By Mychal Denzel Smith
The Nation - November 22, 2013
Because I write about race and racism in the United States, I’m often
asked some variation of this question: are things better now?
I don’t mean to be condescending when I answer, but usually my
response is frustrated laughter followed by a firm “no.” It’s the most
polite thing I can think to do in the moment. At least, it’s more polite
than saying, “That’s a stupid fucking question.”
But that’s how I actually feel. It sounds harsh, but I truly believe
“Are things better?” is one of the most useless questions in a
discussion about racism. It’s another in a repertoire of rhetorical
tricks we use in this country to avoid the hard work of addressing
racism in its modern form. By reframing the conversation around how much
progress has been made, we further the false narrative that racism is a
problem that belongs to history. While we pat ourselves on the back for
not being as horrible as we once were, we allow racism to become
further entrenched in every aspect of American life.
Of course we’re doing better than chattel slavery. Of course we’re
doing better than legal segregation. But what material benefit do we get
from the comparison?
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