Gen Y and the Colorblind Lie
For millennials, race is more complicated than ever.
July 22, 2008--"Are you serious?" he asked. And though I was, I couldn't help but notice the disbelief in his blue eyes, his pale face furrowed in confusion. I searched his expression for an inkling of empathy. There was none.
"Why," he had to wonder, "can't I say the word 'nigga'?"
Before you judge, consider the confusion, the people and the times. He, the semi-down white boy and me, the weary black chick restricting language deemed suitable by the three other black folks in the room. We are both products of our generation—Generation Y.
The situation was definitely awkward. Yet, the fact that the two of us, from different cultural backgrounds, were even interacting would likely be seen as a triumph by our elders, especially those who struggled to make it happen. Casual chit-chat between a young black woman and her white male counterpart might have been the gleam in King's eye as he conceived his "I Have a Dream" speech, and it was probably the distant hope of Thurgood Marshall as he argued Brown v. Board of Education. They, and countless others, fought tirelessly to solve the problem of racial conflict. But with an issue as controversial as race, there will always be remainders.
Let's get one thing straight: Race is a socially created concept, and since its inception it has been a socially fed nuisance, to say the least. It sprang to life and run amok. Lyrics, lawsuits, lynchings, boycotts, bombings, preferential treatment, superiority complexes, inferiority complexes and inhumane acts based solely on skin tone and misconceptions.
Millennials like myself are often steeped just as deep in the troubles of race as generations before us. This isn't to say that advancements haven't been made. Civil rights, career options for minorities and intercultural dynamics have no doubt improved in America since my parents' day. But progress in regard to race is not linear—it never has been and never will be. Every generation has different ways of dealing with the rainbow-colored elephant in the room; influenced, no doubt, by previous eras, but distinct in its own right.
We Gen Y'ers, born between 1978-1997, handle race with our own brand of complexity. The nuances of Gen Y's viewpoint seem all the more relevant considering the huge impact of young voters on this year's presidential election. On the night of Barack Obama's victory speech in St. Paul, I sat in my living room with my eyes fixed on the TV set, contemplating the mind-boggling prospect of a black president in my lifetime. Minutes before the presumptive Democratic nominee stepped on stage, CNN commentators began speculating on the reasons for Obama's success. Famed news anchor Tom Brokaw chimed in with his perspective, explaining that today's youth, unlike their parents' generation, are simply not bothered by race; that, by and large, youngsters are "colorblind." He echoed these remarks the next morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe, mentioning encounters he had with parents—across party lines—who told him that their children "don't see skin color."
"Are you serious?" Now it was my turn to ask.
Somebody needs to get the facts straight. I'm sorry to break it to Mr. Brokaw and to all others above my age bracket, but my peers and I are by no means colorblind.
What may be fueling this concept of the raceless Millennials is the extent to which we're intermixing. There are more interracial couples, more biracial children and an expansion of the definitions of ethnicity, but all of that has done little to help us understand each other better. Los Angeles Times writer Rosa Brooks discussed the impact of race on my generation in her January 2008 piece, "Sex, Race and Gen Y Voters." Brooks explains:
"[Younger] Americans just don't think about race in the same simplistic ways [as Americans over 40]. They're more likely than older Americans to be minorities themselves, for one thing. In 2006, only 19.8 percent of Americans over 60 were minorities, compared with about 40 percent of Americans under the age of 40. And younger minorities come from a far wider range of racial and ethnic backgrounds than their older counterparts."
So, we're mixing more than ever. That's for sure. But diversity doesn't necessarily equate to cultural understanding. Gen Y'ers often deal with race in an overt, in-your-face manner through jokes, stereotypical references and cultural tourism. David Tarrant hit these complications dead-on in his January 2006 article for the Dallas Morning News, "Should Race Still Matter to Gen Y?" After interviewing several students at a local high school, Tarrant learned that young people often assert pop culture consumption of race to be indicative of their open-mindedness.
