"To be white is to be racist, period".

The lecture at the Norman, Okla., high school was intended to heal the racial divides, a student said.

The discussion’s premise: White people are racist. All of them.

In a recording, the teacher shows a YouTube clip about imperialism. A man in the video uses white-out on a globe to illustrate how European influence spread across the world.

The discussion follows.

In the recording, the teacher asks: “Am I racist? And I say yeah. I don’t want to be. It’s not like I choose to be racist, but do I do things because of the way I was raised.”

“To be white is to be racist, period,” the teacher says.

The offended student told KFOR in an interview that she felt picked on because she is white. The station didn’t name the student or the teacher.

Source.

Does he has a point, GS?

it's not really a fair presentation of history. Arabs basically did the same thing in Africa that Europeans did in South America, they were just more subtle. Instead of knocking down the statues they remodeled the statues to look like themselves. All of the oldest civilizations reached out and conquered large swathes of territory, subsuming the indigenous populations into their own or annihilating them completely. I think we focus on the Europeans more because of where we live and we have a tradition of apologizing for ourselves.

They not racist, they just decendants of winners.

“Half of my family is Hispanic, so I just felt like, you know, him calling me racist just because I’m white. … I mean, where’s your proof in that,” she said. “I felt like he was encouraging people to kind of pick on people for being white.”

“You start telling someone something over and over again that’s an opinion, and they start taking it as fact,” she said

I agree with the student.

Being racist is like being gay, everyone is...it is just to what degree.

The vast majority of people are about a 2 or 3 on the racist scale (out of 10). The reason is because it is hard to distance oneself from all the rhetoric out there, all the assumptions (be they right or wrong)

^^what I'm talking about

So, to fight racism, we are to implicate and blanket generalize an entire race? Have any of these victims a sense of irony?

It was a dumb ass way to approach the topic even giving this teacher an extreme benefit of the doubt. The only way the statement comes off as simply stupid is instead of saying everyone is inherently racist, they singled out the white race, strongly implying it is a trait restricted to such which isn't true if you're going with that way of using the word racist. However, given the topic and approach, I just can't see that as the actually intended meaning as history and imperialism is irrelevant to this. What seems far more likely is a type of sins of our ancestors type argument which is downright idiotic as an argument for every white person being racist as it shows a REALLY bad understanding of history, psychology and sociology, but sadly is a very common position taken in racism discussion despite its huge flaws of reasoning.

fucking White male!!!

@DerekLoffin: I'm guessing they are going with the majority in power is racist. Whites in America, England, France, Germany, Russia, etc.

Asian in Japan, China, etc. Not sure what race middle easterns are, I think they are considered white too, but the majority over there in countries would be considered racists, etc.

Everybody racists!

Except Native Americans, they can't be racist since they have zero power, they worst losers in whole world.

I'll add that I have a problem with people throwing around racism claims so casually. In addition to it being unfair to people who are unfairly accused of being racists, I have a problem with this because it also devalues the meaning of the word "racist".

I mean, being called a racist SHOULD be one of the worst things you can accuse a person of. I mean, look at that Michael Richards rant from years back, where he's throwing around the n-bomb. Who looked worse there, Michael Richards, or the guy who Michael Richards was calling a *bleep*? Obviously Michael Richards came out looking worse, because he was acting like a racist f***.

But this notion that all white people are racists means that being racist isn't something that's worth pointing out. I mean, if people are INHERENTLY racist just for being white, then they can't help being racist. Why would I bother criticizing and shaming them for it if they can't help being racist any more than I can help being black? More importantly, why should they feel ashamed about it when they know that they're gonna be thought of as racists regardless of what they do? So I go around constantly telling white people that they're racists for being white, to the point where pointing out REAL racism ceases to have any significance since "pfft, they were just gonna say I was racist anyway."

Accusations of racism SHOULD mean something. That SHOULD be a serious f***ing accusation, but it's going to increasingly mean less the more that we start throwing it around all the time. I mean...if white people are AUTOMATICALLY racists, then accusing a white person of ACTUALLY doing something racist doesn't really mean much. That word should be reserved for special cases, otherwise it loses its power.

there was this mock-up, and I can't remember where, but it's two doors. You go through one door if you've some level of prejudice, you go through the other door if you're not prejudice at all. The trick of it is the "not prejudiced" door is locked.

@MrGeezer: They'd call it racial prejudice, it's all about how you define the word. Does the person define it as individual or on a majority institutional level.

Does he have a point? Yes, that he's an idiot. Because no other race can be racist.

I'm sure that there are those who would agree with him though and follow people like Yusra Khogali.

That's even more stupid, seeing how the word racism was also used in contexts where a good chunk of the "institutional power" (which is by itself a stupid concept by the way, whose existance only survives in the mind of people with no grasp on reality) was in the hands of blacks, such as one of the US countries where one of the latest cop-killing-a-black-dindunuffin-dude outrages happened a couple months ago whose majority of institutional figures were black, or in South Africa where white people are being chased off by blacks even though they are the minority (yes, ARE being, racism against whites is the norm there) and events like the protest in Witswatersrand happened.

Differentiating between racism and racial prejudice is doubletalk to try and distance yourself from being racist while still 100% supporting racism.

ITT

We need to learn the difference between racism, and racial bias

No doubt a proud Hillary backer to.

All white people are racist a statement that is racist the stupidity is over 9000.

Statements like that just worsen the racial divide. It fills minorities with hate and resentment. And unfairly targets anyone who has white color skin.

There is absolutely no point in painting a brush over a group of people, based just on their skin color. That in itself is encouraging racism. And does injustice to real victims of racism. As this term has been thrown around so much. And use so inappropriately like in this class. Legitimate claims could be dismissed, because of how baseless other statements of racism have been in recent years.

