Author speaks on ending ‘funk of race relations’

Tweet

By Tommy Stuart

Tim Wise, leading white commentator on race relations, does not think enough progress is being made in the realm of race-related issues.
Wise spoke at Worsham Theatre in the Student Center to a group of about 200 people, including college students, on Wednesday night and covered topics ranging from unemployment, to affirmative action to the economy,
Wise, who has made appearances on CNN and is the author of four books on race including “Between Barack and a Hard Place,” talked about more than just problems with race in American society. Wise spoke about his own family’s issues with race, including assumptions on whether God is white.
“We don’t have iconography that denotes a racial identity in our household, but my daughter made the assumption that God was white,” Wise said. “I don’t teach my children this, but they are poisoned by it anyway.”
One major topic Wise addressed was post-racial America after Obama’s election.
“If a person of color can only become accepted by acting white, then that is not putting racism behind us, it is white power,” Wise said.
Much of what Wise said may seem like common knowledge to some, but others learned something new.
“Most of this stuff I already knew, but he opened my eyes to a lot of stuff because, yeah, he’s white and he knows he has privilege and he’s not denying it, he admits to it,” said Danny Cotton, an English senior.
Wise advocates white people declaring support for lessening racism, and Cotton said that mentality was key to universal racial acceptance.
“Civil rights can’t happen without allies,” Cotton said.  “Sure, women, blacks and everyone else may fight for stuff, but they can’t do it without allies there to help them, so be an ally.”
Cotton was not the only one to take something away the event.
“I think he showed everyone that race is around us, and we’re exposed to it whether we want to be or not,” said Agricultural communications freshman Coria Bowen.
Wise said he believes we should realize race does not only affect employment, it affects children’s views on society as well.
“The thing is that you have to talk to your kids about race because, if you don’t, they’ll make their own assumptions and those might not be good,” Wise said.
He said the core message of his speech is Americans need to take the iniative.
“What we have to understand is that even though we might have contributed to the mess and we have no moral obligation to clean it up, we must take the responsibility to stop living with the funk of race relations,” Wise said.