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Gen Y and the Colorblind Lie
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View All Comments »unholydove at 11/09/2008 11:19:42 PM
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I am a white female Gen Yer and certainly see the complexities that remain between black and whites, even amonst those of my same age group. There is still a discomfort in discussing the topic of race openly, though there are more opportunities for this to occur than ever before.
Reading the comments, I can see a lot of the discussion has begun revolving around the n***a/n****r controversey. White folks tend to ask why they are exempt and black folks tend to get angry that it's not immediately understood by the other. For some reason, this particular volatile word is hard to even discuss as too many emotions and misunderstandings are wrapped up in it.
I think the one thing that may be missing from much of the discussion is the acknowledgement that language evolves. There is no white person here that doesn't know where the word n****r comes from. For any open-minded white person, the way it was used predominantly in the past was, of course, horrific. There is no argument there. What has happened though, is that the word has since evolved and - outside of belligerent racists using it - has changed in meaning. Black folks began using it amonst themselves, using it in a (usually) more light-hearted way. This helped to take "ownership" but it never did change the effect when it came from a white person's mouth, did it? As time moved on, the expressions, "What up, n*g?" or "How is my n***a?" began to filter into the mainstream by way of hip-hop and a greater exposure to African-American culture in general.
Now, this generation's primary exposure to the words n***a or n****r is positive. Today, those words have different connotations than it did several decades ago. No wonder white people can't quite wrap their minds around the fact that they aren't allowed to use what is now a term of endearment, period. It seems pretty racist in that sense, doesn't it? I think white people don't necessarily *want* to use it but they feel put off by having their language restricted. It makes them defensive.
Yes, intent and context matter significantly. "N****r" is still used in some places in the same ugly and oppressive way that it was used generations ago. Of course, that is wrong. Of course, that deserves an outcry from any sensible person. But now there is also another meaning and another possibililty for its use. The problem now is how do we fit that in to our modern lives?
This got long but my point is that language is fluid and ever-evolving. If the white kid wants to be "semi-down" and throw out "What up, n***a?" in an expression of hip affection, why the outrage? I've now seen younger white people use it towards each other. It's simply become a mainstream "cool" word to use. But no one has forgotten about slavery. These "down" white kids aren't calling anyone a n****r. They aren't trying to insult anyone.
Cheska at 11/09/2008 6:10:26 PM
Comment:
This is a great article. I have so many feelings and questions about all this. I'm a white woman in my 50s. First off, I did reference part of Dr. Kings speech to my black woman friend in regard to the part that speaks to judging a man, "not by the color of his skin, but the content of his character." I see in Obama a man whose actions speak to his character. Many people probably voted for him because it's time to have a black man in the white house. But, more than that we need a mentor, a leader, a person who sets an example in his behavior as a human being. Obama is not perfect, but he speaks to us common folk like no-one has in quite some time. He's a smart man, and he's not a puppet. I am so happy because I'm not embarrassed to be an American now. It's about time we walked the talk.
Obama made no room for any funny business among his counterparts, in how he ran his campaign. That's how he will run his presidency, with foresight. He's an example for me already.
Honestly? I think that Black people should stop using the N word, between themselves. I'm not saying that they should stop remembering what the pain and struggle has been, the ownership, etc. But, doesn' the use of the N word between blacks recognize the common identity as being oppressed? And for a lot of the youth now isn't it a way to be stylin' as well? Thanks. RobinT.
MyThoughts at 11/05/2008 4:01:01 PM
Comment:
A great article and a really insightful look into WHY we need to have these conversations. While the goal to raise "colorblind" children seems to be a lofty one, it cheats the child out of the chance to celebrate differences.. and to understand the unique experiences of others.
Now, as a white woman, the use of the N word by blacks baffled me. But then I spoke to a friend of mine who explained it's "ownership" reasons for her. For generations, this word was used to hurt. But using it as an everyday, common title, it loses the power to hurt. I would never use that word... and I am not sure I understand it still.. but then, I am not black. :-)