Opinion by Theodore R. Johnson: If you want to know the ways in which our practice of democracy or republicanism falls short of our professed ideals, pay attention to race.
But that’s not why I write about race. As I see it, race is seldom the actual root of a civic or policy issue. Certainly, it can be and sometimes is. Birtherism, hate crimes and even the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II all stem from racist beliefs and acts. But, in my eyes, in the present-day United States, racism is better understood as the flashing light that warns us of cracks in our nation’s foundation.
I write about race because I care about America. That sentiment might come as a shock to some. It is rare today to hear someone who talks forthrightly about the ills of structural racism lead with a declaration of patriotism or pride in the nation’s progress. But this is squarely within the tradition of Black America, from historic stalwarts Ida B. Wells and Langston Hughes to modern-day activists such as the Rev. William J. Barber II and Colin Kaepernick.
The racial inequalities we see in health care and education outcomes — even when controlled for class — do not exist because of Black Americans’ race or some imagined cultural carelessness, but because those systems are from a different era and poorly designed to account for Black people’s distinctive American journey. As structured, they hinder the ability to pursue happiness, stability and security unless they are tailored to the communities they serve.
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