Can black people be racist?

[Scorpion]

Recently, there was an incident reported and discussed regarding a couple who did not give a tip to a Hispanic teen because they believed her to be an illegal.

This was shared by an old classmate of mine on facebook who declared the couple racist.
Some perspective, he's black and I am white.

Anyway, there was some exchange back and forth amongst friends and as posts evolve, he claimed that black people CANNOT be racist, only prejudiced or bigoted.
His reasoning is that it is all about POWER and, generally, black people do not have that POWER.
So, I did a couple of Internet searches and could sort of see his point, but then I brought up the KNOCKOUT GAME and my contention that the act in and of itself is racist ( how can it be prejudiced or bigoted?) because of the general race of the perpetrator and the victim.
Since I mentioned that GAME, all I have heard is crickets.

So, can blacks be racist?
Why or why not?

 

[Sunni Man]

It's common knowledge that only white people can be racist. .......

 

[Compost]

All people can be racist. Claiming you can't be racist because you don't have power makes no sense. Think about it. Powerlessness makes you assume things about others based on their skin tone? Even if you lack power in some areas, as most people do, you still have power over your own attitudes. The powerless line is an attempt to excuse bad behavior. Oh, I'm a victim! I have no power! When I play the knock out game and injure or kill someone because their skin is white, it's OK because I have no power.

 

[mdk]

Anyone that tells you X, Y, or Z can't be racist is a buffoon.

 

[guno]

Recently, there was an incident reported and discussed regarding a couple who did not give a tip to a Hispanic teen because they believed her to be an illegal.

This was shared by an old classmate of mine on facebook who declared the couple racist.
Some perspective, he's black and I am white.

Anyway, there was some exchange back and forth amongst friends and as posts evolve, he claimed that black people CANNOT be racist, only prejudiced or bigoted.
His reasoning is that it is all about POWER and, generally, black people do not have that POWER.
So, I did a couple of Internet searches and could sort of see his point, but then I brought up the KNOCKOUT GAME and my contention that the act in and of itself is racist ( how can it be prejudiced or bigoted?) because of the general race of the perpetrator and the victim.
Since I mentioned that GAME, all I have heard is crickets.

So, can blacks be racist?
Why or why not?

know what the definition of racism

 

[Conservative65]

Recently, there was an incident reported and discussed regarding a couple who did not give a tip to a Hispanic teen because they believed her to be an illegal.

This was shared by an old classmate of mine on facebook who declared the couple racist.
Some perspective, he's black and I am white.

Anyway, there was some exchange back and forth amongst friends and as posts evolve, he claimed that black people CANNOT be racist, only prejudiced or bigoted.
His reasoning is that it is all about POWER and, generally, black people do not have that POWER.
So, I did a couple of Internet searches and could sort of see his point, but then I brought up the KNOCKOUT GAME and my contention that the act in and of itself is racist ( how can it be prejudiced or bigoted?) because of the general race of the perpetrator and the victim.
Since I mentioned that GAME, all I have heard is crickets.

So, can blacks be racist?
Why or why not?

If a white person commits (fill in the blank) crime against a black solely because of that victim's race, it's racist. If a black person commits (fill in the blank) crime against a white because of the victim's race, it's racist. The only way someone could argue otherwise is if they can show how one victim was less victimized because they happen to be white despite the end results being the same.

 

[Pete7469]

I would suggest some blacks are the most racist.

They seem to hate everyone, especially other blacks.

 

[320 Years of History]

To answer the title question...Once someone has taught them to be racists, they can. Anyone of any race can be a racist provided they learn to be one. Racism isn't an attitude with which we are born and children aren't in control of what attitudes they are taught. Kids are like sponges; they soak up what's around them.

 

[bodecea]

Recently, there was an incident reported and discussed regarding a couple who did not give a tip to a Hispanic teen because they believed her to be an illegal.

This was shared by an old classmate of mine on facebook who declared the couple racist.
Some perspective, he's black and I am white.

Anyway, there was some exchange back and forth amongst friends and as posts evolve, he claimed that black people CANNOT be racist, only prejudiced or bigoted.
His reasoning is that it is all about POWER and, generally, black people do not have that POWER.
So, I did a couple of Internet searches and could sort of see his point, but then I brought up the KNOCKOUT GAME and my contention that the act in and of itself is racist ( how can it be prejudiced or bigoted?) because of the general race of the perpetrator and the victim.
Since I mentioned that GAME, all I have heard is crickets.

