Organic Racial Elitism?

            One conversation that we continue to have as a class regards issues of morality and “moral regenerations.” The legacies of slavery, segregation and Jim Crow loom large in contemporary society, particularly in the South, and Americans continue to grapple with questions regarding race. As we have seen in our reading throughout the semester, politicians and American citizens have a long history of justifying institutions that we now agree are immoral and unjust. Now, Politicians, like Representative Steven King and various members of the far right, as well as ordinary citizens stereotype minorities in less-than-flattering ways. For instance, popular culture is filled with caricatures of minorities in film and in popular music. These messages are spread throughout the world and consumed; and the image of a minority becomes synonymous with those hyperbolic representations witnessed in films and popular music. While this isn’t the root cause of all stereotyping within the United States, it serves as an example where racial predispositions influence representations of different races in the United States.

            I want to make our conversation larger, and make an argument regarding our nature as human beings. Racial elitism and stereotyping may not simply be a symptom of moral decay: perhaps it is a symptom of human nature. For all of recorded history, humans have always viewed themselves as superior to members of other races—the history of the Mongols and their interactions with Europeans is a fantastic example. One can see how stereotypical representations of particular races would gain popularity: people want representations of other races that are easy for them to understand and confirm their own sense of racial superiority. My point is this: the United States is not the only country to suffer intense racism and unfair racial stereotyping, and the modern era (16^th century until present) isn’t the only time to witness racial prejudice. I would argue that it is human nature for one group of people with the same skin color to view another group of people with a different skin color as inferior. While I am not condoning racial elitism, it is possible to see how fear of the unknown can drive a group of people to stereotype and develop a racial prejudice against another group of people. 

            Let’s take a step back from making claims that there is a moral decay—morality is secondary to our nature as humans. While the United States, and other countries, certainly need to have a serious discussion regarding the representation of races in popular culture, we also need to understand our history as humanity and learn from past generations. Racial elitism has always existed, and will probably continue to exist for all perpetuity—not because there is a moral decay, but because it is in our nature. While I don’t have answers to these questions, I do feel it important to have a discussion whether feelings of racial superiority are in our nature (rightly or wrongly). All humans are equal, but perhaps it is in our nature to think ourselves better than particular groups. Perhaps it takes morality to keep us from experiencing such feelings; and perhaps a moral decay only returns us to a more natural state. Just as religion and government brought humanity out of the stone-age in to a more civilized world (one where human's didn't simply indulge their basest needs whenever they wanted), perhaps morality shields us from the inherent notion of racial superiority within our nature.