even if the teacher couldn’t handle my critique of his words, the fact that he accused me–a 16-year-old–of “pulling the race card” upset me greatly. That was the last time I registered for one of his classes. By senior year, we no longer spoke when we passed one another in the hallway.
The “race card” is a concept that has been used to silence people of color who attempt to speak out when they feel that race has been used unfairly in determining how people are treated. It is one of the most dangerous weapons in the White privilege toolbox, for it implies that a non-POC would know better when something is truly racist than someone who is constantly subjected to racism. That said, it isn’t that people of color can never be wrong about denouncing something as racism, but that they should be treated with a level of deference when expressing their concerns. Instead of having something dismissed as someone pulling a card, these complaints should be respectfully analyzed and received. If someone is truly committed to being non-racist, the appropriate reaction to a charge of racism is “I don’t feel like what I did was racist. Can you help me understand why you feel that way?”, not accusing someone of using race to be manipulative or deceitful.
But, alas, in a world of White privilege where is the incentive to say “You’re right, that was racist of me”? or “I didn’t mean to be racially insensitive”? And for even those who pride themselves in being non-racist, where would a non-Black person be taught the difference? If racism doesn’t negatively impact you in a very obvious way, it’s quite a task to say, “hey, let me learn about this so I make sure that I’m not out here supporting an unfair system of advantage that benefits me.”
It’s an amazingly duplicitous thing, to flip racism around so that the person who is the victim now looks like the guilty party because of their observations of someone’s behavior. A Black woman who feels that she has been passed over for a raise because of her background may be told that she is ‘pulling the race card’ and that racism will never end so long as people like her “see race in everything.” But how can you not see something that is constantly there?
The race card concept implies that the true racial power in this country lies in the hands of minorities, and that as soon as we “cry racism,” we will then be allowed to get away with anything or to unjustly persecute innocent White people. This is so infrequently the case. We holler “race” because so often it IS about race. While racism should not instill in Black folks a sense of paranoia, we must be constantly diligent and aware of how we are being treated. I do not wish to be color-blind. I am glad that I am aware of the racial climate that I live in, so that I may arm myself accordingly for whatever may come my way. We will never end or even lessen racism so long as we are made to be afraid to challenge it. Thus, I understand that the “race card” that I carry is not some get-out-of-culpability trump card, but instead, a challenging reality that I have been dealt.
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Very well written, honest and truthful content.
Whenever I’m faced with someone who claims I’m playing the race card I always say I’m only playing with the hand I was dealt as a Black woman in this country. I also do not wish to be colorblind and not just to be aware of the of the racial climate I live in. To use a term Mayor Corey Booker used, I want to delight in all of the “racial deliciousness” that is America & the world. I cannot & will not negate my history because it makes people feel uncomfortable. As far as your teacher goes almost every figure in history has 2 sides. Whenever the Founding Fathers are mentioned does everyone say & yes they were slave holders?
I agree. As AA, I feel we sometimes lack sympathy for the discrimination of other minorities, especially Hispanics/Latinos, Arabs, Asians, Native Americans, and East Indians.
nice.
Absolutely brilliant post.
Fantastic article!!
I agree with you wholeheartedly. On the flipside, I think that there are also blacks who choose to reach for the “race card” even when it is clearly not the case and that has some whites lumping those cases in with legitimate cases of racism, which is unfortunate. With that said, I think that we need to analyze the situation with a thoughtful eye and think about things from the other person’s point of view before we break out the card. You can’t deny that there are plenty of cases where someone yelled racism when it didn’t exist. Think about an inappropriately dressed, inarticulate, inexperienced black person with a ton of tattoos at a job interview for an office job. They don’t get the job, obviously, yet make claims that racism was involved. Yes, pretty simplified, but it happens.
Thank you for writing such a thoughtful article. :-)
True. I definitely agree that some white folk use the “race card” phrase to dismiss legitimate acts of racism, but at the same time black folk tend to make a situation all about race when it really isn’t. So in essence, both sides are capable of tripping when it comes to this whole “race card” issue.
