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Essay / Why Understanding Race Matters in Black Politics
In considering the argument between the expression of deracialization and blackness in black politics, history serves as a model for where each type of expression leads us. To choose between these two types of politics, you must first know where you want to be led. Deracialization only gives us assimilation at the expense of equality. Blackness, however, allows for political autonomy, respect, and authority. The only logical development for black politics in the coming years is that which coincides with the black liberation movement. Blacks will not achieve parity with whites through deracialization but rather through asserting their racial identity in order to have policies that benefit blacks. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Political blackness refers to the racialization of black politics as opposed to its deracialization. The term “blackness” never refers only to phenotype. Political blackness has more to do with focusing on the unique needs of the black community. As a politician representing majority-black voters, your policies must be different than if you represented majority-white voters. The reason is that the social, political and economic factors surrounding the black community are markedly different. For example, drug addiction, crime, education, and social programs all need to be addressed differently in black communities. For example, in a white, wealthy community, the way to combat drug abuse might be through stricter laws, increasing penalties, or building more rehabilitation centers. These methods may not have the same effect, or may even have a detrimental effect on black communities. The solution might be to reduce poverty, increase opportunity, create community programs for teens, and even combat the structure of racism of which these communities are a product. In the 1970s and 1980s, during the Black Power movement, black community leaders were committed to pursuing black political goals and putting community and race at the center of everything. Also during the civil rights movement and the black nationalist movement of the 1960s, even white politicians were asked to recognize and address racial issues and what the black population specifically wanted. The only times Black people in America have been relevant to American history is when we put ourselves first and demand representation and recognition no matter what. The times that black people have attempted to assimilate into American society are when we have been most trampled on, with our freedoms severely restricted. Political blackness is essential to the survival and liberation of the black community. If the needs of the black population in America are never addressed by important leaders, not only will black people remain stagnant in terms of social and economic mobility, but they will also continue to face racism from American society as a whole . The best solution for black politics in the near future is to create a strong black political base. This might look like a black political party or simply black people united around common political concerns. This would mean more autonomy for black leaders and greater representation of black voters, therefore more autonomy overall in black politics. Black leaders would not haveneed to uproot themselves or move to the center if they did not need white support and voters to stay in power. Instead, there would be a strong, united black political base to support these leaders by giving them substantial representation. The policy of deracialization, however, downplays the importance of race and fails to address the unique political, social, and economic needs of the black population. This is an attempt to assimilate to white people and gain their support. Policies of deracialization in an extremely racialized society make no sense. WhatThis fundamentally amounts to ignoring the deep-rooted racial problems in America as they continue to fester and oppress black people. Black leaders who choose to deracialize are doing a disservice to their communities and practicing black politics. Again, Black politics is about dealing with the unique conditions of the Black community and thinking/acting from a Black worldview. If none of these things are practiced, then you are a traditional, standard, co-opted politician. As long as the community represented is black, deracialization is not an option; if she were, anyone could successfully represent the black community. The only time deracialization would be an option would be if the idea of "blackness" was dissolved and black people achieved full parity with white people, meaning they would no longer need to come together and fight on the basis of race because they are no longer oppressed because of race. he. The idea that one must uproot in a highly racialized political world is disenfranchisement in the sense that you cannot have a voice to control your own political destiny as a black person, hence other (white) people. control it for you. If the disparities that exist between blacks and whites are due to racial discrimination and inequality, how can these problems be solved through color-blind tactics that avoid directly discussing racism? In this post-racial era, the lack of racial consciousness and deracization practiced and encouraged by black people. leaders can worsen perceptions about race in America. For the current generation, who have not been able to learn about the oppression which produced the consequences that we can see today in the black community, this creates a serious gap. What is happening is that Americans are rationalizing existing disparities. For example, a young child might observe these disparities (where certain people tend to live, work, go to school, and behave). Our society does not discuss these disparities and their historical context, nor the solutions implemented to remedy them. Therefore, “...if we actively de-emphasize the debate about racism and discrimination—in other words, if we remove the context necessary to understand the phenomena these children observe—young people will likely grow up in assuming that the inequity is that “that’s the way things are,” or worse, that the disparities must be because some people are simply “better” than others. In short, post-racial liberalism in the name of colorblindness can reinforce racist thinking: the ultimate irony (Tim Wise). We succeeded, but some of the worst racial tensions of this century came to light during his presidency. How did he react? Usually by not addressing racial factors head on. Ultimately, this does not legitimize the problems that black people have with racial inequality and it seems that the burden of solving these problems falls on black people rather than addressing them in.