Institutional racism, the type of racism carried out in any manner by an institution of any form, is furthered by personal racism, the type of racism carried out by an individual. Both variations of racism indicate distinct features that make them each one of their own, yet both need each other to survive. The principles of institutional racism could not have been drafted without the influence of individual racist beliefs. However, individual racism is often the result of institutional beliefs combined into a personal belief, creating a feedback loop that seems impossible to escape. Because they are so closely linked, it is important to examine both individually to address how one can personally approach institutional racism.
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges to fighting racism is rooted in ridding the idea of white privilege. In short, white privilege involves the belief that race inequality is currently occurring and failing to recognize privileges associated with being white (White Like Me 2011). There are many arguments that attempt to prove the existence of white privilege that utilize examples from the Fair Housing Act or the GI Bill, but those are relatively unimportant today. Times have changed, and for the most part, the key privilege of being white is explained in Wise’s documentary – it is the ability to not have to think about fitting in with the dominant group, or not choosing a particular culture to associate with and instead being fluid with associations (White Like Me 2011).
Examples of white privilege vary for the individuals experiencing the situations. Margaret McIntosh (1988) wrote about some of her personal experiences with white privilege in her paper “White Privilege and Male Privilege.” She stated that she could be in the presence of her own race or that she can go into any store and find what she is looking for that fit her race (McIntosh 1988:7-8). This paper was written almost 30 years ago, meaning those situations have since changed in many areas of the country, where cultures are expanding. In rural areas, the struggle is still easily apparent for many cultures, which can be noticed when an observant person travels to nearly any small town. McIntosh’s (1988) observations are insightful, though rare. The rarity of these observations by people, mostly white, argues for white privilege. Most people do not agree that they experience privilege unless it is pointed out them, but in the case of white privilege, an acknowledgement of these privileges often leads to an argument. This argument often occurs with colorblindness.
Colorblindness is an ideology practiced by many racist individuals. Colorblindness encapsulates the belief that there is equality by ignoring the obvious inequality occurring (Guinier and Torres 2002:101). The easiest way to understand colorblindness is to look at it from the perspective of a child. Imagine being a young child, given the only toy in class by a teacher after doing well on a test. When the other kids do not receive a toy, they feel upset, but you, in your ignorant age, believe that the teacher has more toys and the other children did not receive a toy because they did not do as well on their tests. When applied to people, it becomes comprehendible that some people believe that anything is possible if ample effort is given. The problem is that this is not true, and does not account for the many instances where people of color face discrimination. For example, children who grow up in predominately black neighborhoods that are lower income lowers education completion by one year (Massey 2001:174). This is often a result of having reduced access to financial means necessary to attend school. Massey also links growing up in poverty to higher rates of unemployment and crime (2001:175). This is not only demonstrated in black neighborhoods, but also on Indian Reservations and other low-income areas. These statistics refute colorblindness because a child who has no control over their circumstances cannot simply rise above and work hard enough to get the education his/her family cannot afford. When that child grows up, assuming he/she makes it to adulthood without imprisonment resulting from crime, he/she will not be a good candidate for employment due to that lack of education. Thus, the cycle of poverty remains in effect for future generations.
The combination of white privilege and colorblindness lay the solid foundation for institutional racism, allowing racism to carry into institutions of all kinds. While institutional racism extends back to the days of Jim Crow laws, one of the largest players in institutional racism today is pop culture and the media. In a sense, pop culture and the media are two of the same. Both use entertainment in its various form to exploit minorities, from the Native Americans to the Asian and everything in between for profit. Land O’ Lakes began using a Native American female on their dairy products as a way to symbolize purity (Merskin 2001:308). For some reason, using words such “pure,” “authentic,” “perfect,” etc. were not good enough to describe butter. Instead, a company felt the need to use a human being to get the message of delicious food across to its customers. This idea continues into many other companies. Merskin continues to talk about brands like Sue Bee Honey and a Native American used to again invoke a sense of purity into a product (2001:308). While the examples of media string from brand imaging to the lyrics of music and the design on a t-shirt, it is not necessary to delve into the many forms. What is necessary is to know that media has excessive power in forming thought processes of consumers today, thus perpetuating institutional racism. Media is one of the largest, most broad institutions of the world.
The aspects of racism covered in this paper are not comprehensive – the components of racism are so extensive, they could be talk about for days, or an entire semester if one chooses. In today’s age, it is necessary to recognize that personal racism and institutional racism are separate, but cannot thrive without each other. The mentality of white privilege and ideology of colorblindness combined set the stones to build institutional racism. The people who rise to power are the ones that are allowed to push their beliefs, whether good or bad, racist or not. This power trip goes back to 1610, and probably even earlier, when Brother Luis Brandaon wrote in a letter to a Catholic priest that it is acceptable to own slaves because other conscientious men did not question the practice, so others need not (Zinn 1980:12). In short, one of the highest men of that time was allowed to dish out his opinion in a way that allowed his racist beliefs to continue. This pattern allows people to see the connection between personal and institutional racism – they need each other to survive. If people began truly forming their own opinions from personal experiences, rather than just listening to whatever is around them, perhaps institutional racism could be knocked down, reducing personal racism, and allowing amicable relationships to form and persist.
The other key to fighting institutional racism is self-realization – realizing that even your own personal self is some race is helpful. I have not undergone any type of special realization regarding my race, because I really do not know my heritage. I would like to know someday, but that costs a significant amount of money which I do not have. For those that do, it is likely as liberating of an experience as they choose to make it. People have the power to move as far forward as they choose, and defeat racism as much as they would like in their personal life. My opinions have not changed as a result of any model, but as a result of seeing racism in the workplace and interacting with other races. If any person chooses to oppose institutional racism, that person can make a dent in defeating the ideas that bring harm to so many – and that is crucial. Personal choice and beliefs are powerful to ending racism.