We were recently accused of race baiting on social media (honored to have been included with Ibram X. Kendi) and weren’t exactly sure what the allegation was suggesting. For context, we posted a link on twitter announcing the release of the book Four Hundred Souls and commented that it’s a must read and re-read. Here are a couple of the comments:
“No. He’s a race baiting grifter, with no other purpose, than to profit off of people’s naivety and stupidity.”
“There is a big market for race baiting it seems. Al Sharpton would be proud. The ironic thing is all you grifters claiming to be anti racist only fuel the fire of hate and division in this country for profit. But you already knew that”
I’m still not sure how recommending A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 makes me an only in it for the money race baiter but at the time my first thought was, “Dang, I don’t want to be that, what’s race baiting?” Turns out the original definition of race baiting is, the making of verbal attacks against members of a racial group. Well, that doesn’t help as I clearly didn’t make verbal attacks when I suggested folks read a book, there must be more.
There is a more recent definition or more accurately re-definition of the term used in the US which is, the unfair use of statements about race to try to influence the actions or attitudes of a particular group of people. This one makes more sense of the commenter’s accusations though when you think about it, it’s the opposite meaning of the original more widely accepted definition, making it a re-definition. This is a standard tactic used by those in power to “control the narrative”. We’re seeing this misappropriation of terms at an ever-increasing pace due to its effectiveness on a segment of the population.
Here’s an example using the first definition of race baiting: I verbally attack members of a racial group for the purpose of putting them down or “in their place” while elevating my position and those like me or that agree with me.
And here’s an example using the re-definition of race baiting: I say something positive about or for the benefit of a racial group with the purpose of support and those that disagree with me take offense and verbally attack calling me a race baiter. Irony is alive and well.
I get the impression race baiter name calling is a strategy with the purpose of suppressing the conversation about systemic race inequality under the self-deceiving guise of “We don’t support racism, we just don’t think it’s a huge problem and the best way to deal with it is to ignore it until it disappears.” Here’s an excellent article addressing this view.
From Dr. Kendi’s book How to Be An Antiracist
“To be antiracist is to think nothing is behaviorally wrong or right — inferior or superior — with any of the racial groups. Whenever the antiracist sees individuals behaving positively or negatively, the antiracist sees exactly that: individuals behaving positively or negatively, not representatives of whole races. To be antiracist is to deracialize behavior, to remove the tattooed stereotype from every racialized body. Behavior is something humans do, not races do.”
Each of us needs to strive for this way of thinking, recognizing that racism has infiltrated our individual mentality then working to undo the societal structures we’ve put in place to remain superior. Keeping quiet is not the answer and change is essential for our country to thrive.
