Blog – Engaging the Text #5 on p. 529

I think that assessing C.P. Lewis's method of overcoming racism resorts to a fundamental argument: Is man inherently evil or good? If man is inherently good, then Lewis's method of overcoming racism is a definite solution. It would also mean that people are racist because of misunderstandings, not because they truly hate other people. I prefer to take this viewpoint because (A) it is much more romantic and (B) I believe that anybody's mind can be changed on racism. C.P. Ellis is the prime example - the preeminent story of a man who realized he joined the KKK because he was down on his luck and wanted to blame somebody else. He realized that he was not racist because he genuinely hated other people, he was racist because of misunderstanding and misfortune. I think that this is the way most people with recurring racist thoughts think. They will deny it, but they are not racist because they genuinely hate other people. They are racist because they were raised to hate other people, because they were overburdened and misplaced their blame, or because they came across an unfortunate encounter with a person of another race. Racism can be overturned, but as with the case of C.P. Lewis, the realization must come from within.