b'BODY OF CHRIST NEWS MAGAZINERACISTTHE TRUTH ABOUTRACISMnounprejudice, discrimination, or antagonism (directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that ones own race is superior.) by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.Dictionary.com, (3/25/2024)The debate about whether all people can be racist stems from different definitions of racism. One camp subscribes to the standard dictionary definition: racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that ones own race is superior. There are no restrictions on which races can be the instigators and what magnitude of disdain counts as superiority.Another camp thinks primarily of institutional racism and factors in a persons power to use their racist beliefs against others. Black people cant be racist. Prejudiced, yes, but not racist. Racism describes a system of disadvantage based on race. Black people cant be racists since we dont stand to benefit from such a system.Under this definition, black individuals cant be racist. The system is rigged in favor of white people, who have traditionally been in power. But the strange implication of this statement is that being called prejudiced isnt as bad as being called a racistalthough racism can manifest itself as prejudice, and though prejudice surely is not desired either. This arguments main pointthat minorities cant be racist because they have no power to act on such antagonismis also reductive. We shouldnt have to take stock of each others race and relative power in society before making a judgment on an act itself. We shouldnt have to condone prejudice or discrimination against anyone, for any reason.Michelle I. Gao 21, a Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Adams House. Her column appears on alternate Thursdays.3 BOCNEWS.COM'