Prejudice plus power

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There is a neutral, universally-accepted<ref>[http://theangryblackwoman.com/2006/09/18/monday-debate-what-is-racism/ Monday Debate : What is Racism?] - "They deny that Racism and Institutional Racism are the same thing."</ref><sup><-- how the fuck does this cite support the statement?</sup> term for this concept that could be used by those who wish to communicate clearly and avoid the terminology debate altogether: {{wpl|institutional racism||.}}  However, this doesn't have the beneficial side effect of immunizing oneself against criticism.<ref>[http://theangryblackwoman.com/2006/09/18/monday-debate-what-is-racism/ Monday Debate : What is Racism?] - "Whenever I get into it with someone who calls me a racist, I point to that post and tell them that I cannot be racist because I have no power. Prejudiced? Oh yes. But not racist. In America, I say, black people cannot be racist."</ref>
 
There is a neutral, universally-accepted<ref>[http://theangryblackwoman.com/2006/09/18/monday-debate-what-is-racism/ Monday Debate : What is Racism?] - "They deny that Racism and Institutional Racism are the same thing."</ref><sup><-- how the fuck does this cite support the statement?</sup> term for this concept that could be used by those who wish to communicate clearly and avoid the terminology debate altogether: {{wpl|institutional racism||.}}  However, this doesn't have the beneficial side effect of immunizing oneself against criticism.<ref>[http://theangryblackwoman.com/2006/09/18/monday-debate-what-is-racism/ Monday Debate : What is Racism?] - "Whenever I get into it with someone who calls me a racist, I point to that post and tell them that I cannot be racist because I have no power. Prejudiced? Oh yes. But not racist. In America, I say, black people cannot be racist."</ref>
 
== Consequences ==
 
While the definition was invented specifically to preclude American minorities from accusations of racism, it has some humorous/unfortunate side effects:
 
 
* American Nazis are not racist, since they have no institutionalized power and very little popular support. {{fact}}
 
* It's not racist to [[International_Jewish_conspiracy|hate powerful Jews]] if they're actually powerful {{fact}}
 
* The Hutu genocide of the Tutsi was not racist because the Tutsi had controlled power for centuries. {{fact}}
 
* Racially-motivated murders and other hate crimes committed by minorities are not racist. {{fact}}
 
* Criticism of [[Barack Obama]] — one of the most powerful men in the world — is never due to racism, by definition. {{fact}}
 
  
 
== Etymology ==
 
== Etymology ==

Revision as of 11:03, 20 July 2013

"Prejudice plus power" is a (re)definition of "racism"[1][2] or "sexism"[3] used by various ivory tower types and social justice... enthusiasts to prevent accusations of racism or sexism (justified or not) against not-so-powerful groups (i.e. women and, in the US, non-whites). (See also reverse racism.)

While the usual definition of "racism" is something like "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race",[4][5] some academics reject this definition and require an additional condition of "...by someone in a position of power over them", thus rendering those without "institutionalized power" incapable of being racist.

There is a neutral, universally-accepted[6]<-- how the fuck does this cite support the statement? term for this concept that could be used by those who wish to communicate clearly and avoid the terminology debate altogether: institutional racism.[wp] However, this doesn't have the beneficial side effect of immunizing oneself against criticism.[7]

Etymology

The word "racism" originated around 1936, in reference to the theories of the Nazis. Earlier, this was called "racialism", "race hatred", or "race prejudice".[8]

The word "sexism" was coined in 1968 by Caroline Bird,[9][10] with the definition:

There is recognition abroad that we are in many ways a sexist country. Sexism is judging people by their sex when sex doesn’t matter.

Sexism is intended to rhyme with racism. Both have been used to keep the powers that be in power. Women are sexists as often as men. [emphasis added]

The phrase “Power + Prejudice = Racism.” was invented in 1970 by Pat Bidol[11] and popularized by Judith H. Katz in her 1978 book White Awareness: Handbook for Anti-Racism Training.

It is important to push for the understanding that racism is 'prejudice plus power' and therefore people of color cannot be racist against whites in the United States. People of color can be prejudiced against whites but clearly do not have the power as a group to enforce that prejudice.[12]


See also

Footnotes

  1. Definitions - "Racism is race prejudice plus power"
  2. Racism= Prejudice Plus Power
  3. FAQ: What is “sexism”? - "an important, but often overlooked, part of the term is that sexism is prejudice plus power. Thus feminists reject the notion that women can be sexist towards men because women lack the institutional power that men have."
  4. Definition of racism in English
  5. (n) sexism (discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of the opposite sex)
  6. Monday Debate : What is Racism? - "They deny that Racism and Institutional Racism are the same thing."
  7. Monday Debate : What is Racism? - "Whenever I get into it with someone who calls me a racist, I point to that post and tell them that I cannot be racist because I have no power. Prejudiced? Oh yes. But not racist. In America, I say, black people cannot be racist."
  8. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=racist
  9. Caroline Bird’s “On Being Born Female”, published on November 15, 1968 in Vital Speeches of the Day (p. 6).
  10. Feminism Friday: The origins of the word “sexism”
  11. Developing New Perspectives on Race: An Innovative Multi-media Social Studies Curriculum in Racism Awareness for the Secondary Level, Pat A. Bidol
  12. http://books.google.com/books?id=yoFHSXoofoQC&lpg=PA43&pg=PA52 http://books.google.com/books?id=25AaGpyRnE8C&lpg=PA40&pg=PA50
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