Millennial Change? The Leopard Does Not Change His Spots!

There are those us in the African American community (far too many in my view) who sincerely believe that young white folk will see the light and discard the old ways of their racist forebears and join us in the battle for economic, political and social equality. The theory goes that the old racist white folks are dying off and along with them their old world racist views. Sadly, this illogical pattern of thinking is not new. The problem with it is neither scientific nor historically accurate. Down through history there have always been those who thought that our erstwhile captors would someday be our saviours. I, on the other hand, subscribe to the view held by Malcolm X and others that the leopard does not change his spots - no matter how much we hope and pray that he will.

I have been saying for a long time that those of us who believe that things will change because the old generation of racist white folk will die off and the younger generation who voted for Obama will see the world differently and help change America’s racist ways are not only mistaken but are in for a rude awakening. Well hate to say it but … I told you so.

A couple of professors at the University of Chicago have published a survey entitled: The “Woke” Generation? Millennial Attitudes on Race in the US that is instructive. What follows are verbatim excerpts from the survey. My comments are indicated by [ ].

“Our data reveal wide gulfs between white Millennials and their peers of color on issues of race and racism.”

Key Findings

• The Racism Problem. Millennials of all racial backgrounds list racism as one of the three most important problems in America. [Actually African Americans are the only group that cited racism as the most important problem. Wonder why? Whites thought the most important problem was health care. Hmm.]

• President Trump a Racist. Majorities of Millennials of color believe the president is a racist, but white Millennials are split on the issue. [That is whites cannot see the forest for the trees. What more does it take for them to recognize that Donald Trump is a racist? Maybe calling neo Nazis good people? Oh that’s right he did that already.]

• President of Rich and White. We find widespread agreement among Millennials across race and ethnicity that Donald Trump is most sympathetic to rich people and white people. [Rich people and white people. What is the difference? Since most rich people are white and white people are white aren’t they really saying that Donald Trump is most sympathetic to white people?]

• Racial Order. Millennials believe African Americans experience the most racial discrimination in American society but also have the second-most political power behind whites. Whites are cited as having the most economic and political power overall. [This is really interesting – laughable is a better word. Look at it this way. If the first person to cross the finish line in the New York marathon crosses the finish line at at 12:00 noon and the second runner comes in two days later clearly he is second but is it really fair to say that he is even in the race?]

• Racial Coalitions. Overwhelming majorities of Millennials across racial groups believe people of color face common challenges and could be political allies. While 84% of whites believe that whites and people of color could be political allies, barely a majority of Latinxs and less than a majority of African Americans and Asian Americans agree with the possibility of political alliances between whites and people of color. [Here white folk believe they could be political allies with people of color but most African Americans do not. Might that have something to do with the historical record. Alliances with white people have been few and far between. But the most important reason why such alliance do not last and accomplish little is because white folks aren’t black. They cannot comprehend what it is like to be black in America – historically and presently. The proof is that there are few if any white people who would change places with a black person – even a rich one.]

• Discrimination against Whites a big problem. Nearly half (48%) of white Millennials believe that discrimination against whites has become as big a problem as discrimination against Blacks and other minorities, while only about a quarter of African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinxs share this view. [That’s what it says: nearly half of white Millennials believe that they have a big problem with being discriminated against. When you figure that one out let me know.]

• Black Lives Matter. A majority of African Americans (56%) and plurality of Asian Americans (43%) have a favorable opinion of Black Lives Matter, but only 27% of Latinxs and 19% of whites share this view. [Just remember that there are both white and black Latinxs.]

• Confederate Symbols. A majority of Millennials of color believe the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism and support removing Confederate statues and symbols from public places. In contrast, a majority of whites (55%) see the Confederate flag as a symbol of Southern pride and oppose removing Confederate statues and symbols (62%). [Here’s the real touchstone in all of this. They believe that the confederate and statues are a symbols of southern pride. Lets let that sink in. Southern pride. The majority of white millennials believe that the Confederate flag and Confederate statues are symbols of pride. So that can only mean that they are proud of their slave holding history and heritage. Proud that they held human beings in bondage for centuries under the most brutal inhuman conditions known to man. That you are proud of the terrorism perpetrated against African Americans under the guise of a flag that was waved only in states that lived and prospered on the backs of men, women and child slaves whose desire to be free kindled in their captors the rabid desire to kill their own in order to maintain others in slavery to the tune of more than 600,000 dead. Do you really mean that you are proud of the history of the south? Do you really mean that you can be proud of the statues of Confederate generals who would today be called what they were then mass murders and race mongering degenerates who proclaimed gentility, civility and etiquette to the world while depravity and unspeakable horrors reigned on their sumptuous estates built and maintained by slaves. The southern pride is no more than pride in kidnap, murder, rape, torture, slavery, and rank exploitation. Is that what you are proud of?]

• Racial Progress. Millennials of color cite organizing in communities as the most effective way to create racial change. White millennials cite community service and volunteering as the most effective strategy. No group of Millennials cite voting in federal elections as a top strategy for creating racial progress. [Not even white millennials think that voting is strategy for accomplishing racial progress. Wonder why?]

What this survey shows is that white millennials have a vested interest in white supremacy. White privilege is the result of the political, economic and cultural ideology that is white supremacy. The belief that there is hope for us in white support sufficient to enable African Americans to attain power proportionality in America is ill-conceived and dangerous. The leopard does not change his spots!

_______________________________________________________

Johnnie Cordero holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence. He is the author of Total Black Empowerment: A Guide to Critical Thinking in the Age of Trump. His new book Theodicy and The Power of the African Will is now available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other on line book sellers.