Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail”, George Yancy’s Black Bodies, White Gazes, and W.E.B DuBois’s The Souls of Black Folks address racism and its role in society, all stating that this societal flaw can only be corrected through education. King, Yancy, and DuBois, while generally agreeing, contribute varying suggestions for educating society. Dr. King spends a large portion of his letter discussing moderate white Americans, stating that he views them to be worse than racist organizations such as the KKK because they are completely silent. Americans who sit back while extreme racial injustices occur around them are just as complicit as those who are openly racist and work to continue such inequality. To not be racist is to be active in the fight for civil rights because, according to…show more content… To obtain positive peace, we must be willing to stay with the feeling of discomfort that comes from acknowledging the inner workings of racism because, if we don’t, whites will remain content with their complicity. King states that, while uncomfortable, becoming aware of our role in racial injustices can encourage a “creative outlet of nonviolent direct action” (King 1963). This concept of sitting with the uncomfortable, I concur, is necessary for making positive change and achieving equality. I believe all white Americans are aware of racism and its potentially severe implications, however, most find it easier to simply pretend to be ignorant. It is impossible to make a change if those responsible for making the change refuse to acknowledge its need. Despite being written 61 years ago, the moderate white Americans Dr. King refers to are still present within our society and continue to facilitate racist ideals. Only once this population chooses to recognize unjust actions can we move toward
