Editorial: Removal of Confederate flag not a cure-all for racism

When we read about events like the recent massacre in Charleston, S.C., one question often dominates our thoughts — how do things like this keep happening?

In the week or so that has followed Dylann Roof’s blatant terrorist attack and subsequent arrest, media outlets have pinned the cause on a colorful scapegoat — the Confederate flag pinned to his jacket, matching the one that has flown freely atop South Carolina’s capitol grounds since 1962.

On Monday, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called for the flag’s removal from the capitol grounds. On Tuesday, the South Carolina General Assembly met to consider amending its agenda to make it possible for lawmakers to consider removing the flag from the grounds.

Removal of the Confederate flag is a cause that we at The Pitt News support. However, its removal should not overshadow the underlying issue of racism that continues to plague our nation.

Recent coverage of the call for the flag’s removal has dominated coverage of the initial triggering event — the shooting of nine people inside of a church as a result of anti-black sentiment from Roof.

The recent shifting tide in public perception of the Confederate flag — and the pressure that comes along with it — has led to a number of outcomes.

As the country awaits the decision in South Carolina, other states have followed suit with their own removal projects.

In Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe is advocating to remove the flag from license plates. In Mississippi, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn has called for the removal of the confederate emblem from Mississippi’s own flag. In Texas, Rep. Joaquin Castro called for the removal of Confederate monuments from the University of Texas campus in Austin. In Tennessee, lawmakers are working to remove a bust of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Capitol.

Major corporations like Walmart, Amazon, eBay and Sears have decided to cease selling the Confederate flag and any merchandise bearing the design.

Yet, the NAACP’s enactment of an “economic boycott” against South Carolina in 1999 in response to the flag’s presence was met by apathetic ears. It was only when the same horrified sentiment was echoed throughout the nation that the issue received any attention.

Current opposition to the Confederate flag, and any efforts toward its removal, does not signify a shift in inherent racism. Studies have shown an increase in anti-black sentiment in recent years.  

The Associated Press conducted similar polls in 2008 and 2012 to accompany President Barack Obama’s first and second presidential races. Between those years, the number of Americans with explicit anti-black attitudes jumped from 48 percent to 51 percent. On an implicit racial measure, the number of Americans with anti-black sentiment jumped from 49 percent to 56 percent.

We should not view sudden shifts in public perception as a sign that racism has ceased to be a problem. Rather, we should focus on addressing individual perceptions to bring about change that doesn’t require the bullhorn of a unified voice.

As long as a single person still expresses racist sentiments, we will continue to read about events like the Charleston shooting.