1 00:00:00,399 --> 00:00:03,859 Many people believed that the election of a black President 2 00:00:03,860 --> 00:00:07,680 would advance America to a new era of racial harmony. 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:13,880 That belief proved to be mistaken. In retrospect it was naive to think that a single event 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:19,060 -- even the election of a black president -- would wash away a stain so deeply ingrained 5 00:00:19,060 --> 00:00:24,640 in our culture. The debate about how much racism there is in America -- and specifically 6 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:30,340 the disparity between the races -- is just as fierce as ever. That's okay with me. 7 00:00:30,340 --> 00:00:38,300 Discrimination still exists. Let's deal with it openly and honestly. Unfortunately, that's very hard to do. 8 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:42,560 One reason, I've discovered, is that many people feel that they have to treat blacks 9 00:00:42,570 --> 00:00:48,890 with kid gloves. They think this is noble... enlightened... progressive. It's not. 10 00:00:48,890 --> 00:00:53,580 It's demeaning and condescending. In fact, it's racist. 11 00:00:53,580 --> 00:00:58,980 A recent experience brought this home to me. In an anthropology class, my professor decided 12 00:00:58,980 --> 00:01:04,089 to discuss the shooting of Michael Brown, a black teenager, by a white police officer 13 00:01:04,089 --> 00:01:09,230 in Ferguson, Missouri. Before I tell you what transpired, I need to tell you something about 14 00:01:09,230 --> 00:01:14,550 this professor. First of all, I like her very much. She's interesting and engaging. 15 00:01:14,550 --> 00:01:19,950 But more importantly, she took a non-PC approach to the class, which I found refreshing. 16 00:01:19,950 --> 00:01:25,070 She encouraged us to study the data dispassionately and draw our conclusions from that. 17 00:01:25,070 --> 00:01:29,770 But when the subject of Ferguson came up, all this objectivity went out the window. 18 00:01:29,780 --> 00:01:34,560 When a classmate said, following a debate over the details of the case, that the facts 19 00:01:34,570 --> 00:01:40,250 "ultimately don't matter," my professor agreed. All that matters, this classmate added, 20 00:01:40,250 --> 00:01:46,190 is that a "black boy was killed by a white cop." Another example of racism in a racist society. 21 00:01:46,190 --> 00:01:47,780 Pure and simple. 22 00:01:47,790 --> 00:01:53,060 So, therefore, riots that followed the grand jury decision not to indict the officer were 23 00:01:53,070 --> 00:01:57,799 the legitimate reactions of people who "just couldn't take it anymore." And that's when 24 00:01:57,799 --> 00:02:03,419 I knew that what I was really hearing was not an expression of compassion and understanding, 25 00:02:03,420 --> 00:02:05,240 but something else. 26 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:10,439 Rioting and looting are acceptable forms of behavior? Why? Because the rioters and looters 27 00:02:10,439 --> 00:02:16,139 have no other options? Really? In free, democratic America, you have no other options? 28 00:02:16,140 --> 00:02:21,820 Does this apply to all ethnic groups? Hispanics? Southeast Asians? Pacific Islanders? 29 00:02:21,820 --> 00:02:23,200 Of course not. 30 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:28,519 But we -- the enlightened ones -- are ready with a pre-packaged list of excuses when blacks 31 00:02:28,519 --> 00:02:35,159 riot and loot. Worse, when it comes to judging black behavior, even facts don't matter. 32 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:40,000 All that matters is the skin color of the teenager and the skin color of the cop. 33 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,800 Well, not in my world. If a white cop kills a white kid, the facts matter. 34 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:50,719 If a black cop kills a black kid, the facts matter. If a black cop kills a white kid, the facts matter. 35 00:02:50,719 --> 00:02:55,870 And if a white cop kills a black kid, the facts matters. To suggest anything else is 36 00:02:55,870 --> 00:03:01,370 to perpetuate discrimination, the very thing that those who espouse social justice 37 00:03:01,370 --> 00:03:03,070 claim to want to end. 38 00:03:03,070 --> 00:03:09,200 Anyone, whether white or any other color, who excuses blacks for bad behavior just because 39 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:14,300 they are black obviously doesn't consider blacks their equal. Rather, they view blacks, 40 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:20,940 in effect, as children who are unable to adhere to the standards to which every other group is held. 41 00:03:20,940 --> 00:03:25,620 Think carefully about that. The only difference between this view and that of white 42 00:03:25,629 --> 00:03:29,689 supremacists is that white supremacists are honest and open: 43 00:03:29,689 --> 00:03:34,009 in their viewblacks are inferior to whites. Period. 44 00:03:34,009 --> 00:03:40,940 But those who condescend to blacks cloak themselves in self-righteousness. So, somehow that makes it okay. 45 00:03:40,940 --> 00:03:45,980 The bad behavior happens -- a riot in Ferguson -- and they nod knowingly: 46 00:03:45,980 --> 00:03:51,660 "They couldn't take it anymore. Who can blame them?" I'll take the white supremacist any day. 47 00:03:51,660 --> 00:03:57,559 First, there are very few of them and they have no power. Second I can easily prove them wrong. 48 00:03:57,559 --> 00:04:02,569 But how do I shake off the Condescenders, the Patronizers? There are a lot of them, 49 00:04:02,569 --> 00:04:07,429 they have a lot of power and they think they mean well. How do I convince them that, 50 00:04:07,429 --> 00:04:14,700 as a black human being, I want to be -- I must be --judged by the same standards as everybody else? 51 00:04:14,700 --> 00:04:22,220 So, how about this for a change? Treat blacks equally. Always. In every way. Not differently. 52 00:04:22,220 --> 00:04:29,000 Not better. Not worse. Not like we're demons. Not like we're angels. Is that so hard to do? 53 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,560 Because if we really want racial harmony -- not to mention an end to racism -- 54 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,060 that's the only way to get there. 55 00:04:36,069 --> 00:04:39,689 I'm Chloe Valdary for Prager University.