SiriusXM’s Urban View gives White America the chance to express their views on race relations and the Black community (Photo Credit: Ilya Savenok for SiriusXM).
The Other Side of the Race Debate
Everyday in America seems like another reminder that Americans do not live in a post racial society.
From the murders of the Charleston Nine, to the burning of Black churches throughout the South to Thursday’s decision in South Carolina to take down the Confederate flag, the race debate has become a constant topic.
Very seldom do Black media organizations dedicate a program to the White perspective on race, but SiriusXM Urban View, which features conversations from a Black perspective, did just that with their recent “White in America” episode, an all-White roundtable discussion hosted by Karen Hunter.
“With the recent violent events taking place across the country including the massacre at the Charleston, South Carolina church, police brutality, racial profiling and shootings, SiriusXM host Karen Hunter discussed White privilege, what it means to ‘be White,’ racism in America’s police systems and, why Blacks and Whites see the exact same event so differently,” according to a press release.
Host of the conservative radio channel SiriusXM Patriot Andrew Wilkow stated America does not have a race problem to the extent that it did 50 years ago. But also noted that it is impossible for everyone in a particular society to love everyone else.
“I think divisions are always there in every society,” Wilkow said. “I don’t think there’s a society that has done a better job than the United States. Nothing is perfect.”
However, anti-racism activist and writer Tim Wise believes White people need to stop taking pride in the fact that racism is getting better and realize that there is a race problem.
Wise said, “I’m always astounded as a White person when White folks use progress relative to a hundred years ago or 50 years ago as some touchstone for something important. Like, you know, the idea that ‘well, we’re better than we were.’ Well, 50 years ago they would have said, ‘we’re better than we were 100 years ago.’ And a hundred years ago they would have said, ‘we’re better than we were 200 years ago.’
“At some point it’s like Malcolm X said, ‘you put a dagger in my heart 12 inches and you pull it out six inches. Don’t tell me that’s progress.’ Let’s be honest, we don’t have a race problem. We have a White problem.”
Jewish investment banker and finance attorney Boris Epshteyn spoke on the notion of White privilege.
Epshteyn stated that there is a difference between the ways Blacks are treated in comparison to immigrants who have a lighter hue.
However, he would not say whether the different ethnic groups were treated better or worse than their counterparts.
He did state there are support systems in place for immigrants and Blacks and that many Jewish organizations provided those support systems for his community.
SiriusXM’s “White in America” special aired on July 7 and July 8.
“White in America” will also re-air July 11 at 4:00 pm ET and July 12 at 10:00 am ET on SiriusXM Urban View.
Urban View can be found on SiriusXM channel 126.
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