Racism can never survive justice and humanity

Let’s cut to the chase with a quick definition of racism. Whichever dictionary you choose to use, racism will generally be defined by as many words, superiority, antagonism, prejudice, resentment, of one race over another. Trust me, no matter which definition we go by, there’s a good chance we do demonstrate unconscious racial bias every now and then, we live with prejudices, we feel resentful towards specific races for crime, for corruption, for their unfounded sense of superiority. But do these sentiments make us racist? Work with me.

Let’s use Mbong as an example, I grew up in a perfect black world, most of what I am and became was shaped by a black person. I honestly hold my race in very high esteem. Not merely because of what it shaped me to be but because of the resilience this race has shown throughout history. I hold my race in high esteem for the love it continues to give tohumanity despite the odds that have been stacked up against the black race. Does my sense of self-love and love of my own make me a racist? Maybe, maybe not.

Let’s try resentment. Oh yes, I feel a sense of resentment for the treatment that the black race continues to be subjected to. I feel a sense of resentment for slavery, for apartheid, for colonialism. I feel a sense of resentment that despite surviving these odds, Africans all over the world and the black race that represent our Africanness still face injustice and inhumane treatment on a daily basis.

Prejudice, hahhahah, who doesn’t have one?  I certainly have some stereotype about every race and trust me every now and then I meet someone in a specific race group who confirms my prejudice. All prejudices are not unfounded, some are based on repetition but most are a reckless generalisation..

But guess what, I seldom think of myself as a racist. You know why? Because over and above these sentiments my sense of justice and humanity always triumphs. In every racial transaction, I see people with their own insecurities, with their own inferiorities, with their own challenges. Beyond colour, I see people who long for the same things, for fairness, compassion, humanity for love and justice.  Let me tell you how…

While I feel some sense of resentment for colonialism, apartheid and slavery, I don’t see a slave driver in every white man. I have white friends who feel terrible about slavery too.  So I don’t get up everyday trying to victimise some white guy for slavery. I will not advocate for whites to be enslaved, or for life to be taken out of a white man in broad daylight for their whiteness, or in retaliation for all that has befallen my race. So, if ever there was any iota of racismin me, then that is disproportionately smaller in comparison with my sense of humanity.

I have a deep sense of anger against Asian Afro phobia and the arrogance with which many Asians feel they can take in Africa. I feel angry that for every rhino that is killed in South Africa, for every forest that is empty in the Congo Basin there’s a foreign hand behind it, more often than not from the East. But I have Asian friends too, who feel just as concerned about this trend. So, I simply don’t go out screaming on the streets of Douala – China must go. I don’t think Chinese shops should be targeted in retaliation, because behind every shop, I see someone longing to put bread and butter on the table for those they love, my humanity gets the best of me.

And I have prejudices about certain races too, for the interest of this blog, let’s go with Indians. I think the Gupta days in South Africa advanced a prejudice that Indians are corrupt. But I don’t see a corrupt person in every Indian, and gladly none of my Indian friends have shown me a corrupt side and I love and respect them for who they are.

So yes, while I feel a sense of outrage for slavery, for apartheid and colonialism and how those systems were designed to break, and have indeed broken many blacks across generations. While I feel angry at how those systems have created generations of blacks who live in a darkness in which they constantly second guess themselves, who live with an unconscious inferiority that they are never enough, not because they ain’t but because systems have been erected stiffly to make sure they always feel less, I do not hate, because my humanity and sense of justice defines me more.

And here is a real life demonstration of how one’s racist inclinations can never survive one’s sense of justice and humanity.

In the specific example, I was invited by a friend to support her in the recruitment of a communications officer for a business she had just started.  We both thought the position would be best occupied by a black female but there was no real strategic reason for that preference. After a lengthy first round of interviews, we had two black females progress to the final round and one young white male. In an unexpected turn of events, all two black females performed dismally in the second round, the lone white male did fairly well. We knew we had to be fair, that our sense of justice had to prevail, that we owe it to society to be just, because injustice to one is injustice to all, it is injustice to society as a whole. So we went ahead and made our decision. The white kid came prepared for the interview, he demonstrated that he could do the job and the job was his.

But look around you, how many black men and women standout on a daily basis but  get rejected? They get denied the opportunities they deserve because of their blackness. These are the people who are confronted with a system which constantly seeks to undermine the black race. And when you are trapped in a system of institutionalised racism, the chances are that you are often confronted with people whose sense of justice and humanity is so much smaller in comparison with the racist in them.

Trust me, whenever the racial subjectivity in you outshines your sense of justice and humanity, you are a racist. Whenever you hand out that promotion on the basis of race affiliation, or deny the job to that black girl who stood out in your interview, because she is black, you are a confirmed racist. Whenever you downgrade a position because it is occupied by a black person or pay a black person less for the same job as a white counterpart, you are being a racist. When your sense of justice is compromised by your prejudices, by your twisted sense of superiority, you are being a racist.

So, take the time to dig deep into yourself, you might find someone with prejudices, with antagonism, with resentment, with biases, with a sense of superiority or inferiority. But fear not, do those control you? If your racial biases are so disproportionately smaller than your humanity and sense of justice, then you might just be qualified to be in society, to be a part of the peaceful and harmonious world we all hope to live in. 

May our collective humanity, may our sense of justice always triumph!!!