Teacher is stupid. Not all of any group is anything. Also there exists in other groups that same issue. Probably should lose his job. At the very least students should stop taking his class.

history is racist, yes, but that does not follow us into the present.

Also whatever, don't read into this too much; schools are centers of thought, while it's odd to hear things like this (and a little alarming), if there is one place to entertain such ideas it's at school. Most people grow out of this bullshit.

Racism isn't something set to one specific group of humans as a undenyable trait. It's a viewpoint an individual might have of other groups of people which has them seen as inferior, based on skin color, compared to the skin color which the individual has.

Infact claiming a specific group of people with a specific skin color is worse then any other "cause they are all born that way, or they just are", Is itself leaning up against the very definition of Racism. Irregardless of what skin color the person who speaks it has.

That's a wonderful way to justify racism.

Not true... fact is we are all racist.

Not true either..........speak for yourself.....which your statement does.

Muslims tried banning making snowmen at one point because it was racist as they are white. True story it was on the news. I can remember thinking. Why don't we all wait until it starts melting and gets that slushy brown colour to it then it might be ok.

Sounds stupid. Honestly things like that are just crazy.

Agreed, I'm a live and let live person. Race, politics and religion won't dictate how I treat people.

Haha...that's my philosophy.

Bro, it's practical, I can't see how some people can live any other way! lol

This generation throws around racially insensitive words with no regards to the meaning or how it labels people. No one entire race of people are blanket racists. That is not the word that should be used.

We all have prejudices and that is a better choice of words methinks. I read that article and to have a TEACHER(i.e. one who influences young minds) say something that ignorant is mind blowing to me.

I believe white privilege exists. I believe institutional racism in our society exists. That does not make an entire race of people racist.

It's not just about a simple majority ethnicity in power but a particular system which actively suppress the rights of another ethnic group or a history of that type of system. You don't really see that kinda of institutionalized racism in Asian countries with the exception of Japan which is extremely racist particularly against other Asian races like Chinese or Koreans. It can be argued that those Asian countries simply don't see enough numbers of immigrants of foreign ethnicities though.

@bmanva: Don't forget China is very racist to Japenese. And both have been accused of oppressing Blacks and Whites.

India has also be accused of racism toward Asians, Whites, and Blacks. Of course Blacks have it worst, they face racism in bout every country.

Even in there homeland of Africa they face it. In South Africa they have racism issues and in Northern Africa it's the same.

I often wonder why white countries allow these toxic ideas to spread. It's an obvious trojan horse, which will trigger when the majority status is long gone.

The whites who themselves perpetuate it are the lowliest of scum. Marxists with no sense of self-preservation. Like the whites in South Africa who thought they would be treated kindly by the new government, only to realize that they have literally no rights whatsoever.

Some Chinese people's animosity toward Japanese isn't really racism in the sense that anger is based on the history of the two countries and not something inherently based on race (i.e. the belief that Japanese are somehow inferior). Plus it's not institutionalized racism, since Chinese government and businesses have solid relationship with Japan and Japanese owned interests. Oppressing black and white in what way? If anything white people are more privileged in China than the west because they are perceived as representative of legitimacy since western companies are often industry leaders. Hence the "rent a white man" services: http://www.vice.com/read/chinas-rent-a-foreigner-industry-is-still-a-real-thing

India has a strong tradition of a caste system which for the most part is based on skin color, so any discrimination is a natural extension of that culture. Again through, white people are still privileged in India due to the colonial influence.

@bmanva: Then I guess we have zero racism in the world. Everyone has their history of conquering others. The old Chinese Dynasties use to rule over and think themselves superior to Japanese.

This is fucking stupid.

That's not what I'm saying at all. I was only pointing out the false equivalent in comparing institutionalized racism in America to common personal prejudice of other countries.

Unless you can cite an example where the "old Chinese dynasties" segregated Chinese and Japanese people in almost every facet of everyday life to privilege the Chinese and repress the rights of the Japanese, you don't really have a point.

Is it institutionalized or is that the perception? Many groups that came to the US had an uphill battle but they overcame it and with less government help. Sometimes I think it's easier for some to throw ideas around rather than stand up and do something.

Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here, being white as ****.

It's bit of both. You'd be naive to believe that America is completely free from institutionalized racism, but at the same time I agree that the perception of victimhood at least contribute (if not the primary reason) to the condition of many black people in the US. Other ethnic groups (even other black people from Africa, you know the real African Americans) have succeeded in US did so not because of equality or lack of institutionalized discrimination, they achieved success in spite of inequality. They overcame racism instead of let it be an excuse for all their failures.

So by that logic, then I'm only half racist.

Optimist or Pessimist? Do you see the glass half full....or half empty?:P

Sounds legit.

^ You are a troll.

If this is true then every asian, every hispanic, and every african american is just as racist. We're all just people, so it doesn't matter one bit to me who or what you are. If you're a good person in my company then I WILL like you and you will have my respect.

Someone needs to get her a safe space, stat!

On a serious note, thought, it's obviously ridiculous.

@loco145: That random teacher obviously speaks for the entire ethnicity.

Ummmm, black people have achieved success too in spite of inequality. I am SOOOO sick of African Americans being generalized as blaming everyone else for our problems. Again I say that institutional racism exists.

But I don't go around blaming it for my life. Personally, I think the U.S. is the best country in the world to be black. It could be MUCH worse for me considering how others of my skin tone have it in this world. Black people(at least the ones in my family and social circles) don't go around making excuses for their life.

We work hard and contribute to society like which is what all citizens should aspire to.

@sayyy-gaa: Well said, its is one of the best places.