Why Social Workers Should Push Back Against Racism Creative Writing

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Racism

There have been several well-publicized incidents of blatant racism in the news lately, including the bigoted remarks by the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, and the racist rant (suggesting that blacks were better off as slaves) by Nevada rancher, Cliven Bundy. Meanwhile other nationally known figures have also made statements about racism, including billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team, who claimed he, too, is bigoted against African-Americans (especially when he sees a black youth in a "hoody"). These remarks -- and the media's coverage of the verbally expressed racism -- have piqued my interest in the subject. So I have in this paper referenced the position of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) on racism, and have also presented some of my own views as well.

Section One: What is your person opinion on racism and what led you to this opinion?

My parents and my extended family of relatives, friends and colleagues all were shocked by the recent racist statements in the media, especially by Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Here is a man whose team is made up of a majority of African-American athletes, in a league that is dominated by African-Americans; and, incredibly, he attacks his girlfriend for bringing her black friends to the games? Moreover, Sterling launched an outrageous attack on Magic Johnson, a sports icon who is beloved in Los Angeles and elsewhere as a hall of fame player who has (in retirement) helped the African-American community by developing businesses -- and creating jobs -- in the inner city.

And of course the outrageous racist comments by the Nevada rancher would never have made the national news if he hadn't been for the confrontation with federal officials when Bundy refused to pay the fees to graze his cattle on federal lands. Still, given that these remarks have been played over and over again and every commentator has had his or her say, it created an interest in me to discover what the literature was saying about racism fifty years after the landmark legal decision, Brown vs. Board of Education, that supposedly made it illegal for states to have segregated schools.

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My personal opinion is that racism is a social sickness that is terribly wrong but will probably always be with society. Although it is cruel and unfair, and illogical as well, it seems that these prejudices are handed down from generations, from parents to children. African-American students I have known, and other minorities (Latinos, Asians and Native Americans), have just as much right to a chance to reach their dreams as Caucasians do. My own upbringing included values that went against bigotry; I have always been comfortable talking with and being friends with people of color and with other minorities as well.

Section Two: What is NASW's opinion?

The viewpoints put forward by the National Association of Social Workers are to the point and cutting edge. "Racism is pervasive in American society and remains a silent code that systematically closes the doors of opportunity to young and old alike" (NASW). To say that racism is "pervasive" in the American society is quite bold, because there are people who will say that aside from a few nut cases like Sterling and Bundy, most people are not racist. But the NASW points out that notwithstanding Brown vs. Board of Education, the educational system in the U.S. "…systematically denies equal access and opportunity" to children and adults of color -- and "especially to those who are poor" (NASW).

How is racism defined by the NASW? It is the "ideology" or "practice" in which one group feels "superiority" over another group or groups by reason of "…race, color, ethnicity, or cultural heritage" (p. 6). That is a specific kind of bias that the NASW is relating to, because of course there is "prejudice" that is launched against gay and lesbian people based on their lifestyles but racism is directed specifically against people of color or whose ethnicity is different.

The conditions in schools and in business in the U.S. lead to "greater deprivation" and to "greater political, social, and economic oppression," the NASW….....

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