Encouraging, and Ignoring, Racism In America

I LIKE USING THE WORDS "honkie", or a 'cracker", because I think those two words are absolutely hilarious. Haven't we earned it? Its all in good fun, but it doesn't stop me from being ashamed of my race; "lingering" vestiges of racism are all around us, obviously, today, the result of two hundred forty six years of slavery, then one hundred years of segregation. Slavery was an idea which originated within the Euro-caucasian community, and "spread" "downward" to the African community, if you will. People have been enslaving each other since time immemorial, but the American version has specific racial characteristics, white oppressing black. In the United States, slavery and racism flow(ed) from white to black, and all else is reaction or commentary. Just a couple of years ago upper middle class cracker after upper middle class cracker stood up at a public meeting just outside St. Louis, swearing before the almighty that forced racial integration destroys previously good schools. At the time, St. Louis schools were undergoing unintentional desegregation, the result of state accrediting and redistricting, and white folks didn't like it, not one little bit. Of course, what really happens is, the very minute integration begins, forced or accidental, the white community packs up and leaves, taking the support of the would have been integrated school system with them. A self fulfilling prophecy if ever there were one. "I'm sorry, but this isn't about racism!", yelled one smug sounding, cocksure rich white lady, into the public microphone. OK, fine. So she's sorry that racism isn't the problem. She apologizes. But the good news for her that that racism is indeed the problem, and she deserves her fair share of the credit. Integration never has a real chance in America, because the whites always flee from the encroaching blacks.. Anywhere integration has been tried, for real, in public schools, it has worked, in terms of student achievement. Too bad we don't try it anymore. The mere fact that we have "black" neighborhoods and "white" neighborhoods all over America reveals our continuing racism. It should be obvious to everyone, and really, it is, even those who ignore or deny it.