So, can blacks be racist?
Why or why not?

Of course they can...and many are.

 

[320 Years of History]

I would suggest some blacks are the most racist.

They seem to hate everyone, especially other blacks.

Red:
I don't think there are better and worse degrees of racism. Racism is like salt. It may manifest itself in different places, look a little different sometimes -- Hawaiian black lava, Himalayan pink, Bolivian rose, Peruvian pink mountain spring -- but at the end of the day, it's salt.

 

[Iceweasel]

Only a racist would claim they can't be a racist.

 

[guno]

its tth3 uneducated thing once again, difference between racism and bigotry

 

[Two Thumbs]

Recently, there was an incident reported and discussed regarding a couple who did not give a tip to a Hispanic teen because they believed her to be an illegal.

This was shared by an old classmate of mine on facebook who declared the couple racist.
Some perspective, he's black and I am white.

Anyway, there was some exchange back and forth amongst friends and as posts evolve, he claimed that black people CANNOT be racist, only prejudiced or bigoted.
His reasoning is that it is all about POWER and, generally, black people do not have that POWER.
So, I did a couple of Internet searches and could sort of see his point, but then I brought up the KNOCKOUT GAME and my contention that the act in and of itself is racist ( how can it be prejudiced or bigoted?) because of the general race of the perpetrator and the victim.
Since I mentioned that GAME, all I have heard is crickets.

So, can blacks be racist?
Why or why not?

 

[Pete7469]

I would suggest some blacks are the most racist.

They seem to hate everyone, especially other blacks.

Red:
I don't think there are better and worse degrees of racism. Racism is like salt. It may manifest itself in different places, look a little different sometimes -- Hawaiian black lava, Himalayan pink, Bolivian rose, Peruvian pink mountain spring -- but at the end of the day, it's salt.

I can agree with that analogy.

IMO we are all supposed to be one race, homo sapiens, the human race.

It's one thing to merely avoid socializing with people of a different culture because you don't like something about them.

It's a whole other thing to believe they're inferior to you and don't deserve the same rights. Racism isn't a strong enough word for such assholery, because the word racism has been beaten into the ground and used so frivolously it barely has any impact. When I hear people use the term I can generally assume they're on the losing side of an argument.

 

[Londoner]

The OP and many of the rightwing posters are confused.

The answer is simple.

YES! Of course black people can be racist. Most humans make assumptions based on race, and I'm guessing many minorities hate whites, and judge them reflexively.

But racism only has teeth when its institutional, like when a certain race is denied work, housing or incarcerated at higher rates.

 

[Scorpion]

The OP and many of the rightwing posters are confused.

The answer is simple.

YES! Of course black people can be racist. Most humans make assumptions based on race, and I'm guessing many minorities hate whites, and judge them reflexively.

But racism only has teeth when its institutional, like when a certain race is denied work, housing or incarcerated at higher rates.

I am not confused.
It seems my old classmate ( we are both 51) seems to believe blacks cannot be racist. I suppose he bases this assertion on his experiences and that of family members past and present.
And I do consider him an intelligent and informed man but when it comes to racial issues..........

 

[320 Years of History]

The OP and many of the rightwing posters are confused.

The answer is simple.

YES! Of course black people can be racist. Most humans make assumptions based on race, and I'm guessing many minorities hate whites, and judge them reflexively.

But racism only has teeth when its institutional, like when a certain race is denied work, housing or incarcerated at higher rates.

I am not confused.
It seems my old classmate ( we are both 51) seems to believe blacks cannot be racist. I suppose he bases this assertion on his experiences and that of family members past and present.
And I do consider him an intelligent and informed man but when it comes to racial issues..........

David Duke is intelligent to, but not on matters of race....Neither he nor your friend are alone in that regard.

 

[Unkotare]

Anyone that tells you X, Y, or Z can't be racist is a buffoon.

But Batshit Boy (guno) says he can't be racist all the time.

 

[blackhawk]

At it's core racism is based in hatred since we all have the emotion of hate anyone whatever their race can be racist.

 

[BlindBoo]

Prejudiced, hatred and bigotry aside, individuals of all races can believe that their race is superior to another. In America only the Caucasians were able to act as a group to denigrate and subjugate one race while trying to eliminate another, because of systemic racism. So when they say only whites are racist......