Jewish people aren’t even “white”. Now if you said he was playing the race(faith?) card when discussing the Holocaust, you’d be expelled for being antisemitic. I can’t. Thx for the post Sister T. Keep teaching and fighting for us.
The majority of Jews are Ashkenazis from Europe, so yes they are white.
@ Shiraz,
The majority of Jews are NOT Ashkenazim, the majority are Mizrahim and Sephardim, the majority of American Jews are of Eastern European Ashkenazi decent, so that’s what we’re used to and what we tend to view as the norm, but it isn’t.
I definitely agree with several points made in this post, especially in regards to the statement that AA’s are often persecuted for “playing the race card”. However, to play devil’s advocate here, sometimes I believe we as a people become a liiiittle to slap-happy with the race card. All too often I’ve heard AA adults around me claim that they didn’t get a job because they’re black (when in truth the fact that they didn’t get a job could be attributed to their lack of experience, education, etc.). Of course this is just my limited experience with AA’s, but it’s still a valid point. Yes, we have the right to be exceedingly conscience about the racial climate we live in, however when we incessantly call foul based on race with no valid reason, we are effectively hindering our progress as a people.
“The “race card” is a concept that has been used to silence people of color who attempt to speak out when they feel that race has been used unfairly in determining how people are treated.”
Not necessarily true.
A black man gets in trouble with the law. First thing friends and family do is pull out the race card despite the fact that HE WAS DOING WRONG and is GUILTY as charged. I have seen it happen over and over again.
Naturally people, both black and white are going to ask, “Why exactly are you bringing race into this? He did crime. Now he needs to do the time. Why are you playing the race card?”
For this reason it can be argued that the “race card” is a concept that has been used to silence society when people of color–particularly black men–use race to justify their actions (“he did it because he is oppressed”) or when they don’t want to own up to their actions and face the consequences.
It doesn’t help that black people automatically jump to race whenever there is an issue. That seems to be our trump card whenever there is an issue–even when race or racism is clearly not the problem.
That may be what YOU do, but you wrote “OUR trump card”. When will some of you get it through your heads that many black people are not like you and you are not like many other black people. It is not a WE. It is YOU and the limited number of black folk you know.
Some of you are truly adopting the behavior and the mind set of “the oppressor”. Not a good look and it will come back on you. Karma is a Biotch.
@Kim
Thanks for proving my point. Notice this statement in your comment:
“Some of you are truly adopting the behavior and the mind set of “the oppressor”.”
If we’re adopting the behavior and the mindset of “the oppressor” then you and those like you are doing a damn good job of hanging on to the behavior and the mindset of the slave.
“Our” refers to people of color–particularly black people, African Americans or the people the AUTHOR of this blog tried to speak for– who are the MAIN minority that use it. I stand by my statement.
For the record–I don’t personally believe race is keeping African Americans down in this country…at least not anymore. Lack of accountability, values, morals, and self-destruction are the main problems.
“For the record–I don’t personally believe race is keeping African Americans down in this country…at least not anymore. Lack of accountability, values, morals, and self-destruction are the main problems”
Yes, and let me add denial to that pile because in these parts, you can’t even have a conversation around the things you listed. I agree with you. In my experiences, I have found that while my race initially may cause some tension, my skill set is what wins in the end.
You say: ‘In my experiences, I have found that while my race initially may cause some tension, my skill set is what wins in the end.’
How is that even remotely okay? It is not about race, but it causes some tension? This is your example of how the ‘race card’ is being abused? SMH
JustSayin…I cosign 100%…your comments expressed my sentiments to the T. Thank you!
“How is that even remotely okay? It is not about race, but it causes some tension? This is your example of how the ‘race card’ is being abused? SMH”
1. No one said it was okay.
2. I don’t live in a fool’s paradise. Race is an issue and it is not going to ever go away. However, I find that most people look beyond race once they see that you are a competent human being. Is it fair? No. Has this been my experience? Yes. Should you use the race card in a situation like this, the instant it happens? I don’t think so. Unless you are self-employed, you have to learn to navigate amongst people and pick your battles in a fashion that benefit you. For ME, focusing on race is a non-issue because I know that I can compete with the best of them and win. I also know that there are a whole slew of things beyond race that may come into play. Now, if I find that people are solely using my race as a tool to hold me back from opportunities in a fashion that hinders my growth, then I will speak out. But I’ve never been in that situation.
