Racism and Anti-Racism 

Our society in the U.S. is so deeply divided that we have come dangerously close to internal warfare in recent months. More than cultural and political differences, the division between racism and anti-racism is the issue. 

There are a number of words 

  that we are hearing often lately. 

One of those is "pandemic." 

Another is "racism." 

Yet another is "anti-racism." 

Somewhat related to "anti-racism" is "Antifa," 

  which is a recently coined term 

    to refer to a social movement 

      which is not any sort of organization. 

The Antifa movement exists primarily 

  to counteract fascism. 

It's name is taken from the term, Anti-facism, 

    and I find it somewhat related to anti-racism 

      because racism is a feature 

        of most forms of fascism. 

Antifa, racism, and anti-racism are among

  the most misunderstood terms 

    in common use these days. 

Sometimes the misunderstanding 

  is caused by the deliberate actions 

    of the purveyors of prejudice. 

At first the insurrection at the U.S. capitol on Jan. 6 

  was called a false flag operation 

    by those who wanted to distract from the reality. 

So-called conservative commentators accused 

  Antifa activists of creating a false impression 

    that supporters of the former president 

      had led the protest that exploded into sedition. 

In fact, supporters of the former president 

  did lead a protest on January 6, 

    and most of those who attacked the capitol 

      had the specific purpose of stopping 

        the constitutionally required certification 

          by both houses of Congress 

            of the election of President Biden 

              and Vice President Harris. 

The attempt to stop the certification failed. 

A threatened open war was prevented. 

One of the expressed purposes of such a war 

  was the starting of a race war in the U.S. 

In other words, 

  racism was at least part of the heart of darkness 

    that came to threaten democracy in the U.S. 

Racism is a serious problem in our society, 

  and it is not limited to certain 

    geographic and demographic areas. 

First and foremost, 

  I want to clarify, 

    especially for purposes of today's sermon, 

      that racism is not the same as racial prejudice. 

The confusion between the two is most evident 

  when people say that they are not racist 

    because they do not think of skin color 

      as an issue in human relationships. 

What they are saying is 

  that they do not have racial prejudice. 

Racism does not involve judging people 

  on the basis of their skin color, 

    ethnic background, 

      primary language, 

        or other similar characteristics. 

Racism is a matter of history and social inequity. 

We can regard people as truly equal in value, 

  (Our UU 1st Principle: 

    The Inherent Worth and Dignity of Every Person) 

      but still be involved in racism 

        because of the society and culture 

          in which we live. 

It's most uncomfortable for me to say this, 

  and I'm deeply sympathetic with the reality 

    that it is uncomfortable for anyone to hear it, 

      but everyone who lives in the U.S. today 

        is involved with racism in one way or another. 

Our involvement can be a matter of working 

  for racism or against it. 

We do not have to cooperate with the racism 

  built into our society. 

We can act in anti-racist ways. 

As we do so, it is important to remember 

  that it is not 

    helpful to refer to another person as racist. 

Social institutions are more often the contexts 

  where racism and oppression are expressed

    than the lives of individual people. 

It is much better to set an example 

  by acting against racism in our own lives 

    and in our communities. 

We can counteract the racism we find 

  in our social institutions and interactions. 

And we can work to change social structures 

  that tend to perpetuate racism. 

More and more, the term racism 

  is being used 

    to refer to systemic forms of oppression, 

      and that is the way I'm using it today. 

Even Merriam Webster is now offering

  the definition, systemic forms of oppression, 

    as a way of understanding the meaning 

      of the term, racism. 

One example of the experience of racism 

  occurs in the valuation of property. 

An interracial couple will almost invariably 

  receive a higher appraisal on a home they own 

    if the darker skinned members of the family 

      are not in evidence 

        when the home appraiser is present. 

The experience is well documented and common 

  for people in the United States today. 

There are too many other examples 

  of systemic racism 

    for me to try to make an exhaustive list, 

      but another well known experience 

        of people of color 

          is the events that transpire 

            if and when they are stopped by the police. 

People who have lighter skin tones, 

  do not often think, 

    "Will this be the way that I die?" 

        when they are stopped. 

People with darker skin tones 

  often do think in those terms. 

Speaking of lighter and darker skin tones 

  reminds me of a way of distinguishing 

    the appearance of people 

      with different racial backgrounds. 

To make reference to Star Trek 

  and my affinity for science fiction, 

    the actor LeVar Burton played Geordi LaForge 

      in Star Trek, The Next Generation. 

He refers to his friends 

  who have lighter skin tones than his 

    as "melanin challenged." 

I find that amusing and telling. 

We who are melanin challenged, 

  as evidenced by our lighter skin tones, 

    may be a little bit uncomfortable with the idea, 

But I do believe that certain insecurities are part 

  of the foundation of prejudice and 

    oppression of people 

      based on their race or ethnicity. 

Those insecurities and their results in relationships 

  are a profound threat to the fabric of our society 

    and to the security and well being of us all. 

Anti-racism offers us opportunities 

  to counteract the threat. 

There are ways to act against institutional racism 

  that will make a difference for us all. 

Certainly we can offer ourselves as people

  who treat other people well 

    whatever their race or ethnicity may be. 

Even more importantly, 

  we can act against policies of government, 

    business, church, and other social institutions 

      when they treat people differently 

        because of their racial or ethnic background. 

Across the U.S. today 

  there are many efforts underway 

    especially in education 

      to encourage anti-racism. 

There are also corresponding efforts 

  to resist the encouragement of anti-racism. 

It's threatening to have to acknowledge 

  that we have all been involved 

    in one way or other 

      with the racial discrimination and oppression 

        (in other words, the racism) 

          that have long been endemic in our society. 

One of the most powerful anti-racist viewpoints 

  in education and media today 

    is the 1619 project, 

      based on the year that the first enslaved Africans 

        arrived in the territory that would become 

          the United States of America. 

It has inspired a lot of reflection and study 

  as well as a lot of opposition and anger. 

At least the project provides a way of approaching 

  the history of the United States 

    from an anti-racist point of view. 

Another way of promoting anti-racism 

  is the social movement known as 

    Black Lives Matter. 

'Tis an ill wind that blows no one any good. 

That old saying could surely have been 

  a UU proverb! 

I'm thinking of the current pandemic 

  creating the opportunity for the growth 

    of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Many people have paid more attention to the news 

  and current events 

    than generally happened in previous years. 

This has meant that oppression based on race 

  has come to many people's attention. 

The whole idea that Black Lives Matter 

  has been a result. 

To say that all lives matter is not necessarily 

  a contradiction to the idea 

    that Black Lives Matter, too. 

To work against racism, 

  it is important to emphasize the equal importance

    of lives that have all too often been devalued. 

If we return to our First Principle(s), 

  we can remember clearly that the words are true: 

    Black Lives Matter, too, 

      as we affirm the inherent

        worth and dignity of every person. 

Amen. 

So let it be. 

Blessed be.