“Racist.” My eyes darted over to my friend—comfortably sprawled out on a chair next to me, his feet propped up on the coffee table. “Racist.” He stated once again a few minutes later, grabbing a handful of chips and crunching on them loudly. I sat on the couch at a youth leader’s house, watching the movie The Blind Side a group of friends. Deandre, whose blunt comments drew my attention, was the only African-American among us. We watched the movie and he continued to point out many racial implications and insults, some of which I recognized, and some of which I did not initially pick up on. The subtlety of some of the offences surprised me. History, common stereotypes, and a personal experience in recent months have all given me a new awareness of racism.
Obviously, many examples throughout the past few thousand years demonstrate the rampant racism, which pervades many cultures. In the Bible, I see the example of the Samaritans, whom the Jews looked down upon. Europeans during the Renaissance and Reformation became very critical of unfamiliar people with darker skin and began enslaving them. Immediately I think of World War II and the Jews, considered “inferior” by Hitler and the Nazis and treated as if they were worthless humans. The trend continued with unfair treatment of the Native …show more content…
The smart Asians. The athletic African-Americans. The math-minded Middle-Eastern people. Those examples seem positive, but can create problems when we begin to feel bitter against a group of people who seem to have a certain talent or strength, or when certain expectations are placed on a person because of their race. Of course, the Lord has blessed some people with natural gifts related to their race or culture, but caution when making assumptions is
Obviously, many examples throughout the past few thousand years demonstrate the rampant racism, which pervades many cultures. In the Bible, I see the example of the Samaritans, whom the Jews looked down upon. Europeans during the Renaissance and Reformation became very critical of unfamiliar people with darker skin and began enslaving them. Immediately I think of World War II and the Jews, considered “inferior” by Hitler and the Nazis and treated as if they were worthless humans. The trend continued with unfair treatment of the Native …show more content…
The smart Asians. The athletic African-Americans. The math-minded Middle-Eastern people. Those examples seem positive, but can create problems when we begin to feel bitter against a group of people who seem to have a certain talent or strength, or when certain expectations are placed on a person because of their race. Of course, the Lord has blessed some people with natural gifts related to their race or culture, but caution when making assumptions is