Where in the military do you witness racism?

2014-05-30T18:43:45-04:00

Let's face it, it's still there. It's still more prevalent dividing blacks and whites (or darker vs. lighter complexion individuals). Where do those divisions still exist? How can you put them down on paper? Is it just a cultural division, personal, or more than that?

Sensitive topic I know. But I think the more we talk about the differences, the less gap we have

Response by SSgt Gregory Guina made May 30 at 2014 7:05 PM

2014-05-30T19:05:33-04:00

I don't see racism where I am however I do see people of similar backgrounds and ethnicities choose to associate with each other. I understand why that is we all want to hang out with people that are simialr in beliefs to ours.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 2:54 PM

2015-05-10T14:54:48-04:00

Define racism.

What is racism? (I'm sure your going to get a million different answers)

Describe a time you felt discriminated? (again your going to get a wide range of answers)

My opinion is that I see prejudice in the military every single day. But is it intentional, or systematically built into us through life experiences, values, and beliefs that we have been taught? We all do things we all have some emotional reaction to our interactions with others that are so subtle that we may not even notice it. You may feel more comfortable talking to someone who is of the same race. Or someone of a certain race can make you feel uncomfortable. I know that I experience these things on a daily basis, and know that many have to fight these feeling are ingrained in us in order to interact with others. We just have to get to know people for who they are, not what they look like to get by these preconceived notions we have about others of different races.

Response by SSG Stephan Pendarvis made Aug 29 at 2016 3:04 PM

2016-08-29T15:04:30-04:00

You are right about talking more to reduce the gap...but....people have to come to the table and want to understand why they hate and dislike people for gender, color, height, (etc) reasons. We all practice this...we all do. We all discriminate in some form or fashion. There is a gap between ranks, services, countries, levels of education, you name it. I know you are speaking on black and white but that is one focus. The core of it all is fear. and that fear permeates and clouds everything it touches. Some are so hateful that separating them from it would mean them loosing a part of themselves (their ego). and that is asking too much. So yes...it is more that that. Much much deeper. It comes from these labels society and parents and the world put on us as we grow and live life. Labels create separation. These labels are illusions and while they do serve a purpose...believing the illusion creates the actual me vs them mentality. And that is to me the core of all the trouble. We are all humans and not even that. we are so much more. I think the more we talk about those perceived differences the we will see that we are in fact...the same.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Aug 29 at 2016 4:21 PM

2016-08-29T16:21:53-04:00

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member I can honestly state that the only time I ever personally witnessed overt racism/sexism in the military was when I served on a Department of the Army Promotion Board. When the Board had completed its selection and rank-ordered all files, the results had to be compared to the "Diversity Goals". In those areas where we did not meet the "goals", lower rated (although fully qualified) individuals who met the race/sex criteria deemed lacking were moved up, thereby displacing a higher ranked/fully qualified person below the cut line.

While understand the stated rationale for such an action, I totally disagree with it. I have always believed that to select someone because of their race/sex is just as wrong as not selecting someone because of their race /sex. It should not factor into the decision at all.