Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition

If the institution of racism has been around since the great conquest of Native Americans, and has been proliferated by an everlasting hegemony and racial projects, is there a way to reverse and stop this system; to combat it without the world falling apart? That is the question that I ponder this sunny Friday afternoon. In class we heard Dr. J speak of her majesty’s loyal opposition and the power hegemony has through coercion and consent. In parliamentary governments the loyal opposition is a way for opposing parties to contradict the sitting cabinet with committing treason.  Basically, it was away to keep opposing political parties in check without a revolution occurring.  This system is able to succeed because, through coercion and consent, it is easy to make any particular policy seem like it benefits the individuals under it. When we consent to the policy we in turn stop questioning it and it becomes common sense.

 There have been many racial projects that are seen, as “common sense.” One of course is the affirmative action project. This project is set out to address the lack of opportunity for minorities in getting into higher education institutions and aims at redistributing access to higher education. As many see this as benefitting minorities and adding diversity to educational institutions, it is a project that seems like common sense.  Well, does it make sense when one asks does it really benefit minorities? Or is it all a way to introduce diversity for predominantly white institutions? Of course it doesn’t make sense. It goes against all “common sense.” When I was first presented the question of whom exactly does the project affirmative action benefit, I admit, I experienced some cognitive dissonance. From that day I have started to question some of the things that I see as common sense especially in the music that I listen to. Many messages and struggles rapped about by rappers like Kanye west and Common that I couldn't identify with in the past now make a lot more sense. 

Now back to my original question. Is there a way to reverse this hegemonic system that seems to make a lot of sense?  It seems that there are an increasing instances of loyal opposition (example from class: A black president), but is that enough? When will it come to pass that this perceived hegemony will cease to exist and we as a nation will be on equal ground? D.E.B Dubois proposed that the only way to reach equity among the races in America (primarily the white and black race) is by conserving the black race through black institutions. Well, I wonder now if that is true. From Dubois standpoint it seems that we would have to create an entire black nation as well; possibly a revolution in the form of loyal oppositions?