zimmerman: Acting White: Black Racism, White Racism

To quote entertainer Chris Rock, ‘it’s not right, but I understand it’. On the heels of the recent senseless high-media profile murders of whites by black men in North Carolina and Alabama, and with the overwhelming backdrop of black men murdering their own in genocide-like numbers (57 so far this year in the Field Negro’s ‘Killadelphia’), it is time to openly revise our notions of racism – what we expect and what is acceptable.

In the past, the label of racist was reserved for anybody, black or white, who used superficial distinctions of race in relating to groups or individuals. The key was not whether the distinction, usually negative, was indicative of anything valuable, but rather that race, or ethnic, distinction was made at all. Except for personal preferences, like socializing and going to church, race-based discrimination was, by definition, off-limits, out-of-bounds - morally, ethically, and legally, indecent.

Now let’s jump over to today’s ‘real’ world. Any American who is not afraid of black men on some level is simply not thinking straight. Also, remember that fear is an emotional response, so do not think about it too much, it is what it is. I’m afraid, and I AM a tall-ass black man, and one who studied the martial arts for fun. I am afraid for me, my family, my friends, my acquaintances, and lastly for anyone, male or female, white, black or green, who might statistically find themselves in the presence of a black male at the ‘wrong place and wrong time’. Call me whatever you like, I don’t give a Freak, I’m talking about life and death!

So when people make distinctions about blacks and crime, especially violent crime and murder, I no longer immediately jump onto the offensive. Yes, these comments sound racist to me, and piss me off if I think about them too much. But the real question is if the behavior behind them resembles me in it's prudence, and too often it does. I avoid unfamiliar gatherings of black males. I check out how black men present themselves and avoid those that feel dangerous. I also judge black men by their dress and manner, especially those wearing inmate clothing, all in an attempt to keep my life. This method is far from perfect, but it’s all I have, so I use it. If this profiling makes me racist in some way, and I believe it does, so be it. Better to err on the side of staying alive.

For me today’s racism is not about inferiority, but also about mortality. If black males do not want to be racially profiled as life threatening, they need to stop being a danger. And I need to see this in the stats, not out of somebody's mouth. It is as simple as that. In the meantime, I watch myself - it’s not right, but you need to understand.

James C. Collier

Post Scriptum/Addendum: From the DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics...