Monterey Bay: The Magazine of CSU Monterey Bay Fall/Winter 2013, Vol. VI, No. II | Page 14

Facult y Advisor

ing About
Talk

Race

phenomenon
Q Is racism a or institutionsof Q How do race and racism
individuals
or
function?

A

John Berteaux

ego

Once again, we’re hearing calls
for a heart-to-heart about race
and racism.
In 1997, President Clinton
began a discussion on the
topic by appointing an advisory
board. In 2008, presidential
candidate Barack Obama
urged citizens to move beyond
treating race as a spectacle.
Less than a year later, Attorney
General Eric Holder called
the United States “a nation of
cowards” because we do not
confront issues of race and
racism openly and honestly.

class

Now, in the wake of Trayvon
Martin’s death and George
Zimmerman’s subsequent trial,
Associate Professor for the
Division of Humanities and
Communication John Berteaux
offers his insights.

While individuals may recognize
that racism exists, they disagree
about what it is. For some, any
differentiation between persons on
the basis of race is racist; racism is
just differential treatment. Or is it a
matter of one individual not liking or
mistreating another on the basis of
race prejudice? To determine whether
an act is racist or not, should we look
at the intentions or the effects? Does
racial discrimi ????????????????)?????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)???????????)!???????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)???????????????????=?$??????)??????????????????????????????)?????????? ??????????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)???????????????()D?'?e?????????????L????$?)???????????????????????)?????????????????????????)??????L????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????L?????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)???????????????????9????????$????)???????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)9????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)?????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)????????????????????????()?????????????????????????)?%??????q???????????5???????t)e???????????????????????)?????M????????]????e???????)???????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)?????e???????????????????????)??????????????????e??q?????????t)????????????????????????????????+?qQ???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????t)$?????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)??????????????????????L??????????)$?????????????????????????????)?????????????????????Q???)????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)????????????????? ?????????)???????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)??????????????????)?????????e???????????()?????????????????)D?M?????????????????????)???)????)????)?5???????????????????????????)?????????????)??????????)??????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)?????????????]????????????????)??????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)??????????????????=???????????)??????e?)A???????I?????Q?????()????((0