Three in 10 acknowledge racial prejudice
It’s hard to characterize these results on the racial/political landscape as encouraging.
As Sen. Barack Obama opens his campaign as the first African American on a major party presidential ticket, nearly half of all Americans say race relations in the country are in bad shape and three in 10 acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. […]
Overall, 51 percent call the current state of race relations “excellent” or “good,” about the same as said so five years ago. That is a relative thaw from more negative ratings in the 1990s, but the gap between whites and blacks on the issue is now the widest it has been in polls dating to early 1992.
More than six in 10 African Americans now rate race relations as “not so good” or “poor,” while 53 percent of whites hold more positive views. Opinions are also divided along racial lines, though less so, on whether blacks face discrimination. There is more similarity on feelings of personal racial prejudice: Thirty percent of whites and 34 percent of blacks admit such sentiments.
Nearly nine in 10 whites said they would be comfortable with a black president, suggesting there are quite a few white voters who harbor feelings of racial prejudice but would accept Obama anyway, or there are quite a few white voters who are lying to pollsters about their comfort with a black president. (It’s worth clarifying only two-thirds of whites would be “entirely comfortable” with a black president, meaning about a quarter of whites say they’re comfortable with the idea, but they’re not thrilled by the idea. I’m going to guess these are the whites most likely to be lying.)
Some wanted to see the silver lining of these results.
At National Review, Kathryn Jean Lopez saw the glass as half-full.
While “three in 10 acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice,” that number is down from their 1999 poll (the only one they cite for reference). And “Whites” assess themselves with less prejudice (30 percent) than “Blacks” (34), which bodes well for “the first African American on a major party presidential ticket.”
And while three in 10 acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice,” seven in 10 did not. In other words, the overwhelming majority.
I wish I could feel as encouraged. Yes, 30% acknowledge racist tendencies, which is down from 1999. But it’s only down from 34%, and the figure among whites has dropped from 32% to 30%. Lopez alluded to “massive improvements.” It looks to me, given the three-point margin of error, that we’ve seen very little progress at all.
Similarly, while I’m delighted that a strong majority say they do not harbor feelings of racial prejudice, two angles come to mind. One, some of the 70% might be lying. And two, when nearly one-third of the American electorate in the 21st century is willing to concede feelings of racial bigotry, that’s not good.
Nevertheless, the same poll also found that “just over four in 10 think Obama’s candidacy will improve race relations, nearly three times as many as think it’ll hurt.”
It sounds like we could use the boost.
At my job in Chicago, they refer to them as 'shines'. So it is not just a southern bitterness over losing the war or ignorance because it is everywhere.
I can look past skin color and I hope Obama wins at least one term if not two.
Go to Farmington MO!!! Sixty miles south of metro St. Louis MO. You will find the most beautiful bucolic little town you have ever
seen. Great high school, great infrastructure, great people...if you are white. Hard working, honest, caring folks who in one
breath will preach the saving words of Jesus Christ to you and in the next curse the inferior black race and it's legions of welfare
abusing, Cadillac driving, drug dealing, jail bound vermin. I think the numbers are low. The Owners want it that way!
Three in ten, isn't that about the same number that still support george bush?
I have said for years that I am a bigot against white people...and being as pasty white as I am it usually throws people off, but then I explain, as a group white people don't have a very good reputation. Individually we can be cool, but as a whole, we suck! Just ask any Black, Brown, Yellow or Red person on this planet and they will tell you!
I live in central Arkansas; I've lived in Orange County, California; Waco, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and points beyond. I've seen anti-black racism, anti-Mexican racism, anti-Asian racism, and anti-white racism. I'm white, and I've been ignored in grocery stores and Walmarts by black clerks who talk freely with black customers while ignoring my "How are ya?" and "Thanks." I've been picked on by Filipinos and Mexicans for being "too white" and by blacks for being a "cracker." I've also been warmly received into circles of Mexican and Vietnamese friends, treated like a family member by blacks, and generally made to believe that we all really can "just get along."
America has a severe race problem, and it's a multidirectional problem. It's no longer a case of whites oppressing blacks; nowadays, we are fracturing into a fragmented, racist society where each race distrusts and dislikes the others. Enforced integration had some benefits, but in every city where I've lived I have seen races moving apart on their own. Not always by choice--some inner cities and poor areas are filled with people who have no choice about where they live--but quite often there are blacks choosing to live apart from whites, just as much as "white flight" happens in some places.
I fear that Obama might be unelectable because Americans are not honest about race; we have a twisted pathology that dates back to slavery and that keeps us from having real, forward-moving discussions about race relations. The polls mean nothing to me because, if asked, most Americans will proclaim much more open minds than they really have.
I'll be voting for Obama because I'm voting Democratic--I'd have voted for Clinton with as much gusto. And I hope that having a black president will help improve race relations, but I think there's much more needed than that. (BTW, I refuse to use the term "African-American" because it's inherently divisive and completely inaccurate. "American" means a person who is a citizen of the United States, regardless of their color or religion. To hyphenate-label any group as a subset merely serves to perpetuate the idea that our races are separate. Whatever happened to the "melting pot" idea of America?)
