Does Racism Still Exist in America?

That's a question the youth pastor at my church asked our class. He's African-American and he's been at our church for less than 2 years. He comes from Mississippi and he asked for a show of hands if anyone thought racism in America is not a serious problem. No one raised their hands. Not me.

I'm an adoptive dad of four children and a guardian to two boys (young men in their late teens). My kids are African-American (3 of them), Caucasian (2 of them) and Hispanic.

Here's a summary of a poll from CNN last December.
"Asked if they know someone they consider racist, 43 percent of whites and 48 percent of blacks said yes.

But just 13 percent of whites and 12 percent of blacks consider themselves racially biased.

The poll was based on phone interviews conducted December 5 through Thursday with 1,207 Americans, including 328 blacks and 703 non-Hispanic whites."



If racism is a problem in America then it needs to be answered on more than one level. How is it a problem? Does it prevent non-white citizens from obtaining their potential in the workforce, or from obtaining the education they deserve in a university setting?

I don't see, nor did I hear him present, any evidence that shows how racism is a problem in the above questions. In fact, my Hispanic son was awarded a substantial scholarship for college that's called a Multiethnic Leadership award. How many Caucasians have been awarded that?

It's not to say racism or racist attitudes don't exist - they do and I believe they do on an individual level.

My one African-American god-son works at Home Depot where he generates leads for roofing and windows sales. He makes $10 an hour part-time and we have shown him how he can begin building wealth if he starts budgeting properly.

Will he be held back by his race? I think he's in danger of failing more because of his attitude: he recently went to Tijuana, Mexico with friends and blew a lot of money on food, motels and getting busted by the police across the border. He owns several pairs of expensive shoes and one of the latest cell phones.

His race doesn't stand in the way.

But do you know where I think race is more likely to be a problem? That's in the Church. More on that later. If you think racism is a problem in America, do you think it's a problem at an institutional level or individual level?