Inherent racism?
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Yancy and Baldwin similarly state that the racialization by the white boy is inherent to the upbringing and the culture around them. Yancy states that “the white boy's racial practices are learned effortlessly, practices that are already in process”. It is the external systemic structures that reinforce racial discrimination and racial discrimination that become deeply ingrained in their culture. Since in these environments, racialized comments are rarely challenged, they continue to persist within white communities contributing to an ongoing cycle that fosters racial discrimination.
As a brown girl growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood, I encountered this ‘inherent racism’ throughout my upbringing by my white peers. Racist comments and microaggressions followed me throughout school, from intentional mispronunciation of my name to Islamaphobic remarks about my religion. However, as I got older, I realized that these comments, although undoubtedly harmful, didn't necessarily come from a place of hate but from a lack of education.
Baldwin mentions in his letter that we must accept white people with love because they are “still trapped in a history they do not understand”. This history that they are trapped in is part of the larger system processes that perpetuate "inherent racism" through persisting a historical narrative through a strictly white lens fostering racial discrimination. Since this perspective is rarely challenged, it persists in white communities. However, it is helpful to consider that "inherent racism" is rooted in these broader systemic issues that must be changed.