Dahgrostab'ph-r-i @ 4:
3000 years of stomping the living fuck out of any people or culture that stand in the way of us making money.
that is our legacy. we have killed and robbed more different kinds of people than anyone!!!
Alexander the Great, Rome, Charlemagne, the Crusades, the colonization of Africa and Asia, the great North American Genocides,
and on and on....and we are doing it to ourselves now. What do you think cancer and diabetes are? The price we pay on lives
every year for our unsustainable life style!
Ronald Reagan on racism: "I've never experienced it."
I have no idea how his parents shielded him so well that nobody ever called him a n@gger but somehow they did.
Einstein thought experiment....picture all human races without a skin covering. Can you pick out the black person.
Paul B. @ 5:
this is about the most cogent commentary i've seen on the state of race relations in america today and pretty much how i feel about it also.
In obama's case I don't think people don't want him as president because he is black. When you look at him you really can forget it. Why I think he shouldn't be president is he has shown he is the most inept person ever elected to office except bush.
But his wife is the kicker. She is rude crude, smirky and you get the impression every time she appears on the scene that she thinks she better than anybody with her moves and actions. If obama wants to win he better send her for a long vacation and not come back til after the GE.
I often wonder how people would feel about Senator Obama if he had his mother's complexion and features instead of his dad's. He would still be the person he is in every other way.
xoites defends Constitution @ 7:
Colin Power said very different. It seems that Reagan and Bush senior like to call black people all sorts of interesting, and offensive names.
Often they did this with Colin Powell in earshot. Don't think I love Powell... I don't. But I have no reason to think he was lying.
By the way, did any of you people hear about Regan's adopted son calling for people who speak their dissatisfaction about our government to be shot? He also called us traitors.
I must admit to some strong racial prejudices. I mean, come on; they steal anything that isn't nailed down and breed like rats. They're constantly violent and use more than they need. They think that they are god's chosen people and are constantly trying to jam their religion down our throats. They are lazy and stupid and eat like pigs.
Nope; I'm not particularly fond of the human race. I prefer kitties.
I've been amazed at how much venom has been spewed already at Obama. I don't like him myself, because he takes the same amount of contributions from the same exact corporations that McSame does, the ones who really run the show, & I can't imagine that we can have any real 'change' by doing the EXACT SAME thing we've done for two & a half centuries,... this is like believing wresting is real,...
HOWEVER, man, some of the email forwarded to me, by sensible, intelligent people,... a Cuban lesbian friend sent me some mail saying that Obama was a Marxist,... like there are so many socialists in Illinois,...! (I have a feeling that the American Cuban community knee jerk to any communist affiliations due to their experiences with Castro,... ) My business partner's father, a former educator & insanely well read, forwarded me an article written for the NY Sun quoting the book of Reveleation that Obama was the anti-Christ! The ANTI-CHRIST? The accusation began by claiming the anti-Christ would be a charismatic Muslim,... retarded because not only is Barak NOT a Muslim, but Islam wouldn't be invented for another 500 years after Revelation was written,...
So yeah. People in this country are stupider than ever, & things are not going to improve until it all falls down.
Marge @ 10:
But I don't think that Obama has the right to send Cindy away...
I'm really afraid that people in that poll lied. I hope I'm wrong but when Ohio was considering a ban on gay marriage the polls never showed support for it but 70% voted for it any way.
I would like to think most people - enough for the win - will not think skin color has to be certain way but I wonder....
hmmm I can think of 1 good reason why Obama is going to the additional campaign donations.
They had a news feature about this in Australia. They said the white male vote is 51% to McCain and 39% to Obama. Apparently that's the same percentage of the white male vote that has gone to the Republicans in the last few elections, so at the moment race seems not to be significant factor amongst this voting group if we were to go from the figures.
Paul B. @ 5:
If I've been ignored by Black cashiers or my polite attempts at conversation are rebuffed does that mean they're racist to me, a Black woman? Being treated rudely is one thing, but racism is a horse of a different color (pun intended).
The disparate justice for similar criminal offenses meted out for Blacks & non-whites as compared to whites is racism... and that exists currently in a major way!
Not being called for a job interview based on a first name sounding UNLIKE a Caucasian first name is racism.
Being stuck with a high-interest loan, despite have a comparable salary & credit history as a Caucasian is racism.
Let's not cheapen the word in an attempt to point a finger at Black people to say, "they do it, too!" People of African descent are not colluding (knowingly or unknowingly) to impede your social or economic ascension and are not in a position to do so. Distrust or resentment of white people does not racism or a racist make. It isn't helpful, healthy or smart, but it isn't racism.
And, Barack Obama already told Jon Stewart that he will not enslave white people if he's elected President, so you have no worries there. *eyes rolling*
Paul B. @ 5:
Well said.
