The murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas is a wake up call for all who believe that America is a color blind society. Byrd, an African American, was brutally killed by three whites. The murder was racially motivated, which proves that white racism still exists in America.
White racism is synonymous with white supremacy. Such racism is not just individualistic, it is systemic. White supremacy describes the power differential between whites and people of color. Whites control the majority of wealth and resources in America and enjoy distinct privileges by virtue of their race. In the words of one white educator, "As we grow up, Whites become aware that we tend to have more than people of color, and we learn to accept and justify our own position" (Sleeter 6). The justification for white racism is based on presumed shortcomings of minorities, e.g, the culture of poverty. Therefore, even the most liberal-minded white person is capable of holding racist beliefs.
The white men accused of murdering James Byrd could hardly be termed liberals. The accused--Shawn Berry, James (Bill) King, and Lawrence Brewer--had all spent time in prison. In 1995, King was involved in a racial dispute between white and Hispanic prisoners, and recently intimated that he is affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacist organization (Chua-Eoan 34). Both King and Berry have white supremacist tattoos on their bodies. Berry claims that while the beating of Byrd was taking place, King made reference to "The Turner Diaries," an infamous white supremacist publication. A chief clue that led police to the identity of the alleged assailants was a cigarette lighter engraved with a Ku Klux Klan insignia. Berry, King, and Brewer are described by authorities as petty criminals, the type of rural whites who tend to look for scapegoats to explain their own failings.
The white supremacy movement is fueled by the belief that people of c...