Covert Racism

Most would agree that society is stratified by occupation, income, and educational attainment. However, race is equally a factor in this stratification of individuals. With reference to color coded modern races, whites remain at the top and black Americans would be near the bottom (Taylor, 81).  In context of the United States we currently reside in, significant weight should be given to the structures created by racism, which, while clearly lessened, still lingers in the form of laissez-faire racism and, of course, covert racism. It is important to note that Taylor successfully intertwines the racialized play of symbolic capital and the distribution of goods (Taylor, 83). Therefore, it is incredibly problematic that the majority of our class continually attempts to justify that it is not an individual’s race but instead their economic class that matters. Perhaps it is the presence of a black president that has encouraged so many to believe that race is simply no longer a significant factor. It is true that we have come a long way since the days of Jim Crow segregation. However, the plain fact is that race still matters. It matters with the alarming frequency in the encounters of young black men with the police and perhaps incarceration, the ability to get access and retain affordable housing, and the preservation of wealth accumulated by families. I have personally observed hints of covert racism in the language used by our class, which focuses predominantly on avoiding blatant honesty and is instead adamantly focused on “how not to offend others.” There have been a plethora of "we" statements but an incredibly few "I" confessions. Additionally, without hesitation, I am willing to admit that our class (more specifically, white members of the class) have mastered the art of not recognizing (intentionally or unintentionally) the racial privileges they experience on a daily basis. To date, I am able to recall only one white individual who has outwardly identified themselves as racist. As difficult as it might be, I firmly believe that without the honest will for this recognition and acceptance of the white race, the white privilege that accompanies this race, and perhaps the involvement in covert racism from the white members of the class, we indubitably cannot take a step forward to becoming a more racially conscious group of individuals (Taylor, 116) and engage in an utterly sincere and fulfilling exchange of sentiments.