Letters
Should Black
Bigots Be Tolerated?
I’m a
To read the article referenced in these letters, visit
www.DiversityInc.com/bigots
Bigot
Great question and great response! I appreciated the
distinction you made between bigotry and racism. Very
insightful. I think every liberation has its “in your face” phase,
maybe releasing the suppressed anger and frustration. Of
course, that doesn’t make it right, but when I was a teen in
the ’70s, I went through an unfortunate phase of thinking
that I had a right to be hateful to whites. I was blessed to have
white friends who tolerated me. I’m embarrassed now to think
about how I must have hurt their feelings, but they remained
steadfast in their friendship. MARLA HILL
[British philosopher] John Stuart
Mill speaks to the relationship between Christians, the dominant
group, and atheists, the minority
group. But the principle is the
same between any minority and
majority. The white group does
not utter an offensive statement
in isolation but with the full force
of the numeric dominance and
the socioeconomic power behind
it. The minority person is coming
from understandable frustration
engendered by powerlessness and
the realization that, if the society
had been fair all along, his or her
lot would be vastly improved over
where it is now. Black bigotry is
to be forgiven and changed slowly
over time by white adjustments
to equality. I remember the
outrage that people expressed
against the impatience of Dr.
Martin Luther King—if only he
could be patient for a process that
would take years but eventually
get there. Now it’s time to be
patient on the other side.
REINHOLD SCHLIEPER
I appreciate your response to
the writer. However, I think it’s
important to answer the question
directly and unequivocally: NO!
Bigotry, regardless of the race of
the perpetuator, should never,
ever be tolerated.
As a Black man who attended an
HBCU in the ’60s, I allowed myself
to engage in anti-white rhetoric
and behavior. I would like to think
that it was a product of my youth
and the times. Admittedly, it was
temporarily satisfying, but there’s
no way I can say it was ennobling,
rewarding or enlightening, not to
mention “justified.”
I came to understand that my
path to maturity and spiritual
awareness had to be trod without
the burdens imposed by my
racism, bigotry, gender bias,
ageism and homophobia—all of
which, in my view, are hubristic
masks for our own insecurities.
Bigots, no matter their color or
gender, are emotionally damaged
souls unable to feel good about
themselves without (falsely)
feeling better than others. They
should be pitied (if you feel
generous), prayed for (if you are a
theist), helped (if they will accept
it), but never, ever tolerated.
JONSCOTT WILLIAMS
Correction
Lance A. LaVergne and Katherine
O’Brien of New York Life Insurance
Co. were misidentified in the “People
on the Move” section of the March/
April 2009 issue. LaVergne is vice
president and chief diversity officer.
O’Brien is first vice president and
deputy general counsel in the office
of the general counsel.
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