The American Culture is Racist

Popular wisdom indicates that folks from Minnesota are courteous, reserved, and mild-mannered. This is what is known as “Minnesota nice”.

In spite of that alluring reputation, these qualities were nowhere to be found on May 25th, when George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in Minneapolis, after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee to Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, while Floyd was handcuffed and face down, helped by two other officers as a third one prevented onlookers from intervening.

Quite understandably, this racist murder opened up a series of demonstrations, rioting and soul-searching about the state of racism in America. In my opinion, a bunch of Civil Rights Acts as well as the Voting Right Act that were meant to change society, have been laws with no teeth and racism, while taking a different face, has continued unabated.

When a horrific crime like the one perpetrated again Mr. Floyd takes place in the “nicest” American State, one can wonder if the entire country isn’t totally sick of racism and may conclude that all its citizens are all racists of different intensity and persuasions.

A serious and honest self-examination can only conclude that no one is entirely immune from that plague, that it’s ingrained into the American culture and that it will require a formidable transformation and a complete re-education to stamp it out.

In the next blogs I will explain my thinking on the matter and develop some solutions that can get us out of that existential rut.