A Conversation About Race – A Film by Craig Bodeker
Posted on October 13, 2008
-By Warner Todd Huston
First time filmmaker Craig Bodeker has created an interesting and important new film, A Conversation About Race, filled with forceful questions and intriguing proof that there has been no conversation about race in America. In fact, he believes that racism has become a tool to attack white Americans.
In his opening monologue, Bodeker says that he can’t think of an issue that is more important or timely than racism. He also says he “can’t think of another issue that is more artificial, manufactured and manipulated than this whole construct called racism.”
Pretty strong words to start a film with, certainly. Also the sort of words that would get someone branded a racist just trying to excuse his own hatred were he a white person (which Bodeker is). But is Craig Bodeker a racist? For his part, he basically says that we all are… yet we aren’t. He feels this way because he believes the whole concept is ill defined and used to warp the actual, entirely human relations between Americans. But the biggest problem is that no one even seems to know what it is
Of course, the “largest racial group in America,” whites of European origin, is the target of this “tool of intimidation” against whites as Bodeker sees it. Racism is used as a “hammer” to beat up whites.
Bodeker begins by interviewing common folks on the street asking them if they see racism. All included in the film say that they see it “every single day” in their daily lives. Blacks, whites, other ethnicities, all seem to see this racism “in every city” in America, as one fellow says.
Next Bodeker asks his interviewees to define racism. Yet, few seem to be able to articulate a definition, despite that they claim to see it everywhere.
Bodeker finds this a disconnect. Everyone sees it, yet no one seems to know what racism is. In fact, he finds that the word “racism” has become so elastic that it no longer has any meaning. The on-line source Wikipedia, for instance, defines racism this way:
Racism: The term usually denotes race-based prejudice, violence, discrimination, or oppression. The term can also have varying and hotly contested definitions.
As Bodeker says, there was a time when “definitions were by definition, definite.” Yet we can no longer seem to define racism with out using disqualifying words like “usually” as Wikipedia did above. Is it racism as defined or only “usually” racism?
As an example of the disconnect that Bodeker sees with racism in America, he asks various people of various backgrounds if blacks are naturally better at basketball. All but one said yes. When he asked if whites can be better at anything by definition of being white, the answer was universally no.
Bodeker wonders why it is racist to say that whites can be better at, say, Human Relations in a corporation, than are blacks, but it isn’t racist to say blacks are better at basketball than whites. It would seem that both positions are racist positions, yet only the anti-white position is approved of.
It all fits in with Bodeker’s theory that racism is no longer a concept that keeps blacks or other minorities down, but one that is used to attack whites instead.
His logic is awfully hard to deny.
After all, the original definition of racism is that it is a concept based on the assumption that one race is better, superior, or intrinsically worth more than another. Yet, at every turn Bodeker cannot find any one that says that whites are better than blacks at anything — and it is assumed an evil thing to say — yet people have no problem saying that blacks are better at basketball or Asians are better at their schooling.
Bodeker does a fine job in A Conversation About Race exposing the confused assumptions, and disconnects that America has over racism. He shows that the conversation about race that Senator Barack Obama was so famous for fostering has not happened at all in this country.
This is certainly a conversation that America needs to have, but has yet to engage in and Bodeker’s film is a good first step.
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, Bigotry, Education, Elections, Multiculturalism/PC, News, Obama/Biden, Propaganda, Psychology, Racism
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2 Responses to “A Conversation About Race – A Film by Craig Bodeker”
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this is ridiculous. because people are not OPENLY willing to say that whites are better at things is not proof of this outrageous theory. whites think they are better AT EVERYTHING with the possible exception of basketball.listen to conversations around the dinner table, without a reporter or a camera, and there will be your answer. in fact, i have overheard racist comments at my place of work (things uttered BEFORE the offender knew i was within earshot) and i was once told outright that if the person hadn’t known me beforehand, she would have held prejudicial views against me. i have seen racism when i was looking to purchase a home,and i have seen it in the town in which i finally purchased my home. the reaction to obama at some of mccain’s rallies are further proof. racism is bad enough. people who deny it are just despicable.
Hi Tina
have you seen the film? I just watched it from beginning to end and from what I can find on Mr Bodeker he does not belong to any white supremacy groups.
saying that the whole white race is racist is racist in comment, and thinking that white people think they are better at everything is kind of hilarious in itself.
many of the interviewed folks were African American. and you can see their answers right there. there is one white lady she is young probably college age and definitely confused. all her answers were confusing and double talk that has been fed her her whole life.
calling this film trash is like saying the world religious books are the cartoon page in the news paper.
Folks are getting mad and it is getting worse everyday, on both sides, how is a non African American supposed to feel when they broadcast the hater jerimia wright on the tv
does the country understand that over half of the young men in this country have been in combat for this land nowfor eight years.
(I only count the military young men because everyone else black white Asian Hispanic who hasn’t served yet mean nothing to me our wars are exactly that ours. but I cannot think of better ways to gauge people then by thier willingness to serve their country.
yes there is a double standard, yes folks are scared to talk about it also but it is on both sides, we have the idiot KKK you have the new black panthers do you really want to be associated with them as your voice? I know I don’t want some trailer trash beer guzzler represeant me in anything, look at these fring groups and you will see maybe one or two educated (sort of) idiots and the rest are unemployed scum.
I have served with everybody under the sun in the military and to tell you the truth if they were in uniform I didn’t care what they were only if they did their job.
Now am I a racist lets see
I see a ruffian of some sort either homless or just doesn’t look right to me dressed like a thug yep I get myself ready. in the film there is a Black man with dredlocks and missing teeth and to me he is the spitting image of a crack head, dont know the guy never talked to him but if I saw him on the street yeah I’de get ready for a fight. but on the same knote there is a man who is black interviewed on the street who is dressed nicely and very well articulate heck I’de walk right by him and not worry at all.
I have a son , when he was growing up he came to me with a request he wanted a mohawk haircut, knowing this was a good chance to let him grow I imediately took him to the barber shop and let him go wild.
a week latter we went to New Orleans Bourbon street to walk around and see the sights, everybody was staring at him and folks crossed the street to get away from him. even black people. he finally couldn’t take it anymore and asked why this was happening which answers the age old problem , blend in or become the danger your choice.
if I owned a store and the first black man with the dread locks asked for a job I would say no . why? dreads are scary to the average person and I wont hire a scary person to work in my store. but if the second man asked for employment the well groomed man, I woul hire him. why ? he fits in