In this recent article in the Daily Sceptic Chris Morrison mocked the idea that inanimate objects can be racist as clearly absurd. Actually the reverse is true you give it any thought. Just as inanimate objects can be oppressive, intimidating or cheering, they can be racist.
A good example is one that Morrison himself refers to. In November 21 Pete Buttigieg, the US transport secretary, defended the view that some transport infrastructure can be racist. One of the examples he referred to was the well-known story of how Robert Moses built bridges over parkways leading to Jones beach state park in New York that were too low for buses (not too low for tall black people and Hispanics, which some right wing commentators and politicians rather childishly tried to pretend Buttigieg was saying). As black populations typically did not have cars, the story goes, this effectively limited their access to the park. This particular example is actually the subject of considerable debate. There were other ways for black people to get to the park and other reasons they might choose not to. But it is a good hypothetical example of how inanimate infrastructure might benefit one racial group over another.
No one with any sense supposes that inanimate objects have racist thoughts or intentions. But the Robert Moses story shows how they can disadvantage a racial group. In this sense they clearly can be racist. There is a separate question as to whether the objects were intentionally constructed to disadvantage one racial group (Moses had a racist reputation but, of course, this did not necessarily influence his constructions). Again it is clearly possible that this might have happened. It is not an absurd idea. Much the same can be said of laws. Laws do not have thoughts or intentions. But they can and do have different consequences for different races and this sometimes happens because some people intended it. We do not hesitate to call such laws racist.
Morrison’s main concern is with a report in the Guardian about UN racism rapporteur Tendayi Achiume, who asserts that some current green policies and technology such as electric cars are racist. (Morrison describes this as the Guardian claiming that these high-tech technologies are racist. This is absurd, the Guardian is only reporting what someone else has said. Neither the Guardian editorial team nor your average Guardian reader is likely to agree with her).
I’m not at all sure that I agree with Tendayi Achiume. But her argument cannot be dismissed simply on the basis that inanimate objects cannot be racist. It’s a worthwhile debate.
In Moderation 