Joe R. Feagin, one of America's top sociologists on the topic of race/racism, author of Racist America and Systemic Racism, asserts that America is a racist nation "AT ITS VERY CORE," "born in violence and blood." against Native Americans, Afro Americans, against all non-WASPs. But America hypocritically poses as an exceptional nation, chosen by God.
Even most white American scholars still see "racism as something tacked onto an otherwise healthy American society." After careful historical and sociological analysis, Feagin concludes that systemic racism is at the very core of American society. I wholeheartedly agree that this is true both past and present.
But I would state the issue somewhat differently. First, ethnocentrism, supposed cultural superiority, was brought to America by British colonists [see A Different Mirror]. Next, came economic greed tied to the growing of tobacco. Then, the demand for cheap, reliable labor to grow tobacco fueled the creation of the biblical and biologically erroneous concept of black and white---race. Now, race/racism have taken on a life of its own.
Today, I still would put ethnocentrism ahead of racism as a fundamental cause, or put racism as a sub-category under ethnocentrism. And I think that economic greed, systems of economic oppression, drive a lot of current racism. We have to tackle all three categories at the same time: ethnocentrism (culture), economic greed/oppression (class), racism (race). All three impact all parts of American society---"economics, politics, education, religion and family." Racism is both individual and societal.
A bit of American history: In 1787, 55 men wrote of Constitution. Feagin describes the who, what and why:
"At least 40 percent have been or are slave owners, and a significant proportion of the others profit to some degree as merchants, shippers, lawyers, and bankers from the slave trade, in slave-produced agricultural products, or supplying provisions to slaveholders and slave traders." George Washington, a rich slaveholder---hundreds of slaves---presides. "We the People" excludes one-fifth of the population.
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