A newly released app allows users to search for discriminatory roadway names, helping communities grasp the ubiquity of inequalities embedded in everyday spaces and the harm they cause.
While that is a great approach when the words have no weight, ignoring systemic discrimination that perpetuates actual harm is counterproductive.
When a cop calls all black people thugs and criminals, it is something that shouldn’t be ignored. When a football team is named the Washington [slurs] it perpetuates racism against native americans in a way that has actual impacts on people. When schools are named after traitors it shows society is fine with elevating their views and ideals.
The importance of words depends on context and blowing off systemic racism permanently installed in public view because they are ‘just words’ ignores the real harm that those words have. Street signs with derogatory slurs against native people who were the victims of genocide is the equivalent of having slurs used hy the nazis on street signs.
While that is a great approach when the words have no weight, ignoring systemic discrimination that perpetuates actual harm is counterproductive.
When a cop calls all black people thugs and criminals, it is something that shouldn’t be ignored. When a football team is named the Washington [slurs] it perpetuates racism against native americans in a way that has actual impacts on people. When schools are named after traitors it shows society is fine with elevating their views and ideals.
The importance of words depends on context and blowing off systemic racism permanently installed in public view because they are ‘just words’ ignores the real harm that those words have. Street signs with derogatory slurs against native people who were the victims of genocide is the equivalent of having slurs used hy the nazis on street signs.