Atheism, Race, and Social Justice
Posted by Jack Vance at 6:02 AM July 16, 2014
I read Sikivu Hutchinson's article, Atheism has a big race problem that no one's talking about, in The Washington Post when it first appeared. I then took some time to do what I have been taught to do: I shut up and listened (or read, in this case) and checked my privilege. I decided that I probably shouldn't write about the subject because I've been hit over the head repeatedly by those insisting that people like me have nothing of value to contribute to such conversations. Were I to agree with some or all of Ms. Hutchinson's article, I'd likely be accused of some sort of liberal White guilt. And if I were to disagree with some or all of her article, I'd probably be accused of racism, misogyny, and who knows what else. Best to keep my thoughts to myself.
After some personal reflection about how holding back when it comes to controversial subjects makes it all but impossible for me to use this blog the way I want to, I re-read the article. It struck me this time around that Ms. Hutchinson seemed to be calling for a response. She's says that we have a problem and that part of it is that nobody is talking about this issue. She also suggests that she'd like to see White atheists get involved in some areas in which she does not perceive us as typically involved. If people like me refuse to address her points, aren't we contributing to the very problem about which she is seeking to raise awareness? Isn't an important part of what she's saying here that our tendency to ignore the issue is part of the problem? Maybe it is okay to respond.
Atheism Is Not the Issue
I fear that some readers will have trouble getting past the title of Ms. Hutchinson's article. "Of course atheism doesn't have a race problem," they'll say, "atheism doesn't mean anything but the lack of god belief." I agree, but this is a silly reason to dismiss the entire article. Ms. Hutchinson is writing about the atheist/humanist/secular movement and their organizations. If it helps, substitute every appearance of "atheists" with "atheists engaged in activism around separation of church and state," "secular activists," "members of secular groups," or something similar. Atheism is not the issue here.
After highlighting some of the conditions Black people are disproportionally more likely to face in the U.S. (e.g., segregated neighborhoods, unemployment, over-representation of the prison population), Ms. Hutchinson notes that religious organizations are often visible in providing aid to the poor, fighting racial discrimination, and providing other resources.
http://www.atheistrev.com/2014/07/atheism-race-and-social-justice.html#ixzz37ofOAC00
