It is well known that Albert Einstein was a pacifist. Did you also know that he did not support discrimination and supported African Americans? This photograph was taken in 1946 at Lincoln University, where Einstein was invited to do a physics lecture and answer any questions the young, eager Black Students had. This was a very profound visit because Einstein’s last 20 years were when his health could have done better, and he was not visiting or lecturing as often as before, actually very rarely. Yet, this was a lecture he was not going to turn down, and he made this memorable visit to lecture on his Theory of Relativity and enjoyed tea with the diverse faculty, staff, and children. Einstein said that the separation of races was a disease of white people.
Being a major advocate against discrimination, it has been highlighted that during his travels, Einstein recorded a personal observation of the Chinese in his journal, published by Princeton University Press in 2018. What was written gave an eyebrow-raising description of Asian people, placing them as inferior to others. You may ask, how can this be? He was a Jewish German citizen who witnessed excessive nationalism and anti-semitism, and how could he impress such a description on another human of any race later to discount American racism toward Blacks and advocate as a member of the NAACP?
Without giving an excuse for his diary entry, just as America was divided by color, western civilization was in social fear of the “Yellow Peril” during Einstein’s time. That remark was labeled upon Asia after the Sino-Japanese War. As the Japanese military strengthened and widespread industrialization, fear of Asia taking over the world spread. With this worldwide perception, the thought process of a genius who left Europe with the rise of the Nazi Party may have had some bias.
Discussing Einstein speaking at Lincoln University does not take away the responsibility for his biased observations or excuse them. It teaches us a lesson in human nature. Stereotypes, prejudices, and fear against another human for any reason can lead to division, discrimination, and violence, not to mention an illusion of character for all parties. Although Albert Einstein was against hate and American discrimination, bias influenced his perception as he toured China and other parts of Asia. Today, we must strive to be objective and open-minded. Stereotypical language can be harmful. Most of all, understand the dangers of what stereotypes, prejudice, and social fear can do. Work to overcome those challenges, moving toward a more cooperative and inclusive world.
