If you see racist behavior or hear racist dialog, it’s racism. Why is there debate about that?

I was asked recently if I am a racist. I was also asked how I would know if someone else is one. I have answers to both of those questions.

First, am I a racist? No, I’m not, but don’t take my word for it. Ask around.

Second, how do I know if someone else is a racist? Let me count the ways.

* Three men walk into a Fairmont bar. Two are white and one is black. The bartender refuses to serve the black man but tells the white men they can stay. What would you call that? Is that racism? Yes, it is. Did that really happen? Yes, it did. I was one of the white guys.

* A man comes to my house to do some work and tells a racist joke. What would you call that? Is the man a racist? Yes, he is. Did this really happen? Yes, it did. He told the joke to me.

* Another man comes to my house to do some work. He looks in a window and sees an Obama/Biden poster from 2008. He said, “Oooh, you like him?” I reply, “Don’t go there.” What would you call that? Is the man a racist? Yes, he probably is. Did that really happen? Yes, it did. He was talking to me.

* A man is sitting at a basketball game waiting for a friend when a stranger slides over to him on the bleacher. He strikes up a conversation about the mostly all-white visiting team and how their players are “so intelligent,” compared with the mostly all-black home team. What would you call that? Is the man a racist? Yes, he most likely is. Did this really happen? Yes, it did. He was talking to me.

All of these events took place in Fairmont, West Virginia, where I was born, went to public schools and college and have otherwise lived for a large part of my life, including now. When I commented on a Facebook thread that racism has always existed in Fairmont and still does, a person I don't know suggested that maybe I was the racist and not the people who displayed open or dog-whistle racist tendencies.

Again, I suggest you ask around. There are plenty of people who know me. See what any of them think, then judge for yourself.

Just for the record, racism is certainly not limited to Fairmont, West Virginia. I could testify in court about other incidents that took place in other West Virginia cities. Like the time an interracial couple was denied entry to a Charleston establishment, or the time a Jewish friend was refused entry to a Parkersburg club. What would you call that? Are those examples of racism? Yes, they are. Did those events really happen? Yes, they did. I was there.

So back to the original question: How do I know if someone is a racist? It’s pretty simple, really. If I see racist behavior or hear racist dialog, it’s racism. If someone endorses, supports, condones, accepts or tolerates racism, that makes them a racist in my book. I don't know why there is even debate about that. If someone shows up at my door wearing a white Klan hood and holding a burning cross, I’m guessing he’s a racist…but at least he’s honest about it, as opposed to the people who are racists and don’t know it, or the ones who try to deny their racism by saying, “I can’t be a racist. I have a black friend,” or my favorite, “There’s a black guy in my office.”

I contend that the closet racists are the most dangerous because they blend in with the rest of us, pretend to be broad-minded and then let their racism slip out a little at a time so that they think it becomes normalized. Then, when someone calls them on it, they project it back on the other person. When I posted my comment on Facebook, I only mentioned that racism exists in Fairmont, but I never mentioned anybody’s name or accused any person of being a racist. The post elicited a series of angry responses, the reply to which could have been, “If the shoe fits....” 

I could have said that, but I didn't. I wrote this essay instead.