The Creative Steps Day Camp in Philadelphia paid $1900 for access to The Valley Swim Club’s pool, a private club with open membership. When the campers went to the pool, they were thrown out, apparently because they were black.
One parent claimed: “The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately.”
It seems hard to believe someone would be so blatantly racist in 2009, but the official statement from the club’s president does nothing to cast doubt on the parent’s claim. From the statement, the president said, “There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion…and the atmosphere of the club.”
Yes, here in post-racial America, we have a black President and that means racism is over, except that it’s not.
On a related note, let’s chat about reverse-racism. I’m going to make a jump and then come back to connect the dots: class mobility in America is terrible right now. If you’re born into the lower or middle class, you have a better chance of climbing the social ladder in France, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Norway or Denmark than you do in America these days. Never-the-less, recent polling has shown that 80% of Americans still believe they have the ability to pull themselves up by the proverbial bootstraps and become the rich and famous. In fact, low and middle income children have only a 1-2% chance of breaking into the top 5% of earners by the end of their lifetime.
What does this have to do with reverse racism? The economy is tough, but social mobility has been falling for thirty years. At the same time, low and middle-class wages have stagnated or even fallen. Times are tough for the everyday American, even the whites. Among the racist, there is certainly still an idea that minorities are less fit for top jobs than whites. The idea that the economic hardships, that the difficulty just staying above water are the fault of undeserving minorities getting the promotions and positions rightfully due to the white is an attractive fantasy.
The fantasy gives blacks and other minorities perceived power over the whites. With power and oppression, reverse racism spreads to become a justification for being fearful of the minorities. The fantasy assures that the “scary” black on the street is being racist, neatly dodging the question of perceptual racism on part of the white.
This fantasy is being sold quite openly to the working class white. Sure, individuals who were passed over for less qualified candidates can be found, but the less qualified candidate is just as likely to be white as he or she is to be black. That is a fact of business. No, reverse racism is a distraction. The fact is that the entire consumer base of America, the lower and middle classes, have been sold out over the last thirty years.
People look for scapegoats in economic downturns, even in post-racial America.
Links: Pool Boots Kids Who Might “Change the Complextion”, Class Mobility in America
-Derek
Great commentary. This type of racism is insidious – it can be spun so that even the normally reasonable might see merit in it. Nothing annoys me more than the belief in a “post-racial” america. We are barely years out of Jena – have people forgotten the tenor of last year’s election?
Excellent cartoon.
Very intersting comic Derek, racism is still very alive and well today. Its not just going to go away with time as a common cold does. I believe America has to own up to slavery which leads us to the social and economic conditions blacks are dealing with today and that is rock bottom. Just because we have a black president doesn’t mean anything socially is going to change. I have the feeling that the majority of America has the perception of “Ok, now black people can’t complain anymore about anything because we made one of them president by golly!” This changes nothing. America has to have a real dialogue about racism before we can move forward as equals. I could go on and on, must…stop.
Check out the social mobility article I linked. Statistically, blacks stay where they are born as far as social classes go, and that’s accounting for all other factors excluding race.
Oh Yes! The greatest country in the World, if you are in most cases white and privileged. I live in one of the most “liberal” cities in America and I can definitely see the day to day struggle of African Americans living here over any other race or ethnicity. Most blacks here live in government housing and make up a substantial number of the homeless here as well. Forty percent of black men aged 18 to 35 are unemployed here in San Francisco, these are supposed to be the golden years for work and experience. Lets not get into the education system. Anyhow it is a sad day in America when you are turned away from a pool because of your pigmentation. All I can say is buckle your seatbelts little negro children, it is going to be a rough ride.
What a Goddamn shame.
Check this out : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/
Elissa Great artwork by the way, I love your interpretation of the black boy he clearly looks of African descent without the harsh exaggerations of someone we know,, Goddamn Negroide… Sigh.
…. Derek joked I should have just cut out “negroide” and stick him in the cartoon as a response, but I didn’t have the heart.
Sorry, can’t help it. “Complexion” as a double entendre.
HAHA! Valley made bronze in Worst Person on Countdown!
This story is everywhere at the current moment!!
I’d like to think we helped push it!