"Racist"
Sorry for not being more articulate, but I just need to get the question out-- I keep meaning to ask it.
I often see people dismiss the "academic definition" (R=P+P) of racism/racist as newfangled and out of touch with the mainstream. I can't argue the latter point-- of course it is, and for obvious reasons. But I'm not convinced that the "original" definition of "racism"/"racist" was something that could be applied or was intended to apply to bigotry outside of the context of white supremacy (i.e., racial prejudice held by POC against white people or even other POC per se). Not that any racial bigotry really exists outside of white supremacy, but YKWIM.
For one, I remember reading Plessy vs. Ferguson and being impressed how clear it was that race-based prejudice against white people wasn't even on the radar screen. Further, I'm old enough to remember that folks didn't used to use the word "racism" nearly as much-- as recently as the 80s. You can still see this with older white folks, who will say things like "I'm not prejudiced" instead of "I'm not racist." It seems that, in the past (perhaps most of the 20th century) "prejudice" was the commonly used word for, well, prejudice (usually race-based), and the idea of racism really was more academic and referred to institutional oppression (which would necessarily be of the white supremacist variety).
Okay, I'm starting to wish I had waited to post because this might not be a clear hypothesis-- but like I said, it's been bugging me for months and I just wanted to get it out.
What I'm asking is this-- how recent is the advent/common usage of the words "racism" and "racist" and what was their explicit or implicit context? Does that make any sense? Because it's my hypothesis that the idea that being racist = prejudiced against/hating someone based on race (any race vs. any other) is in fact the "newfangled" definition. (Revisionist history, as usual.)
Of course, it makes perfect sense that the word would be redefined that way... But can anyone shed some light onto any of this? Thanks so much.
I often see people dismiss the "academic definition" (R=P+P) of racism/racist as newfangled and out of touch with the mainstream. I can't argue the latter point-- of course it is, and for obvious reasons. But I'm not convinced that the "original" definition of "racism"/"racist" was something that could be applied or was intended to apply to bigotry outside of the context of white supremacy (i.e., racial prejudice held by POC against white people or even other POC per se). Not that any racial bigotry really exists outside of white supremacy, but YKWIM.
For one, I remember reading Plessy vs. Ferguson and being impressed how clear it was that race-based prejudice against white people wasn't even on the radar screen. Further, I'm old enough to remember that folks didn't used to use the word "racism" nearly as much-- as recently as the 80s. You can still see this with older white folks, who will say things like "I'm not prejudiced" instead of "I'm not racist." It seems that, in the past (perhaps most of the 20th century) "prejudice" was the commonly used word for, well, prejudice (usually race-based), and the idea of racism really was more academic and referred to institutional oppression (which would necessarily be of the white supremacist variety).
Okay, I'm starting to wish I had waited to post because this might not be a clear hypothesis-- but like I said, it's been bugging me for months and I just wanted to get it out.
What I'm asking is this-- how recent is the advent/common usage of the words "racism" and "racist" and what was their explicit or implicit context? Does that make any sense? Because it's my hypothesis that the idea that being racist = prejudiced against/hating someone based on race (any race vs. any other) is in fact the "newfangled" definition. (Revisionist history, as usual.)
Of course, it makes perfect sense that the word would be redefined that way... But can anyone shed some light onto any of this? Thanks so much.