A New Kind of Racism

Racism is rampant today. We're not necessarily talking about racism of the slurs and rights violations variety (though that most certainly exists to some degree). We're talking about racism without racists. Now, that might sound like a bit of a contradiction, but it really makes sense. The number of outright racists has decreased over time, but prejudice is still very much alive. Racism without racists is unconscious racism. It's when a woman automatically holds her purse closer to her when she walks past a black man. It's when you quietly wonder to yourself why a biracial couple chose to get married. It's when you avoid eye-contact with a Hispanic adult because you assume they can't speak English. It's the kind of racism constantly faced by racial minorities-including President Obama. Does this kind of racism make you a bad person? Well, no. Because you're not exactly a racist. We all have our set of prejudices embedded into our subconscious by our surroundings and the way we're raised. So shouldn't we take a look at what's wrong with those "surroundings" and the ideologies behind them?

For an article providing greater detail:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/opinion/05kristof.html?_r=2

What Would You Do?

This clip is part of a 20/20 series called "What Would You Do?" The series included many stagings of crimes and other shocking behavior in order to reveal how people react. In the clip, three teenagers were "vandalizing" a car in broad daylight. It documents the difference in reactions when they switch to three black teens. It's an interesting look at unconscious racism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVgMvuCM_k&feature=related

Chart below represents the percentage of cartoons framed negatively, neutrally and positively

A black man and a white man are arguing about racial discrimination. The white down plays racism by calling it culture. It discusses the claims of reverse discrimination. It frames how racism is swept under the rug by calling it culture. Also it admits to the fact that it is the way things have always been.

A "democrat" sees every Rorschach image as a racist. It frames how conservatives have to be careful as democrats are quick to cry "racist".

Showing Nov. 4, 2008 election day for Obama and a black woman as the Statue of Liberty, which is saying that for so long there have been only white people which signifies the Statue of Liberty as a "white America" and now that a person of color is in office the Statue of Liberty signifies a "black America." This unity represents a goal the U.S. has been striving to achieve for years and now finally has achieved. It represents how people of color have a say in things and have power, now that there is a person of color in the White House.