 |
| Symbol of Anti-Racism |
A world without discrimination - a dream of Mankind - and one would have thought that since the days of Abraham Lincoln and his fight against slavery and the work of the Suffragettes we are/should be by now well on the way of becoming a civilized rational people. It is my belief that such a world while possible is not easily arrived at and even now the practice is manifested.
What is discrimination? I would say it is the actual action arising from deeply-embedded prejudices among the group in power. It is a product of fear and ignorance among the discriminating group. But it can be eradicated by law and education even if more apparent. One prominent historical example would be the Apartheid in South Africa starting in 1948. Racial discrimination was institutionalized. The political system of apartheid governed all aspects of life in South Africa from 1948 to 1991, such as enforcing a racial hierarchy privileging white South Africans, a prohibition of marriage between non-whites and whites, the sanctioning of "white-only" jobs and worst, restricted voting rights and denationalizing of 9 million South Africans.
Fortunately, Apartheid is abolished by 1991 in the wake of a rise in awareness of racial discrimination among the Nonwhites and a concerted effort between African National Congress (de Klerk and Mandela building a new constitution) and UN's commitment and actions against Apartheid. However, despite the UN's effort to promote international action like the isolation of South Africa diplomatically, economically and militarily, all these can not ensure a better situation. In an article I read online March this year, I became aware that Blacks in South Africa still feel discriminated even after the end of the Apartheid struggle. They claim to still feel like second class citizen, below the whites after all these years that have passed. Hence I came to an understanding that there is no clear cut solution that could completely eradicate discrimination. As I try to draw parallel between Blacks discrimination in South Africa and American, it impels me to reconsider the solution proposed by Malcolm X, that it would be too simplistic to assume that quoting it as a human rights issue and ask for UN intervention would solve the problem adequately. After all, there are other reasons why discrimination persisted on despite consistent effort at tackling it.
 |
| de Klerk (Left) and Nelson Mandela (Right) |
One possible reason could be that discrimination arises from prejudice which is far more personal and emotional - totally subjective. President FW de Klerk who was responsible for initiating the move to abolish Apartheid and freeing Mandela and who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize consequently cannot accept his own son getting engaged to a colored woman (not black but of mixed descent).
To conclude, such a world is seemingly unattainable, however that does not mean we do not work towards it. We have to realize that environment may give one group of people unique experiences (cultures) and even appearances. But ultimately, we all belong to the same human race of Homo Sapiens.
Very interesting post, I'm glad that you took a moment to delve deeper into Malcolm X's idea of sending American Civil Rights to the UN.
ReplyDeleteMy belief is that it would have been unnecessary and counterproductive. The United States was already trending toward equality under the law, and continuous action was being taken to ensure a future for Black Americans as prosperous as those of all Americans. To escalate the issue by sending it up the line would take the focus off of civil rights legislation and government action as it pertains to civil rights and shift it to defending ourselves against international hostility.
I empathize with Malcolm X's spirit that change wasn't occurring at a fast enough pace, but I see no clear path to positive action by engaging the United Nations.
Thanks again for the great post!
Brad
Claire,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the sense that achieving a world without discrimination is most likely unattainable. While this is probably the unfortunate reality, we have certainly made strides towards eliminating the gap. With each passing decade, people have become more and more accepting of others race, religion, sexual orientation etc. However, no matter what, there will be people in this world who refuse to accept others for who they are. They either have their minds stuck in what was considered "acceptable" in the past, or they are too narrow minded to accept the great diversity of people on Earth and in America. Regardless of others efforts or new policies to eliminate racism, racist people will still be out there, even if they are diminishing in numbers.
So, no, I don't believe the dream of a world without discrimination could ever be a reality. But with the efforts of people like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, who both help lead the Civil Rights Movement, dramatic progress was made. When people such as these two are so determined and persistent on putting an end to something that is wrong, anything is possible.
The presence of the United Nations definitely would not have helped. Similar to the concept of violence and eye-for-an-eye tactics, this U.N. strategy would have failed to do for the blacks what they needed most: to prove themselves in the face of world society. In the 1960s, it was the image of perseverance, victimization, and peaceful but steadfast solidarity that won that population the sympathy of the rest of America at that time. Violence would have further divided people and scared white families away from the thought of having an integrated society for their kids to be raised in. Similarly, the presence of the U.N. would have enforced black equality in a manner against the will of the general public (under thread of violence). Essentially, African Americans had no choice but to fight peacefully and on their own in order to truly win over the general public in this situation.
ReplyDelete