
By Morton
Messaging for Thom that may be helpful:
In response to your conversation with a caller this morning asking the question... can people of color be racist? And your desire for new wording...
RACISM is PREJUDICE plus POWER.
(Just like SEXISM is PREJUDICE plus POWER.)
So, yes, women can be PREJUDICE against men but, societally speaking, they cannot be SEXIST because of the male dominated/created power structures. And people of color can be PREJUDICE against white people (with good reason!) but, societally speaking, cannot be RACIST because of the white dominated/created power structures.
Each group can be prejudice. Where it is really harmful is when that prejudice is used to harm others. We all have some prejudice, we have just learned to manage them or trying to justify them.