What Racism Looks Like at Fox News

At Foxnews, this is “what Racism Looks like” in the 21^st Century:

[video - Fox and Friends morning show]

To Foxnews, racism is a doctored video showing an African American woman discussing her journey to move beyond the issue of race after the racially motivated murder of her father in the Jim Crow South. From the undoctored video, however, we learn that our protagonist came to realize that helping poor folks was what was important regardless of race. She was able to move forward.

To me this is pretty much the opposite of Racism. However to Foxnews, this woman and her story “is what Racism looks like” in the 21^st Century. Racism becomes nothing more than a cheap opportunity to claim victim status for Poor Foxnews. Cheap theatrics.

Putting the Foxnews Fantasy aside, this is what Racism actually resembled in the Jim Crow South in the 20^th century: Murder, Mayhem, and Lynching.

Before noon they brought him in. Two horsemen rode abreast; between them, half dragged, the poor wretch made his way through the dust. His hands were tied behind him, and ropes around his body were fastened to the saddle horns of his double guard. The men who at midnight had been stern and silent were now emitting that terror instilling sound known as the "rebel yell." A space was quickly cleared in the crowd, and a rope placed about his neck; when from somewhere came the suggestion, "Burn him!" It ran like an electric current. Have you ever witnessed the transformation of human beings into savage beasts? Nothing can be more terrible. A railroad tie was sunk into the ground, the rope was removed and a chain brought and securely coiled around the victim and the stake. There he stood, a man only in form and stature, every sign of degeneracy stamped upon his countenance. His eyes were dull and vacant, indicating not a single ray of thought. Evidently the realization of his fearful fate had robbed him of whatever reasoning power he had ever possessed. He was too stunned and stupefied even to tremble. Fuel was brought from everywhere, oil, the torch; the flames crouched for an instant as though to gather strength, then leaped up as high as their victim's head. He squirmed, he writhed, strained at his chains, then gave out cries and groans that I shall always hear. The cries and groans were choked off by the fire and smoke; but his eyes bulging from their sockets, rolled from side to side, appealing in vain for help. Some of the crowd yelled and cheered, others seemed appalled at what they had done, and there were those who turned away sickened at the sight. I was fixed to the spot where I stood, powerless to take my eyes from what I did not want to see.

It was over before I realized that time had elapsed. Before I could make myself believe that what I saw was really happening, I was looking at a scorched post, a smoldering fire, blackened bones, charred fragments sifting down through coils of chain, and the smell of burnt flesh--human flesh--was in my nostrils.

The Novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson, 1912.

There is a big difference between Foxnews’ definition of Racism and Racism in a historical context (such as the re-created lynching described “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man”). Had these Foxnews Infotainers had any Integrity (they consistently prove otherwise) or any Empathy, any Sense of time and place, any Clue or even the most basic understanding of History they never would have declared this woman, and her journey to put the past behind her, as the face of 21^st century Racism.

But what do you really expect from Foxnews?