3. In my life, I have known fellow black colleagues who have abused the race card, only to find that they have put themselves in a quagmire: Once you “play the race card” you have tacitly agreed that it is SOLELY your race that has created the situation. What usually happens is that their complaint is heard, action is taken, and they find themselves in a situation where the other things they failed mention while “playing the race card” rear their ugly heads. It’s usually: incompetence, poor choices, an inability to inarticulate a position, and a lack of interpersonal skills. Race has consistently been the least of their worries, but surprisingly the battle they always choose to fight first.
*an inability to articulate a position*
I should also say that race has consistently been the least of their problems but always the battle they choose to fight first.
“I should also say that race has consistently been the least of their problems but always the battle they choose to fight first”
Word! I have found that most of the people using the race card cannot compete in the world. They don’t typically have a skill set and they blame their race whenever they are unable to navigate the world as they would like. For example, my cousin swears he can’t get a job because “the white man demotes black men.” When in reality this man didn’t finish high school, doesn’t have a G.E.D. and can barely put two words together. Yet it’s racism keeping him back?!?
I think we need to face the fact that SOME black people would like to keep the battle between the races going in order to hide their own insecurities. failure, and flaws.
@JustSaying,
And you are proving my point. I graduated from Meharry Medical College in 1993 and then I graduated from law school in the Spring of 2010. I payed my own way and worked my behind off to graduate. I have been working as a physician for the last 18 years and I’ve done well. There is no mindset of a slave here. LOL! If there was, I would have allowed folks like you to hinder me from achieving my goals. I simply refuse to buy into the rants of a silly black child who has no idea what it really means to accomplish goals that most people, White or Black, slave or free, will never accomplish.
You have no real interest in black people or “the black community”. You simply have very deep issues with black people.
The world has a way of kicking our ass to make us wake up to our foolishness. Have a nice day and I wish you the best of luck. You are going to need it.
@Kim
After reading several of your comments on this site, I highly DOUBT you are a physician or any other type of professional. Being that I am black and have a Masters degree (so much for your silly black “child” theory). I think I’m more than qualified to ALSO speak on the plight of African Americans.
To be frank, I don’t share your “it’s all the oppressor’s fault” mentality. It’s your kind that’s truly crippling to any type of progress. As long as we have people like you patting those not pulling their weight on the head and saying, “It’s not you…it’s them.” We will NEVER get anywhere as a race. So please go sit down somewhere and eat a cookie. Good day!
@JustSayin:
Can I just say I heart you lol! You speak with such eloquence about real issues. You don’t use race as a crutch and you argue for both sides of the story. In my limited experience I’ve found that most black folks are in denial and they they don’t want to accept that more often that not its the black man not the white man that’s dragging us down. You break it down and you definitely shut down the peeps talking about how people like you who are NOT IN DENIAL bring the black race down. Some of y’all need to be truthful with yourselves and acknowledge the Keishas and MixMasterDJs who swears their the next Beyonce or Lil Wayne and don’t focus on school. It’s all a cycle that needs to be broken.
Just Saying, whle I get wht you’;re saying, I think people (well me and some others) mention race when the PUNISHMENT of said crime is different from when a non-black does the same. The NY cops that got ofgf for raping a girl, I sincerely believe had it been a black cop, he’d be in jail by now. So no I can say if a black person commits a crme, I will NOT make excuses, its when punishment s being given out that and one group gets a harsher punishment than another, you start to wonder
@Girl
The reality is that black people use race whenever they can get away with it. I understand being outraged about injustice however where is this same outrage when black people use race as a crutch or as a means to escape responsibility? Is this not using the race card? Bottom line for me is this: If you don’t want people calling you out for abusing the race card then stop using it for any and everything.
so because some people abuse it, if I wanna point out a racst situation, it’s ok to be accused of pulling the almighty race card?
