Poll: Definitions of "Racist" and "Racism"

[marydell]

Please try not to argue with definitions that people post in the comments. However, posting your own definition is highly encouraged, even if it's just tweaking the wording of something in the ticky boxes.

Edit: I really want this post to stay on topic, that topic being people's own definitions of these terms. This is not about whether it's ok to call someone a racist or accuse people of racism--there's no way to answer that question without having a sense of what the terms mean to people, and I'm not the right person to host that conversation anyway.

I want this post to be 1. a safe space for people to say what they think these words mean 2. a multi-definition glossary of two terms that are used in a lot of conversations. That will only happen if it stays on topic, so I will politely freeze or re-direct conversations that are off-topic. If I freeze a comment, it does not mean I think you're a jerk or that I want you to get lost; please don't take it personally.

Thank you to everyone who is helping to build this resource, and I appreciate everyone's tolerance of the heavy moderation. If you want to talk (a little) more freely, there are other posts under my anti-racism category tag that may interest you.

Another Edit: discussion of how to define "Race" starts with Bluefall's comment here.

[Poll #1340724]

Comments

[gailmom.livejournal.com]

A racist is a person who makes assumptions or decisions about people based on race.

(I do not personally distinguish between "positive or negative" since, in my experience, even "positive" conclusions based on race (or any other definition not based on the the individual but rather on an arbitrary trait) is also inherently "negative" toward another grouping, and vice versa.)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I was just about to make a similar comment about the inherent negativity of "positive" conclusions based on race, so I'll just agree with yours.

[laura-holt-pi.livejournal.com]

Very true. It's also often patronising to the race that receives the "positive" gloss.

[willshetterly.livejournal.com]

Ditto! (I'm old enough to remember ditto machines fondly, so if the word's been tainted by Rush Limbaugh, consider this my attempt to reclaim it.)

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

I would characterise any belief in 'race' as racist.

[laura-holt-pi.livejournal.com]

Me too.

(frozen)

[elf]

I don't think so. At least, not as far as "race" also means "cultural and ancestral heritage."

There's plenty enough White Christian European-origin people trying to claim the whole world has one historical identity (and that identity is theirs, thankyouverymuch) and therefore, there's no cultural appropriation issue if they grab Egyptian symbols or Jewish prayers or or Chinese clothing or Native American dances or African hairstyles for casual use in their life or art.

(frozen)

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Which culture is mine?

(frozen)

[marydell.livejournal.com]

Please do not argue with other people's definitions in this post. There are plenty of other places doing that right now :)

[vcmw]

This is exactly the ticky box option I wanted for question #1 above.