Europe Vs America on Race Relations

This week news leaked that Microsoft edited a photo so it can be used as a commercial in Poland. The original photo contained a man of Asian descent, one of African descent and a woman of Caucasian decent which led to Microsoft issuing an apology for editing the photo and pledging to launch an investigation into the incident. It is rumoured that Microsoft edited the photo because of Poland’s ethnic homogeneity by replacing the photo of the man of African descent with the head of a Caucasian man however his hands remained the same colour in the photo.

One has to keep in mind that Poland is the same country where a black person on the national team had bananas thrown at him. So called liberals and minorities are always eager to use Europe as the epitome and shining example of social tolerance and acceptance and are quick to talk down America on her social and foreign policies.

Racial prejudice is far from being solved in America, but considering the fact that America now has a President who ‘looks black’ and I say looks black because Obama is white in as much as he is black, I would say America has made a great deal more progress where racial relations are concerned. Europe is not the epitome of social tolerance as a matter of fact contrary to popular belief much of Europe is still steeped in racism especially Eastern European countries like Poland and Russia.

I for one do not think that Microsoft has a racist agenda against people of colour but it seems that they are more than willing to bend to the forces of racial prejudice and bigotry if only to secure their market share in a racist economy. The question is how do Microsoft’s customers of colour deal with an organisation that engages in what I would call ‘racist commerce’? I think it’s high time critics of America give that country a break, if anything America is the only shining example of race relations as it exists in a country controlled by Caucasian Politic.