We do not live in a "post-racial" society. We have only to look at the nation's headlines and the senseless crime committed in Charleston, South Carolina to know this is true. This was not a strike against religion. It was not the act of a "deranged" individual. A 21-year-old man decided his troubles in this world could be blamed squarely on a group of people whose skin is a darker color than his. He killed nine people, deliberately leaving a witness so his message of hatred wouldn't be misconstrued.
The killer didn't commit to racism in a vacuum, but rather in a world, both real and virtual, where racism is accepted and fostered. His uncle claimed the perpetrator spent hours alone in his room and now we know his activities included studying white supremacist sites and participating on their message boards. These websites were not buried deep in the Internet, difficult to find, with only a few loyal followers. This June, the immensely popular website Reddit finally banned a subgroup called "r/sh--n----rssay." The members promptly moved to another popular social site.
Race is a social construct designed to privilege one group of people above others and justify domination and enslavement. The results of racism -- ongoing systematic and institutionalized discrimination -- have disenfranchised huge segments of our population. Entrenched in our society, the system self perpetuates. Generation after generation is left in poverty, with reduced access to educational opportunities, and imprisoned at a higher rate than any other group, in part due to the widespread injustice of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
It is clear racism permeates our lives. If you are white, you don't have to worry about being harassed walking down a street because of the color of your skin. If you are white, an "ethnic-sounding name" won't keep you from getting a job. If you are white, when you turn on the TV or go to the movies, you see a lot of people who look like you represented onscreen.
No one is denying people of all colors face challenges. But if you are white, you are far less likely to find those challenges end in poor health, poverty, or death by violence.
In the mid-1800s, the YWCA was one of the first institutions to defy societal positions on race, and it continues to be part of our mission. We ask members of our community to help us put an end to racism in all its forms, and transform this country into a place in which everyone can walk down a street without worrying about their safety because of their skin color. A country in which everyone has equal opportunities in jobs and education, and in which everyone is valued and celebrated.
What can you do? Take the pledge to Stand Against Racism at www.standagainstracism.org, which outlines several ways an individual can help end racism. Refute the idea that racism doesn't exist, because as long as we ignore it, it will continue to fester and damage our communities.
Valarie Clark is director of programs at YWCA Alaska.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com