Politics

Some Evidence Systemic Racism Ended More Than 40 Years Ago

by Andrew Tuttle
06/03/21
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“We’ve got to do something about our moral standards. We know that there are many things wrong in the white world, but there are many things wrong in the black world too. We can’t keep on blaming the white man. There are things we must do for ourselves.” – Martin Luther King (1961)

We’re still talking about systemic racism.

It’s insulting.

Do racist people exist? Yes. On all sides actually. If you look at the statistics for black on white crime and compare them to white on black crime you’d think the systemic racism argument swings the opposite direction the mainstream media and various elected officials enjoy pushing.

So forget all that. Today, the idea that systemic racism against black people continues to hold them back and completely defines living in the United States for those with more melanin in their skin rages stronger than ever despite a twice-elected black man to the presidency. Despite the additional gains in congress, despite the number of black CEOs, despite all the race-based preferences implemented by governments, schools and large corporations to give those with a perceived need a hand-out rather than a hand-up. (One might accuse race based preferences as a form of racism.)

Recently, I watch a stand-up comedy special filmed in 1983. I watched it so you don’t have to. It’s rife with foul language, especially the F word. The audience was filled with black and white people, there to watch a young black man’s stand-up routine at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

Eddie Murphy was a young 22 year old black man in 1983 when he filmed Delirious. I watched it in full after seeing a few clips that were so politically incorrect it was refreshing. I don’t recall seeing it in the 80s but I do remember some of the clips that were funny then, really funny now and some that did not stand the test of time.

In Delirious, Eddie Murphy, a 22 year old black man in 1983 tackled racism in America during his near 70-minute long stand-up routine. (If it feels like I am repeating myself, that’s intentional.) A few takes from 22-year old Eddie Murphy’s somewhat lengthy bit on racism below, edited for clarity and length, from the 1983 film Delirious.

“Sh—‘s changing now. We have black politicians now….”

“I ain’t hooked up in all that racism s—t. My motto in life is just be happy with the mother f—kers. Racism isn’t as bad as it used to be anyway. I mean it’s f—ked up but they don’t call N-words N-words no more. White people don’t say it especially when there’s N-words around so I guess I wouldn’t know.”

“I want to say something. I think maybe like 30 years ago there was a woman, that wanted to sing, a black lady that sang opera and that wanted to sing. What was her name? Mary Anderson. And this place was like segregated and they couldn’t sing here. And she couldn’t sing in the place and here we are like not even 50 years later a 22 year old black man on stage getting paid to hold his (male genitalia.) God bless America.”

With that he thanks the crowd and ends the show.

And I think, with that, Eddie Murphy should have ended the discussion then about systemic racism in the United States. Because if systemic racism existed in 1983, 22 year-old black man Eddie Murphy would have suffered the same fate as Mary Anderson did when systemic racism existed 30 years earlier.

But somehow, after more time has passed since the time that passed between Mary Anderson and Eddie Murphy, America went backwards?

Those who see racism as a problem today choose to see what they believe. If you believe systemic racism exists you will find racism around every corner and everywhere you look.

I believe what I see and what I see is what Eddie Murphy saw nearly 40 years ago. So I ain’t hooked up in all that racism s—t. My motto in life is just be happy with the mother f—kers.

"I've seen levels of compliance with the civil rights bill and changes that have been most surprising. So, on the basis of this, I think we may be able to get a Negro president in less than 40 years. I would think that this could come in 25 years or less." – Martin Luther King (1964)