Toni Morrison on Racism

Toni Morrison (1931-2019)  explains in a Charlie Rose interview about the psychology of racism. The desire to feel superior to another group is a behavior that has been a part of the American societal landscape. The melting pot only applied to white immigrants such as Germans, Italians, and Irish. African Americans, Asians, and Latinos were excluded from the wider American society. African Americans had a more harsh experience being kidnapped and enslaved to perform forced labor. The Native American experience was one of  genocide and cultural destruction. Toni Morrison however, states "I refuse to be a victim." Morrison delineates that racism can harm both the oppressor and the persecuted. To extent this is true,but the one with the power is only harmed in the sense that it distorts their reality. It does not result in death or discrimination. Toni Morrison then articulates that racism is a problem of white America and one that they do not acknowledge or attempt to understand. Morrison then discusses the delayed justice in the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The assault by Rodney King by police officers sparked a revolt by the African American community frustrated by constant abuse. The restraint shown by the community all those years was incredible considering the acts of violence directed at African Americans both past and present. Morrison's novels explored human faults and hatreds which became an inspiration to a generation of writers.