The Kramer Complex

by The Enigma

Did you hear about Kramer from “Seinfeld”?

No, what happened?

During one of his sets, he called an audience member the N-word.

You’re kidding?

No…it’s true.

Well…I guess we all let it slip from time to time.

Whether it be in the private, public or in some other realm, the N-word has a powerful effect, and depending on the context, the effect can be devastating. I have to say, I was not surprised when I heard that the actor Michael Richards from the hit TV show Seinfeld, in a fit of anger, gave expression of that part of himself. I got to thinking very few spaces exist that allow white people to explore and interrogate such behavior.

I heard the onslaught of public ridicule, saw the feeble attempts at apology and observed a shrinking effect of his public persona to something vulnerable and fragile. When I heard his apologies, I said to myself, “Come on, you can do better than that.” If only he had put the same amount of energy and effort into his apology as he did his acting, I think it would have made a world of difference. But, to play devil’s advocate, how many spaces exist that teach how to give a sincere, heartfelt and meaningful apology after a racial transgression? More to the point, how many spaces exist that teach white people how to appreciate their vulnerability around racism and better understand the root of that vulnerability? 

Moreover, I thought about what, as a white person, is Richards learning from this opportunity? What is society learning? How do we respond?  Do we seek to learn? Understand? Attack? Ridicule? Facilitate? It appears the opportunity was underappreciated and underutilized as far as reinvigorating race relations by providing a renewed sense of hope on navigating individual, interpersonal and intrapersonal racial struggles. What could society reasonably expect?

If there are few spaces for white people to learn, explore and interrogate that part of themselves related to racism, then it stands to reason that the skills of white people to take responsibility for a racial transgression will be underdeveloped and ineffective. So, when a white person who commits a racial transgression feebly apologizes, what can we reasonably expect? Better yet, how do we put the response in context to begin to explore the cause of these typical responses that do little to develop respect for the history and power of the N-word?

To start, let us begin with the response of nonwhites. In general, nonwhites from different parts of the U.S. showed aversion and disquiet for Richards’ use of the N-word and its effect. Mainly, the strong response is due to the fact that the N-word is more than a word – it is a symbol. It represents a period in history where nonwhite individuals and, in particular, African Americans, were legally viewed as less than. What does it mean to view someone as less than? To help, we might think of an analogy about how one feels after stepping on some sort of bug which usually does not drive us to make amends and make it right with the bug because usually we do not accord bugs with the same status as humans. Granted, there are some religions and philosophies that instill in their subjects to view all creatures as being entitled to care and justice-including bugs.  However, generally in western cultures, this is usually not the case.

It is not hard to imagine why there would be a strong response to a racial transgression like using the N-word because of what it symbolizes. When a racial transgression is met with fierceness, I presume the fierceness acts as a protective measure. For this reason, it is helpful to view the racial transgression within both an individual and historical context. Because, when the word is utilized in either context its effect and meaning extend beyond the interpersonal exchange, it extends into the collective. Its meaning is symbolic of something greater than both Richards and the recipient of his racial transgression; it is a symbol of a time when a particular category of people were allowed to be treated as less than in a moral, social and political sense – it is a symbol of the continuing challenge to give full recognition to the humanity of a group of people. One might say, in the moment Richards used the word, it represented the collective challenge of society and its inhabitants to give full recognition to the humanity of a social category of people. 

Similar to the reaction of nonwhite people, I think the response of white people was aversion and disquiet, but for different reasons. To facilitate race relations, I think white people in general, try their best to learn the right words, thoughts and behaviors to avoid being accused of racism.  In these instances of racial transgressions, white people appear greatly challenged to respond in a manner consistent with their belief in equality. Granted, some white people have started to learn to accept responsibility for racism, but this is the exception rather than the rule. If you think about it, when you are avoiding something that could potentially be the key to freedom from the grips of racism, why is there an overwhelming tendency to avoid it? More to the point, what does it say about our culture’s ability to heal if there are few spaces created to explore and define this process?

One reason the idea of developing a checklist of things to do and not do does a disservice to race relations, is it deprives people of the opportunity to cultivate tools for dealing effectively with the typical emotions, thoughts, and challenges associated with racism.  Often, regarding the emotional aspect of racial work, this is taken for granted. It is seldom explored, examined and understood, which creates blindspots for white people. Richards is no exception. The general practice of taking the emotional aspect associated with race and racism for granted has real consequences. It then becomes necessary to develop criteria to evaluate these consequences. Only then can we determine if one’s practice of racial work is effective and, more importantly, facilitative of developing relevant skills to increase one’s capacity to relate and forge authentic relationships in a racially diverse context.

1. photo from https://www.rawpixel.com/ ↩︎