美国国家公共电台 NPR How Northam, Neeson Can Represent 'Racism Without Racists'

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Virginia's governor, Ralph Northam, tried to get back to business as usual yesterday, meeting with state lawmakers about his agenda. Still looming¹, though - the controversy² about that photo in his medical yearbook of a man in blackface, another in a white KKK hood³. Recently, the actor Liam Neeson also got embroiled⁴ in a racial controversy. He confessed that he once went looking to kill an innocent black man after a friend was raped⁵.

Both men expressed regret. Both denied they were racists. But can there be racism⁷ without racists? NPR's Lynn Neary explores that question. We should note her report includes language that may offend some listeners.

LYNN NEARY, BYLINE⁸: When Liam Neeson blurted⁹ out the story of his racist⁶ vendetta¹⁰ after a close friend was raped 40 years ago, Peniel Joseph was shocked not so much by what Neeson confessed as by his brutal¹¹ honesty.

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LIAM NEESON: And I did it for maybe a week, hoping some black bastard¹² would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know, so that I could kill him.

NEARY: Such candor¹³ is rare and welcome when it comes to race, says Joseph, a professor of history at the University of Texas in Austin. He thought something good might come out of Neeson's painful revelation, but then the actor went on "Good Morning America" and declared...

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NEESON: I'm not racist. I - this was nearly 40 years ago.

NEARY: Hearing that, says Peniel, was frustrating¹⁵ but not surprising. Neeson wanted to be forgiven and move on without really understanding the painful effect of both his past actions and his shocking confession¹⁶. It seemed aimed at shutting down any further discussion - an impulse, says Peniel, that is shared by others in his position.

PENIEL JOSEPH: White people who get caught are quick to either claim a kind of racial ignorance - that I didn't know that this was bad, a racial innocence¹⁷ that I'm a good person, or just, you know, I'm the victim right now.

NEARY: That kind of flat-out denial, says Peniel, results in the strange phenomenon of racism without racists.

JOSEPH: We live in a world of anti-black racism but really no individuals who want to say, yes, proudly, I am a racist, or I have these terrible feelings towards black people.

NEARY: Neeson's vengeful hunt for an innocent black person to kill, says Stony¹⁸ Brook¹⁹ University professor Crystal Fleming, is racism of the highest order.

CRYSTAL FLEMING: For me, I think immediately of the logic²⁰ of lynch mobs - right? - how so many innocent black men in particular were murdered because white mobs were just out looking for someone to kill.

NEARY: Fleming says Neeson couldn't see the connection between lynch mobs and his own violent racial impulse, so he couldn't understand how his story might affect black people. Fleming, who is also the author of "How To Be Less Stupid About Race," says since the civil rights movement, most whites have learned to keep their racist thoughts to themselves even as systematic²¹ racism has continued.

FLEMING: It became increasingly problematic to admit to one's racist views in public. And in the contexts that we've been living in for the last few decades, we have the persistence²² of gross inequalities, the persistence of institutionalized racism. And yet, you look around, very few people admit to having a role in perpetuating²³ racism or benefiting from it.

NEARY: The belief that racism ended a long time ago is very common among white people, says Fleming. And they view racism simply in terms of their personal dealings. Governor Northam is a good example. Here, he describes his behavior as a practicing doctor.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

RALPH NORTHAM: And I can tell you, I treat everyone the same way. Nobody has ever thought or accused me of being racist. And if and when I practice again, I will continue that same direction.

NEARY: When Christopher Emdin met Northam at a conference for educators, he was impressed by the governor's views on race. He thought of Northam as one of the good guys. Then his yearbook photo came out. Emdin, a professor at Columbia's Teachers College, felt betrayed.

CHRISTOPHER EMDIN: You know, you really feel like you have an ally, and when you realize that you don't, there's a bit of feeling of being duped.

NEARY: Emdin says a lot of white people talk a good game, but he believes blacks and whites have a very different idea about what it means to be racist.

EMDIN: There are a lot of white folks who think, well, you know, I understand social justice. You know, I can say Black Lives Matter. And because of that, I'm absolved²⁴ of any past racist practices, or I can confess or profess¹⁴ to be not racist.

ROBIN²⁵ DIANGELO: I mean, what qualifies as racism in the average white person's mind? It would appear that nothing does.

NEARY: Robin DiAngelo is the author of "White Fragility." She says most white people think a racist has to be an overtly²⁶ bad person like a Ku Klux Klansman. And even members of the KKK deny they are racist. Racism, she says, can be more subtle than that.

DIANGELO: More and more, I think about being white as never having to bear witness to the pain of racism on people of color and rarely ever being held accountable for the pain that I've caused people of color.

NEARY: Some people think all we need to solve our racial problems is more open conversation, says Crystal Fleming, when what we really need is more action.

FLEMING: The question is, what are you actually doing to fight racism? Because if you're not actively²⁷ challenging it, you're reproducing the racial status quo.

NEARY: Racism is learned, says Fleming. And it's time to teach everyone about the history of racism and its hard aftermath. Then, perhaps, an informed conversation can begin.

Lynn Neary, NPR News, Washington.

(SOUNDBITE OF ODDISEE'S "AFTER THOUGHTS")

1 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

4 embroiled   

adj.卷入的；纠缠不清的

参考例句：

• He became embroiled in a dispute with his neighbours. 他与邻居们发生了争执。
• John and Peter were quarrelling, but Mary refused to get embroiled. 约翰和彼得在争吵，但玛丽不愿卷入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

6 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

7 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

8 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

9 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 vendetta   

n.世仇，宿怨

参考例句：

• For years he pursued a vendetta against the Morris family.多年来他一直在寻求向莫里斯家族报世仇。
• She conducted a personal vendetta against me.她对我有宿仇。

11 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

12 bastard   

n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子

参考例句：

• He was never concerned about being born a bastard.他从不介意自己是私生子。
• There was supposed to be no way to get at the bastard.据说没有办法买通那个混蛋。

13 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

14 profess   

v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰

参考例句：

• I profess that I was surprised at the news.我承认这消息使我惊讶。
• What religion does he profess?他信仰哪种宗教？

15 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

17 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

18 stony   

adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的

参考例句：

• The ground is too dry and stony.这块地太干，而且布满了石头。
• He listened to her story with a stony expression.他带着冷漠的表情听她讲经历。

19 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

20 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

21 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

22 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

23 perpetuating   

perpetuate的现在进行式

参考例句：

• Revenge leads to a self-perpetuating cycle of violence. 怨怨相报会导致永不休止的暴力。
• It'set out to eradicate heresy, and ended by perpetuating it. 它的目的只是要根除异端邪说，结果却巩固了异端邪说。 来自英汉文学

24 absolved   

宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责）

参考例句：

• The court absolved him of all responsibility for the accident. 法院宣告他对该事故不负任何责任。
• The court absolved him of guilt in her death. 法庭赦免了他在她的死亡中所犯的罪。

25 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

26 overtly   

ad.公开地

参考例句：

• There were some overtly erotic scenes in the film. 影片中有一些公开色情场面。
• Nietzsche rejected God's law and wrote some overtly blasphemous things. 尼采拒绝上帝的律法，并且写了一些渎神的作品。

27 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。