Racists in Love

I'm tired of hearing folks like JanHammer, who claim that they are not white racists and then try to justify that claim by saying that they cannot be because they have dated/are in love with/are married to a Black person. The inference is that racism and interracial desire cannot coexist within the same person.

Using that argument, no straight, sexually active man can be called a sexist. How can he be accused of having a bias toward women when he is willing to get close enough to them to sleep in the same bed, have sex with them, even mix gametes with them?

Of course, that argument is ridiculous. Since the beginning of time, men have taken as their bedmates or spouses human beings they considered to be their inferiors. Sexism exists in many intimate unions.

So has racism. One need look no further than the history of sex/rape/whatever you want to call it between white slave masters and Black slave women for confirmation of that. Also worth noting is the claim of some male Black nationalists back in the 60's that they f***ed white women out of aggression toward The Man.

Racism isn't just about hating others, calling individuals nasty names or wanting to separate yourself from them. It's also about placing whole groups of people beneath yourself in the socioeconomic hierarchy, even if you make exceptions for individuals within those groups because you believe they are not "typical" of their race. Racism can make exceptions and it can also come from paternalistic notions of protecting those that are somehow "less capable" (witness the Prez of Rutgers U).

It is racism nonetheless.

People have many motives for forming intimate relationships, not all of them pure. And even some those with the best of intentions -- including many who call themselves "liberals" -- suffer from a skewed perception of their place within the social order.