Native Son

Discrimination against African Americans is not only illegal, but also widely known to be morally wrong. Is the same consideration given to discrimination against whites? For the most part, no. Rick Badie, an African-American columnist in Gwinnett County, writes weekly about racism, hate crimes, and racial violence. In his article Black-on-white racism is just as bad as the reverse Badie writes about an email he received concerning recent black-on-white racism. The email asks, “Why the silence? Racism cuts both ways,” (Badie par 3). The email is referring to Louis Graham, a police chief who “bowed out from a job he’d had for 18 months” after several audio recordings were released that caught him making racial slurs against white policemen in his department. Graham was caught on tape calling someone “that white bitch” and admitting that nine men were not promoted “because seven of them are white” (Badie par 7). Badie suggests that readers “imagine if the situation had been reversed, that a white DeKalb police officer’s racist comments had been digitally preserved. Black activists would have had a field day,” (Badie par 16).

The real societal problem being proposed by Badie is: why is black-on-white discrimination taken so lightly? The only real answer is history. White people have a long history of mistreating African Americans, but now that slavery has long been abolished the playing fields are beginning to level. Although black people have a history of being discriminating against, white people seem to have a future in being unaccepted by blacks. “White folks screaming about black-on-white racism falls on deaf ears,” (Badie par 19). A hate crime against blacks is followed by “press conferences, inflammatory rhetoric. televised marches and demonstrations, demands for apologies, sensitivity training and heads on a steak”, but a white hate crime is followed by the resignation of a police chief and barely any media attention.

Why is black-on-white racism is swept under the rug? Could white people be too afraid to admit they are being discriminated against by a “oh so inferior” black person (heaven forbid!)? Maybe no one wants to hear the “rich white person” complain about his or her problems, and their complaints really are falling on deaf ears.

In the novel Native Son by Richard Wright both directions of racism are blatantly apparent. The main character, Bigger is a uneducated black man who is, in so many words, afraid of white people. He is ashamed of his own skin and afraid of the powerful white man. Him and his friends poke fun by “playing white” and imitating the way that famous and successful white men talk and act. While Bigger has yet to commit any type of hate crime, it is obvious that he is racist against white people. The reversal is just as bad. Biggers family is poor, and even though you can blame a lack of motivation, their skin color makes it very difficult to hold any type of honorable job position. The family Bigger is hired by only hires him because they want to show their support for the NAACP.

Although inevitable, neither reversal of racism is moral or right. Will the African-American people always be associated with crime and inner city? Will white people always be snobby corporate workers? Are any of these questions even true today? Has the playing field between black racism and white racism evened out? Will black-on-white racism one day be worse than white-on-black racism every was? The beauty of Badie’s writing is that his article leaves us asking questions. Hopefully I was able to give you insight on some of these questions, but now its time to think for yourself. Good luck, and remember that everyone deserves to be treated equally, it’s the American way.

Badie, Rick. "Black-on-white racism is just as bad as the reverse." The Atlanta
Journal Constitution. 18 May 2006. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 15
Mar. 2009 .