Another reason prejudice doesn’t work

Sam Smith - I remain struck by the fact that an overwhelming number of those who attack others because of their gender or ethnicity have far less positive qualities than those they criticize. If you press the concept of white or heterosexual supremacy shouldn't you at least demonstrate in oneself some of the virtues you …

What DC can teach us about multiculturalism

Sam Smith - Despite all the talk about the historic injustice towards blacks in America, there is something often missing from the story: how blacks have contributed to America. As someone who was part of a white minority in Washington DC for more than half of my life and who has four Puerto Rican nephews …

Tales from the attic: Learning an American story

Sam Smith - In August 1960 I wrote in a letter: Have been covering  some of the anti-segregation demonstrations around the Washington area. The results here have been hopeful. Good police work has kept violence to a minimum although the presence of neo-Nazi Lincoln Rockwell and his "troopers" doesn't make the situation any simpler. Quite …

Beyond ethnicity and gender

Sam Smith - I belong to the ethnic group "me." While I have white skin and male body works, these are trivial characteristics compared to the idiosyncrasies of my daily nature and behavior. One of the jobs of a writer, after all, is not to repeat the words and habits of others. When I'm feeling …

Another problem with white supremacists

Sam Smith - One thing that fascinates me is that white supremacists, who put people like themselves at the top of the social and political chart, are universally those I don't want anything to do with. They are ignorant, dishonest and cruel. I wouldn't want a son hanging out with Tucker Carlson or a daughter …

Bringing blacks and whites together

Sam Smith - One of the best ways to bring ethnicities together is to find a common cause. I learned this in the Sixties when black leaders in Washington fighting for civil rights also led on issues in which whites became major participants such as home rule, DC statehood and a battle against freeways. As …

A Poitier film worth watching

Sam Smith – With the passing of Sidney Poitier, my wife and I pulled up one of his films, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which co-starred Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy (who would die 17 days after his part was recorded). The 1967 film about interethnic marriage was not only a comedic delight, it illustrated …

The strangest thing about our ethnic relations

 Sam Smith – The strangest thing about ethnic relations in this country is the lack of organizations and movements pushing not only anti-racism, but also helping our different cultures actually like and get along with each other. Imagine if the major standard for marriage was just opposition to anti-feminism, righteous as that is. Or if …

Positive ethnic theory

Sam Smith - Lately I've been struggling with the obsession of the media and academia over the evils of past ethnic relations, not because they didn't exist but because they are given such priority over present solutions that it actually makes me feel depressed about the future. A lot of this comes from the culture …

The diversity of diversity

Sam Smith - One aspect of diversity that doesn't get enough attention is its diversity. With considerable help from the mediaand the voices it cites, we learn that we are black, white or Hispanic, gay or straight, religious or atheist. . . and so forth.  A number of aspects of my life have caused me …

The numbers they don’t talk about

Sam Smith - Obsessed with race as a topic, even progressive Americans fail to deal with numbers that could bring fair minded ethnic groups far closer together, namely the number of those in poverty.  Interestingly, 14.2 million of these folks are white as opposed to 8.1. black and 9.5 latino yet one seldom hears discussion …

Multiculturalism means living with folks who aren’t as smart about you as you are

Sam Smith - As the virtuous drive towards more multiculturalism grows increasingly powerful,a predictable but largely ignored problem raises its head, namely the more contact we have with those of other cultures the greater chance that we, or they, will say or do something found dumb or offensive.  The cancel culture is one example of …

Positive ethnic theory

Sam Smith - The big problem with critical race theory is that it's big on analysis and low on action. Under CRT, kids would be taught the evils of past systems with far less attention to those who changed it and how they did it. Change is driven far more by inspiration than by facts.  …

Getting along with others without critical theories

 Sam Smith The current infatuation with Tulsa, slavery and critical racial theory has left me feeling  a bit out of it all. I thought you were meant to discover how to get along with others and not merely recite the sins of the past by some. Sure, you learn from history, but one of our …

Why reparations aren’t the answer

Sam Smith - The 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre has revived talk of reparations - reimbursements for the descendants of those who suffered a historic disaster at the evil hands of others.  And it accompanies a striking revival of criticism of past wrongs such as slavery, but sadly unaccompanied by a sufficiently broad reaction …