Brown vs. Board of Education / Tim Wise

I think that people who say racism no longer exists in American are confusing “racism” with “segregation.” Although segregation of blacks and whites in American has ceased due to several momentous events, racism is still very much present, as Tim Wise explains in his interview regarding his book Between Barack and a Hard Place.

Wise details racism by dividing it into two categories: Racism 1.0 and Racism 2.0. The former is the type of racism most easily recognizable by individuals, where there are absolutely no exceptions and all people of color fit into one category with a set of negative stereotypes, and should be treated as such. The latter is more modern and leads to the belief that racism is no longer an issue in America. Under 2.0, certain people of color, like Obama, are viewed as exceptions to the rule, rendering the false appearance that people of color are treated equally. However, this is extremely selective equality.

The relationship between Brown vs. Board of Education is (along with other events pertaining to the advancement of people of color) according to Wise is that while these events were and are important accomplishments, they by no means represent an end to the fight against racism; they are individual battles that have been won but the fight still remains.