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Racist ideologies are still very much a part of our world. The examples percist in the language and even corporate logos or designs. People have been entrenched in racist speech and imagery. Now, the logos and thoughts still persist. They are so strong in many that even when faced with the hypocrisy many cannot see past their bias.
Unfortunately, this goes all the way up to our political leaders. Politicians and their constituents sometimes exude hateful rhetoric. They do this by omission, political ideologies/votes, or even direct by the things they say. Corporate entities promoted racism over the years with racist logos, slogans, or even discriminatory hiring policies. Governments have used deceptive or other methods of shrinking tribal lands and tribal rights. Over time, this has made many disrespectful ideologies and practices commonplace.
Today, in the wake of the current social rights climate and the most recent landmark supreme court decision, is an ideal time to re-acquire rights, tribal liberties, and respect. The imposition of the states on tribal land has been given a new precedent following the McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court decision. Newtrals provides further unbiased, source-based journalism on supreme court decisions like McGirt v. Oklahoma. The decision ruled that the lands in Oklahoma originally given to the Creek are still their lands. This flies in the face of the intentions of Oklahoma and has possible implications in the dealings of other state and tribal authority. Following this victory, injustices of social persecution may now be met with more understanding and vigor in the public forum.
When Faced With Hypocrisy
Social activism is now the most visible way for many issues to be brought to light. The instant access to information across the nation via the internet and social media has completely changed the game. Now people are held to a slightly higher level of accountability by their peers, especially when they are being filmed. Even those who are undeterred by the possibility of their actions sparking outrage may be held accountable by their employers or community. It is clear that racism is becoming unpopular in most of the nation and the majority of people wish to be on the correct side of history.
Even still, racist logos and figures still persist. Maybe the most poignant example of this is the Washington Redsk!ns. The etymology of the name and the imagery of the logo is ridiculously offensive. Despite many petitions and movements over the years the name has stood as a symbol of hate for decades. Today, some sponsors are calling for the name to be changed after years of silence. Clearly, due to the civil unrest following the most recent civil rights movements these companies are worried about remaining profitable and in good civil standing. While this may alleviate the specific issue, the broader picture still needs to be addressed. The ability for teams or corporations to promote racist imagery or rhetoric should be illegal and a thing of the past.
Social Activism Ignites Social Change
Unfortunately, there will never be a formal ruling until the people are shown to be in overabundant favor of outlawing racist imagery. And social activists have taken to the cause. Most recently in the news, Federick Joseph took to the streets of New York City in a shirt depicting the racially charged subject matter of the Washington Redskins logo. The shirt was simply a white male drawn in a style similar to the original logo with the title “Caucasians.” The shirt is identical to a team shirt except for the logo alterations. Unsurprisingly, the responses received were unfavorable.
He later posted about the events of the day and the different responses of passersby. Some people were enraged and questioned Frederick why someone would wear such a racist shirt. He explained that this was a statement on the rhetoric of the original logo and asked if the original shirt would cause them a similar reaction. The overall response was said to be something to the effect of, “No, that isn’t offensive because that is the logo.” Online, this has received endless praise and majority of people that are familiar with the posts have been supportive. Of course there is always hate and negative people, but they are the minority. People are supportive of change and many appreciate the hypocrisy. Yet, the persistence of these logos and imagery supports a racist ideology that many people never question. They may notice the racist nature of logos when they are reversed, yet the standing racism across our nation is unnoticed.