It may surprise people to hear me say this, but I do see where the Race Card has been overplayed in America. The difference is that even though I’m as weary of hearing and seeing it as the next person, I fully understand and accept that it is our own fault, and we can end its play when we decide to achieve healthy conflict resolution through diplomacy, truthful history acknowledgment, constructive dialogue, and negotiation.
Just like in any relationship.
That would be enough said, except there are a couple more issues peculiar to American Indians that many of us do not realize…
Consider how that over the years the Race Card has predominantly dealt with our black–to–white relationship in America, leaving little room for American Indians to speak. It is almost as if they don’t exist unless they’re protesting something.
But there is a reason, or set of reasons for this:
For one, there are significantly fewer wealthy American Indians per capita than there are affluent African-Americans, and money buys voice. For two, the African-American population is actually a large force to be reckoned with at 12% of our population; American Indians represent only 1% of our population, with 40% of that 1% isolated on reservations.
It’s pretty easy to see, then, how American Indians could not possibly have had an adequate chance to participate in constructive dialogue over the years. Couple that with the negative backlash in public opinion which A.I.M. and other protest activities have spawned, and it is pretty easy to see how American Indians really do need a healthy outlet, which the Race Card can sometimes still provide (and certainly should provide on Thanksgiving).
We must let this card play; and if I am guilty, then I am guilty with good reason.
Even though you and I may be tired of the Race Card, and we don’t particularly like the difficult process of conflict resolution, demanding that minorities shut up and put up is an unhealthy, counter-productive approach that only keeps the card in play indefinitely.
If you would like to offer a constructive counter view, or a supportive comment on this issue, please come join our Facebook.com discussion group, American History & Interracial Hope.
# # #
Article by Carrie Franzwa, author of The American Patriot’s Treasury of Historical Thanksgiving Dinner ideas, and founder of the Reality Thanksgiving Revolution
Tags: playing race card, diversity card, racism card, multicultural forum, multicultural article, multicultural network, native facts, native american voice
Tags: diversity card, multicultural article, multicultural forum, multicultural network, native american voice, native facts, playing race card, racism card
Tags: diversity card, multicultural article, multicultural forum, multicultural network, native american voice, native facts, playing race card, racism card
Posted October 7, 2009 by Admin under Blog
