Black Encounter of Racism and Elitism in White Academe

Abstract

In attempting to allege or apply the term racism to a social circumstance behavior or act, one has to be cognizant of the inexplicable nature of racism as a concept. Although racism may be perceived as an abstraction, it is, nevertheless, a tangible phenomenon in that it can be apprehended by the mind and senses. Therefore, like any other feeling or sense, racism is capable of affecting the social climate, political ideology, and economic policy within an educational, governmental, or commercial institution. Benedict (1947) contends that racism cannot be scientifically investigated or demonstrated, but must be studied historically. However, Black sociologists have tended to differ with Benedict's assumption. Cox (1970) implies that racism is quite materialistic in its manifestation and that its development arises out of the imperialistic practices of capitalism. George (1984) perceives racism as an ideology of racial privilege that invariably accompanies a colonial situation. Thus institutional racism might be defined or described as one group having relative advantages or disadvantages of another on a racial basis, especially when the disadvantaged group has a colonial