I love this post so much.
To be honest, I don’t even think race is a card that can really be PLAYED in the first place, since as soon as you lay it down on the table, so to speak, you lose the game. Whenever someone makes claims of racism, they’re usually not taken seriously by the person they’re challenging, or the other people around them. They’ll usually just get bombarded by a torrent of:
“Are you sure you’re not just making excuses for your failure?”
“You’re just another one of those over-sensitive black people, huh?”
“Slavery ended 400 years ago! Get over it!”
Ad nauseum.
Calling out racism automatically turns the situation against you because odds are that no one but a hand-full of other black people will take you seriously in the first place. If the people you’re confronting are subconsciously or consciously racist, while also believing that race is not an issue, of course they’re not going to believe a “lowly” black person.
If some black people are ‘guilty’ of over-racializing scenarios, then I think that some white people are guilty of deracializing scenarios, even when race is the elephant in the room.
Whenever I do online research some race-based atrocity that occurred in America’s past, and the information presented has a commenting option, I can almost always count on a torrent or hand full of comments saying that the situation being presented had absolutely nothing to do with race at all. Even today we have people saying that Jim Crow laws and lynchings like the murder of Mary Turner had nothing to do with race or racism- period. They’re just randomly occurring instances of how horrible humanity can be to itself with no societal context whatsoever. Yeah, seriously.
This whole thing reminds me of an article I read in the past, maybe via Tim Wise, that cited a survey that said that even white people in the 60s believed that relations between whites and blacks were just fine. And I think we all know about the 60s. As long as we make the assumption that black people (especially poor or “undereducated” black people) are inherently trigger-happy/irresponsible/generally worse at doing things than white people are, it’s easy to accept that black people’s claims of racism and black people themselves aren’t to be taken seriously.
Excellent post! Eloquent & thought-provoking. Thank you.
This was a great post!
Another awesome post by SisterToldja! Race is not some “card”; it is still very MUCH a reality. Of course, with any real struggle there will be people who will “use the race card” for every single thing, yet what is the alternative? To not be aware of words and events that are racially offensive? We should never be afraid to point out to someone their mistakes if they’ve said or did something racist.
We are not even close to being truly “postracial”; that word itself allows White people to say “We’re all one” without accounting for what’s been done in the past, and when it’s brought up, the person bringing it up is accused of “disrupting the harmony”…and it’s sad that a lot of PoC have bought into this bullshit definition of “postracial”.
there was no racism there would be no race card………
Hurrah James!
this was very revealing of you to share!
At what point do we stop using “the race card”? Some (maybe even many) of us use it to not take a closer look at what we can do better. So, there are some racists in America. So? There always have been and always will be. The question should be.. What are we going to do to overcome it? How can we excel and be successful in this Society, given these parameters? We’ve always done it before in the past, what is so different now?
love it!
i like this article.
Very well written this post gives me a lot to think about, in my own mind I sometimes feel that I’m being too racially conscious, even though I continue to get constant negative racial remarks from the whites at my school. When you say something about it or you have a class discussion, everyone wants to talk about the “race card” and how ‘every white person isn’t racist’, or ‘that stuff happened in the past we need to get past that.’ All the white folks love it when you bobble your head to that post-racial colorblind garbage the media has been feeding people, many of the same people that are quieting you are the same one’s that come out and call you the n-word or have some other racial statement to make behind your back. I love everyone and I personally don’t care for calling people out directly, but after reading this it’s time I’ve woken up and stand up for what’s right no matter how much someone might claim that you’re too racially conscious, a racist yourself, or some other ridiculous and disgruntling remark.
I do agree with you, but would you say that race is sometimes used when it is not warranted? I would. This is my blog concerning race relations in the United States and the only way they can be improved: http://racerelationsinus.blogspot.com/
I love how you pointed out the questioning that should be involved before making a determination of whether or not a view should have been seen as a racist one.
Thank you for this post. I’ve been trying to explain that to people for years now. It’s very dismissive and is used as a way to shut people up moreso than to acknowledge the big elephant in the room.
This article is so very spot on.
Thank you.