Written by: Cassandra Lafure edited by Daaiyah Haggray
When racial barriers are broken down, some members of society tend to want to keep them up. When people become used to a certain way of life where they benefit most from, they are reluctant to change. These types of people make it harder for society to grow collectively and resolve issues where some are treated more unfair than others. Racial unjust inspires some to act like activist towards dismantling structures where racial tensions are high. People in positions of power have the authority to step in and address these tensions and how they handle situations reinforces how people react to the outcome. People act on situations without realizing that it makes them seem more racist than they would like people to believe. Those who remain racist have a way of covering it up however, society has a way of unveiling those attributes linguistically. The changes within the culture of how one must react to racial issues have shifted. Adjustments hasn’t gotten society far from ways of the past, but more people are willing to support efforts made towards a multiracial society combating systematic racial oppression. Influences in combating racism comes in many shapes and forms with actors and films playing a major role in its efforts. As more people begin to understand forms of racism that they may have not realized exist in their lives, the better we come closer to addressing racial issues head on and keeping the barriers down.
Society has shifted from direct racism being spewed directly in the face of the minority being attacked, to a subtler indirect, behind closed doors type of maintenance of racial privilege. Although America has a way of putting off that our society is multicultural, diverse, and an integrated nation, we are far from that ideology systematically. The “principles of liberalism and humanism were not extended to minorities as slaves or contract laborers, however, after the abolishment of slavery the ideas associated with them were (Bonilla-Silva, 68).” This new ideology is known as color-blind racism. White people use color-blind racism to frame their answers when addressed with issues on race, especially when placed in uncomfortable situations. It allows for them to excuse their racist behavior. Segregation along with integration are situations when color-blind racism presents itself often. It is one of the prominent ways in which society deals with race, as an easy way to brush off racial issues, instead of resolving them. One of the best ways to battle racism is to address it head on, not allowing for color-blind racism to affect the purposed outcome.
One film that best exemplifies color-blind racism is Remember the Titans. This film in its essence captures how society reacts naturally to shifts in racial adversity and desegregation. As with abstract liberalism “by framing race-related issues in the language of liberalism, whites can appear ‘reasonable’ and even ‘moral’ while opposing almost all practical approaches to deal with de facto racial inequality (Bonilla-Silva, 69).” This is important because racism can be justified when a situation is clearly racially motivated and wrong. Remember the Titans reflect the color-blind frame of naturalization, which is the frame to “allow whites to explain away racial phenomena by suggesting that they are natural occurrences (Bonilla-Silva, 69).” When whites get away with situations by using this frame it places the minority in a position to fight harder for their rights. In a place where segregation was alive and well but outlawed African American Coach Herman Boone became captain of a divided football team in a desegregated school, yet segregated town. It was obvious he had expertise in dealing with such type of environment because he came and knew exactly how to go about handling the situation while standing firm and comfortable in doing his job and executing the results he wanted. Coach Boone knew that the town wouldn’t be accepting to his strategies of inclusiveness nor would they have been quick to willingly support his efforts of social justice from a football players point of view. As the Head Coach, he knew that it was necessary to separate the team from their environment because the environment was affecting their point of reference towards racism. That was his first act towards dismantling the town’s racial preferences. Racism is taught and learned and in a segregated town the coach knew separation of the players from their families was a must. He took the players to a training camp away from their home. “The team spent a week at Gettysburg College where they practiced up to three times a day, as depicted in the movie Remember the Titans (-ESPN.com).” Segregation may have been a must for the town, but it would no longer be an issue for the players of the football team, who would later have difficulty trying to make their peers and families realize the same thing. Because segregation was relevant for the town, the people saw fit that segregation among schools and sports were necessary as well. Naturalization makes for this mindset to carry out. This frame is used by whites mostly to explain the existence of school or neighborhood segregation, the limited contact between whites and minorities… (Bonilla-Silva, 69).” Coach Boone knew that this mindset wouldn’t suffice when trying to win football games. He mastered ignoring the reasoning of color-blind racism spewed by the parents because not only was it damaging to society, it was damaging to his players and he had to break their mold to complete his job successfully.
