I agree with the statement that both black and white people perpetuate racism. Even though the black community is usually the target of racism, they can still perpetuate it. Keep in mind, perpetuating and supporting something are two completely different things. We may be continuing the spread and naturalization of racism without realizing it, and definitely without agreeing with its message. Something as simple as staying quiet or just giving into what is expected can help the subconscious spread of racism. There are many ways to perpetuate the harmful effect of racism, even as a victim of it. For example, if someone makes a racist remark and no one corrects it, the speaker would have no idea it was racist and would continue on with that
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He is constantly being told “ ‘Your way of doing things is all right among our people, but not for white people. They won't stand for it” (Wright 184). Richard is constantly surrounded by people telling him that he should treat whites differently simply because of their race, continuing on the segregation of racism. Unfortunately for Richard, he must obey these rules out of a necessity to survive, an issues derived from racism, not because he has a disgust towards the other race. However, he does start to harbor feelings of hatred and distrust towards the white community after he has to follow these restrictions. Yet, they start to fade when he realizes that nothing he does will truly make a difference if he is the only one fighting, “...I could feel no hate for the men who had driven me from the job. They did not seem to be individual men, but part of a huge, implacable, elemental design toward which hate was futile” (Wright 194). Internally, Richard is trying his best to oppose racism, yet it doesn't translate on the outside and almost helps him perpetuate it. No matter where he turns, there is always someone there to prevent him from doing anything, forcing him to stay in line. Unlike Richard, some of his colleagues take racism in a completely different manner. His friend Shorty succumbed to the harmful stereotype he was labeled with in order to earn his lunch: “You can kick me for a quarter,” he sang, looking impishly at the white man out of the corners of his eyes” (Wright 228). Even if members of the black community opposed racism privately, like Richard, nothing but the perpetuation of racism would happen if they didn't stand up, especially if the very idea of it could be
He is constantly being told “ ‘Your way of doing things is all right among our people, but not for white people. They won't stand for it” (Wright 184). Richard is constantly surrounded by people telling him that he should treat whites differently simply because of their race, continuing on the segregation of racism. Unfortunately for Richard, he must obey these rules out of a necessity to survive, an issues derived from racism, not because he has a disgust towards the other race. However, he does start to harbor feelings of hatred and distrust towards the white community after he has to follow these restrictions. Yet, they start to fade when he realizes that nothing he does will truly make a difference if he is the only one fighting, “...I could feel no hate for the men who had driven me from the job. They did not seem to be individual men, but part of a huge, implacable, elemental design toward which hate was futile” (Wright 194). Internally, Richard is trying his best to oppose racism, yet it doesn't translate on the outside and almost helps him perpetuate it. No matter where he turns, there is always someone there to prevent him from doing anything, forcing him to stay in line. Unlike Richard, some of his colleagues take racism in a completely different manner. His friend Shorty succumbed to the harmful stereotype he was labeled with in order to earn his lunch: “You can kick me for a quarter,” he sang, looking impishly at the white man out of the corners of his eyes” (Wright 228). Even if members of the black community opposed racism privately, like Richard, nothing but the perpetuation of racism would happen if they didn't stand up, especially if the very idea of it could be