The lasting effects of racism were discussed at length today in Prince Albert.
Author and public speaker Tim Wise spoke to a crowd of about 50 business leaders, civic officials and other members of the community at the Northern Lights Casino.
Originally from Nashville, Wise tours North America deconstructing myths and stereotypes about other people.
As a white male he says he is a member of the dominant society, a group he says has often marginalized others over time — including Indigenous people.
He says while things are slowly getting better in certain areas, a lot of discrimination still exists and people very often have trouble recognizing their own prejudices.
Wise believes the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a good step towards countering this.
He notes both Germany, at the end of World War II, and South Africa, at the end of Apartheid, launched similar commissions aimed at finding the truth.
Wise says it took North America longer to start that process, but he feels it’s an important step because societies that tolerate injustice tend to be less healthy than ones that don’t — and the people at the top of the food chain become increasingly anxious to stay on top.
When things are more evenly distributed, Wise says anxieties lessen and people stop looking over their shoulder.
One thing Wise would like to hear less of is the term “underprivileged”.
He says societies tend to use terms like that when they want to escape responsibility for another person’s situation.
He also finds that same society is less willing to embrace the term “overprivileged” even though it must exist by definition.
Wise also thinks the Canadian government is playing into stereotypes by looking overseas for immigrant workers when so much of the local Indigenous population is unemployed:
“Yeah, I just think that governments do that because they are so caught up in the long-standing sterotypes about who are the most capable workers, who are going to be the best workers. Those stereotypes about Aboriginal people, First Nations people, and (in) my country, not only Indigenous peoples, but African-descended folks and Latino folks are so widespread that a lot of times those governments and private companies as well will recruit workers from other places where they believe, because of their stereotypes, those people will be better workers. So we really have to challenge that mentality — not only for ethical reasons, but for practical reasons.”
Wise also weighed in on the recent shooting of an African-American teenager in Florida.
Seventeen-year-old Treyvon Marvin was returning from a store when he was shot and killed by a 28-year-old man.
The shooting has ignited racial tensions in the U.S. with many saying the teen was gunned down simply because he was black and wearing a hoodie.
Wise says it’s very easy for people to focus on the shooter, George Zimmerman, and his alleged biases — but he thinks that would be a mistake.
He believes most Americans have internalized a fear of black men as a result of negative images and stereotypical media characterizations.
He says the accused has to be held responsible for his actions, but society also has to be responsible for its biases.
Wise wraps up his Prince Albert tour with a speaking engagement later today at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts.