“Too Many White-Americans Still Don’t Understand”

During the Zimmerman Trial, it was revealed that Trayvon Martin called Zimmerman a “cracker” and many white-Americans were shocked. In the 1970s, my father, who is the grandson of a slave, often called white men “crackers.” Back then, I wondered why my dad said this word with such pain in his voice. When my dad was dying in the year 2003, I asked him why he called white men “crackers.” He answered: “…because white slave masters were crackin’ that whip and f***in’ our mothers. That’s why we also call them mother f***ers.” How can white-America produce dreadful situations that create horrible words, such as “nigger” and “cracker,” then criticize African-Americans for using these words? White-America’s unending racial hypocrisy stinks to high heavens.

Despite these devastating truths, many white-Americans callously say African-Americans need to move beyond slavery, racism and “get over it.” I’ve got news for them; most African-Americans would love to move on. But too many ill-effects of past racism remain. Too much racial clutter continues to exist within present-day $y$tems. Too many race realities continue to prevent African-Americans from moving on. As we attempt to heal, too many white-American actions and $y$temic conditions keep ripping-off the scab of racism.

Despite these truths, many white-Americans can’t seem to understand why some African-Americans continue to speak in terms of race. When white-on-black racism completely goes away, white-Americans can rightfully protest that African-Americans overly-focus on racism. Until then, too many white-Americans are the ones who need to “get over it” in at least two ways. They need to realize African-Americans have justified reasons to focus on race. And, white-Americans need to get over their lingering racist thoughts and actions.

After thousands of years of discrimination, black slavery, and continued (though-decreasing) racism, various sources report: “Between the years 2000 and 2011, white-American hate groups rose from 602 to 1,018.” May 2006: “Racial discrimination still plagues U.S. mortgage market.” May 2007: “African-Americans are charged higher car loan rates.” June 2007: “Race disparity in medical care persists.” July 2013: “NYC principal called black teachers ‘nappy-headed,’ then fired them.” Please stop me at any time. Add continuing cases of “economic redlining”; “racial biases in law enforcement”; on and on and the racism scab constantly gets ripped-off. Racial wounds can’t heal under these conditions.

Throughout July 2013, various white-Americans complained that Trayvon demonstrations too-often turn into “protests against capitalism.” Too many white-Americans disregard the fact that racism is married to class within capitalism. Too many white-Americans overlook studies such as “Are Emily and Brendan More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?” which, in 2001, found that “job applicants with white-sounding names are 50-percent more-likely to get called for an interview than applicants with African-American-sounding names.”

It’s difficult enough surviving and coping under capitalism, while capitalism plus racism can be unbearable.

Enough African-Americans clearly see that capitali$m perpetuates many socio-economic inequalities that were produced by past $lavery and oppression. But then, when some disenfranchised African-Americans react by turning to crime or drugs, too many white-Americans unfairly blame only this behavior for socio-economic inequalities that are habitually-generated by past and present-day raci$m.

After all this, for Zimmerman to racially-profile Trayvon, follow him, incite Trayvon’s “justifiable” anger, then “murder” Trayvon during a fight that Zimmerman promoted: this can’t be “justifiable” homicide. Zimmerman had no right to “murder.”

But after Zimmerman’s acquittal, too many white-Americans support Zimmerman’s ambition to become a police officer. This nonsense should surprise no one. After the original O.J. Simpson trial, Fox News hired N-bomb-dropping cop, Mark Fuhrman. White-America’s continued denial of obvious racial truths is offensive. This too must change for African-Americans to heal and move on.

Anthony Vaughn is the Author of “The Last Testament of Racism in America” and “The Way to FIX Our World”. He can be contacted at w.anthony@mail.org

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