Issues Under Fire: The Future of American Racism Will Reflect the Past

Issues Under Fire: The Future of American Racism Will Reflect the Past 

With racial tensions flaring up on college campuses across America, exposing the depths of hatred and intolerance simmering in the hearts of America's youth, it begs one to wonder if this is a glimpse of America's future. If America's latest generation of best and brightest are still grappling with the issue of race, then one can presume race relations will remain a challenge for decades to come.  

It's through the words, actions and attitudes of America's university class, we get a clearer view into what has been and being discussed at dinner tables across the country. After a careful review of Black complaints being lodged against their White classmates, apparently, the "N" word is used liberally and regularly among close friends and relatives behind closed doors. If that's happening, its no stretch to presume White moms and dads are telling racist jokes or laughing out loud in front of the kids when they hear a good one. And honestly, It rarely takes much more than that to set a mindset for life.  

Its from their texts, facebook postings and tweets we get a peek into how America's White university class view "the others". Its from the stares, the whispers, the exclusive clicks and openly expressed anger against "the others" we gain insight into mindsets that's been stained and forever tainted with unfounded fears and prejudices. Unfortunately, the current White American university class will inevitably bring those mindsets with them into corporate boardrooms, human resource departments and beyond.

Mindsets like these will find careers in real estate, banking, medicine, law, politics, media, and most frighteningly, law enforcement. People who've been fed a steady diet of racial intolerance since before they could walk, will be someone's boss someday. Somebody like this could decide if you get a loan approved. Somebody like this will sit on a bench or a jury in court. Or God forbid, someone like this stops your car at 3:00 AM in the morning with no cameras present. No matter where you live, work or play, you can expect to engage mindsets like this at some point in your future. 

On the other hand, miracles do happen. People do change. People do have epiphanies. People do become enlightened. People have been known to see the light later in life. But its far more likely, a mandatory seminar in tolerance to keep from being fired that will enlightened a mindset like this. Its far more likely a multi-million dollar law suit for discrimination will get a mindset like this to see the light. Short of public shamming and or the threat of facing huge financial losses, most mindsets like these are set in stone.  

Bottom line: From the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter Movement it seems as though race relations in America has come full circle. In the last 40 years this country has gone from hate to hope and back to hate again. If you doubt this assessment, one only need to pay close attention to what's happening today to know what will happen tomorrow. Podcast below!