Coach Boones elements of interpretive repertoire challenged the racial order of T.C Williams High School football players along with the town of Alexandria. Upon leaving for training camp the players were forced, in front of their parents, to mix while boarding buses. The mixing of the players was symbolic for ‘I don’t care who you are or what you look like’ based on your position this is where you will sit, regardless of what your parents taught you. By doing this he challenged racial privilege. Since racism was direct during this time, parents were quick to address the coach’s actions with outburst of disappointments. Color-blind racism of today doesn’t allow for expressions as such to happen because people do not want to be viewed and labeled a racist for wanting to keep their child separate from the rest. Naturalization frames would allow for the white parents to justify not mixing the players of the team with justification of stating something like ‘that’s just the way things are around here.” If Coach Boone had kept the players separate on the buses they initially chose to get on themselves, most likely due to the ways of the town, he would have been perpetuating the racism instilled in Alexandria. One of the reasons it was important for the coach to do so was because later there was a player who joined his team who hadn’t experienced segregation. The players who do not understand segregation, to be met with such circumstances can be a culture shock, as it was for the player who joined T.C Williams, coming from a well diverse California. After a successful win, this California raised student wanted to eat and celebrate with his fellow black players at an all-white establishment but was met with unforeseen, yet warned, opposition. The reality of the situation caused some friction between the players. The naturalization of segregated eateries made this an uncomfortable situation, yet it was still justified by the town. The interpretive repertoire of projection at the camp made the players feel comfortable enough to do things that the town in which they lived were just not ready for. Desegregation was just too uncomfortable, not only for the parents and the town but for many of the players peers at school as well. The projection of integration along with wins on the field presented the players with a false reality of hope, by having the players success deem them worthy of integration off the field as well. The back lash is an example of what happens throughout society when racism is tolerated in certain situations and not as a societal whole. Efforts made towards justice is set back because of opposition to change. If society mirrors the patterns of this town then it would make it okay for white people not be racist when they see fit and remain racist in every other aspect of their lives. Today’s society mirrors this town when the backlash to racism happens every time we witness white people getting away with racist acts towards minorities in situations such as shootings that occur and the lack of justice or unfair injustices that result from the same behaviors by two different races of people. Building a multiracial team is like building a multiracial society. Colorblindness can be good in the sense that the opposition to change is kept behind closed doors and does not interfere directly with any progress that occurs. It can also be bad when trying to convince people to act on the change that occurs. While people can justify their actions with excuses, the way society sees their actions when color-blind racism plays its part, change can look promising allowing racial tensions to ease.
Remember the Titans challenged racial order further by taking white players off the field that weren’t performing well and replacing them with black players. Because white privilege was natural due to segregation the story-line behind the naturalization would have a parent state that “My child isn’t on the field because of the black player,” when in fact the other player outperformed the white player. The parent didn’t care that the team would do better without that player at that moment, he was just upset that he was replaced by a person of color and thought that just because he had white privilege in the town that it transferred over to Coach Boone’s field. Coach Boone stood firm in his decision as society should stand firm in dismantling this racist systematically built structure. Due to his stance the team became undefeated, even though the parents did not agree with the coach integration, they were proud of the wins. If Coach Boone can get a racially segregated town of individuals to respect his decisions of integration, it proves that it can be done even if met with opposition.
Still there would be those who disagree. When the team returned from camp, they were overjoyed by their integration in learning about one another that the scene was unwelcomed by the parents. One parent responded with “what did they do to those boys.” That statement was a huge reflection of the times the players had to endure knowing that the community wouldn’t agree with the team’s respect for each other. Making people question racism is how we get people to talk about it. Coach Boone made this community talk about the integration. It made the students address racism head on. Today racism is being addressed to the point where White Americans “assumes that we already inhabit a society where racial equality prevails (McClure, 55).” Ironically Thornhill suggests that society believes that by not talking about racism will force it to disappear however, that is untrue long as naturalization can still occur, allowing whites to continuously justify their racist acts with mediocre excuses. Society was not ready for Coach Boone’s actions at that time, but they had to accept it. Fortunately, enough for the players they were willing to accept and embrace the change while encouraging their peers to do so. That takes more strength than being on the field. It takes courage and strength of people like Coach Boone to sacrifice their time and efforts in bringing forth change. He found a system that dismantle racial barriers and aggression and used it to better not one individual but a group of individuals.
Coach Boone challenged racial privilege. “Whites project racism onto blacks as a way of avoiding responsibility and feeling good about themselves (Bonilla-Silva, 72)”. The parent whose son got taken off the field exemplified this because his son wasn’t prepared enough to get the job done. He must have felt as if his son wasn’t good enough, so he placed the blame elsewhere. This does nothing but hurt society, especially those who have not experienced racism as much as others. Making excuses for their actions and exemplifying color-blind racism fuels its continuation. We cannot keep a veil over racism, uncovering the issues does more positive than ignoring all racial issues. If the coach had not forced the team to lift their veils and get the players to get to know one another, he would have simply perpetuated the segregation of the town. Addressing racism head on forces people to talk about it. The more we talk about it, the more we overcome it. The more we overcome it, the better the chances for the dismantling of a systematic racist society.
References:
EBS-Racial Attitudes or Racial Ideology-2003-Has Table of 4 Frames
https://saintleo.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/55236/viewContent/1660558/View
McClure, Stephanie M. Getting Real About Race: Hoodies, Mascots, Model Minorities, and Other Conversations. SAGE Publications, Inc, 2015. [MBS Direct].
Remember The Titans. Retrieved from: http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/rememberthetitans.php
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