Kamppailu rasismia vastaan on usein historiallisesti polarisoitunut kahteen suuntaukseen. Suvaitsevaiset, monikulttuurisuutta ihannoivat, monimuotoisuutta tukevat ja maltilliset vastaan ”suvaitsemattomat”, radikaalit, itsensä pelastajat ja pessimistit. Tämä jako menee usein valkoisten ja keskiluokkaisten värillisten ja köyhien tai muulla tavoin huonommassa asemassa olevien värillisten välillä. Toisaalta tämä jako menee enemmän valkoisten ja värillisten välillä, koska valkoiset useimmiten hakevat maltillista muutosta jos muutosta laisinkaan. Silmiin pistävää on, että värilliset helpommin siirtävät rasismi syytöksen yhteiskuntaan kuin yksilöön. Valkoiset melkeinpä rakastavat syyttää yksilöitä rasismista, mutta jättävät rakenteellisen rasismin aivan koskemattomaksi.
Tag: United States
Finland and our Trayvon Martins
The unprovoked killing of Trayvon Martin, 17, in the state of Florida in the United States has caused widespread national outrage especially among black USAmericans. How did we react in Finland when our own Trayvon Martins appeared after a killing spree took place involving three Muslims within about three weeks? On top of this we had a former councilman of a major Finnish party, the Perussuomalaiset (PS), saying publicly that he’d give one of the killers a medal.
How would you react to a racist, sexist or homophobic joke?
How would you react if somebody at work during a coffee break would crack a racist, sexist of homophobic joke? We’ve all been in such uncomfortable situations many times in our lives. Sometimes our silence glares back at us, other times we do react.
A possible cartoon depicting white privilege in Finland
The cartoon below pictures pretty well how white privilege works in the United States, according to Bicultural Mom. How would the same cartoon look if we’d draw it for Finland?
It's hard for some to see racism when you are a white Finn
What does Finnish white privilege mean? Does it mean controlling almost all political, economic and social power in Finland? How do we address the issue?
Community Village Activist: Teaching Children To Respect One Another
Has anyone seen research where the researcher asks children, instead of a closed ended question like “Who is the smart one” but instead “Are all phenotypes equally nice and equally smart?” (Children may not know what a phenotype is but that creates a good opportunity to explain that a phenotype is only skin deep). Children can then be asked to explain their answer and where they learned their knowledge or stereotypes. Maybe they learned it from TV, radio, friends, students, family or even their parents.
Racism Review: A Year End Review 2011
As the year 2011 ends, there are several good year-end reviews about racial justice, this video from Colorlines and this post from a David J. Leonard writing at New Black Man, are both excellent. We here at Racism Review offer this as our own brief, and necessarily incomplete, recap of some of the notable events in the struggle for racial justice. Be sure to scroll all the way to the end, there are some victories there, too ~ and a challenge for you at the end.
Urban Faith: Why We Can’t Ignore Racism
As a white man in America, I’ve been guilty of rolling my eyes when someone would raise the subject of racism. “Why can’t everyone just get over it,” I’d think. But ignoring wounds from the past can be as damaging as the initial offense.
What we should reflect on Finland’s Independence Day
Since I grew up in three countries, I have the opportunity to celebrate three independence days every year. Today is Finland’s turn. What should we be reflecting on this day? Should it be nationalism, patriotism or neither?
Extremism in Finland and elsewhere grows on the same soil of hatred
The video clip blow is a frightening example of how far-right groups like the Nazi Party of the United States use the First Amendment (freedom of speech) to justify their hate speech. While it’s unlikely that the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party or even Muutos 2011 and Vapauspuolue will have summer camps with Nazi flags and members dressed in SS-like gear, they do believe in racial purity and loathe Muslims.