As a white male, I certainly see my share of racism from whites toward other races. And as someone who has done time incarcerated (where I realize that conditions to survival inside require a certain amont of racism), I can say that racism by other races toward races exists as well. But, overall, I think this is becoming less of a problem with those of younger generations.
I just hope there weren't many more than the 30% described who were lying...
Michael M. @ 1:
Even here in Northern Virginia region, I can attest to this. The folks who have been here for generations, no, not the new implants from New York or MA, are pretty much the good ole southern folks. And their racism and hatred of anyone that is different from them is real and deep. Over here, they hate you with a smile on their face.
The will do at anything, and I mean anything (including breaking the law) to stop progress. And often than not, they usu. win. They have deep financial backings and political support. Although the political support is slowing fading because of the several public snaufs and missteps from George "Macaca" Allen to "Dog Food" Davis, and that perenially incompetent Gilmore.
henry wallace @ 8:
No, I'm dead because I have no skin
Unless you want to be made totally sock to your stomachs, do NOT go to the TOPIX forums on this subject. It is laden with the most ignorant, hate-filled, insecure, paranoid nonsense you will ever see. A quick read through and you will understand why it is all so vital to elect Obama and for any American who really wants to return to some sort of sane discussion regarding the issues we face as a society to work for the silencing of the enablers (Limbaugh, OReilly, Hannity, Coulter, etc) of this crap. It would also be worth our time to put some meaningful pressure (shame?) on the main stream media that isn't a whole lot better any more.
"We" have really got to band together and move the country as far away from the neanderthals as we can. I wish us luck!
pissed off patricia @ 3:
And 8 in 10 have no trouble voting for a patholical lying, sociopathic, incompetent-imbecile. Provided he comes from the ruling class aristocracy of course.
Isome Hussein @ 18:
hahaha ok, and if there's an entire genre of music dedicated to bragging about how blacks deliberately target white men's wives for adulterous sex and white men's children for drug customers, is that just being "rude" too? I mean, hey, as long as the guy still has a job and a home at the end of the day...
speaking of racism and bigotry in today's youth cultures, are you aware of how biased and bigoted black gangs are toward *all* latinos in LA (and vise versa) ?
The sad thing is that with 3 out of 10 making the admission, there are another 2 who will lie on a poll like this. They'll do it out of denial. So you can say with some accuracy that HALF of those polled have racist tendencies.
One would think that with the world in the state it's in now we could look past race and be concerned with more important things. Sometimes humans are so stupid I'm amazed we aren't extinct yet.
so Kathryn Jean Lopez says I should be thrilled that there are only 30 million ignorant racists helping to dictate the direction of this country.
Fuck you Madam. Good day.
*lol* Oh' and how condescending can one be towards an entire American ethnic group when they 'refuse' to use a name the group has chosen for itself? If there are people of African descent who prefer African American, then out of respect for their right to choose their own name, you should call them that. To 'refuse' is indicative of a patent disregard for that group and/or that individual... and that's soft racism.
If a person of Irish ancestry referred to themselves as Irish-American, who am I to decide that the Irish part makes them less American so I refuse to use the name they've chosen? That would be ridiculous considering everyone here is from somewhere else, except the indigenous people our government violently forced onto reservations. If the combination of the parts is supposed to be what makes us great as a country, there's no rational reason to ignore or deny any part.
burnt @ 24:
hahaha ok, and if there's an entire genre of music dedicated to bragging about how blacks deliberately target white men's wives for adulterous sex and white men's children for drug customers, is that just being "rude" too? I mean, hey, as long as the guy still has a job and a home at the end of the day...
speaking of racism and bigotry in today's youth cultures, are you aware of how biased and bigoted black gangs are toward *all* latinos in LA (and vise versa) ?
WTF are you talking about, and how is it related to politics?
A co worker shared a story with me on his neighbors take politics, and how some unruly black kids were in a movie theater and when they ignored warnings to leave, they finally said upon leaving "You wait till Obama is President and this wont be happening anymore..."
So, even if this tale is true, it was enough to make this 82 yr. old man a McCain supporter. Racism always rests on the foundation of ignorance, you cannot have one without the other. Sometimes all it will take to make someone vote against Obama is a black man or woman upsetting them in some way.
However, even though the ignorance in this country is appalling, and the racial divide wont be bridged between now and November, most people of at least average intelligence (I'd guess somewhere between 60 and 70% of the country) can see past their prejudices and vote for what is BEST for the country and that is clearly NOT John McCain.
What worries me is what "October Surprise" the Repugs have planned. They need a bombshell smear against Obama based on racial prejudice OR a terrorist attack to scare the sheeple.
And even then I dont think it would be enough to change a majority of Americans minds that Obama is the best candidate by a mile.
I enjoy taking relatively controlled polls and applying "guesses" to them.
Marge @ 10:
I don't get that impression of her at all. Your observation actually sounds a lot like a veiled way of saying "that black woman doesn't know her place," even though you might not realize it. Just as a lot of males are subconsciously put off by an intelligent, assertive, self-confident woman and rationalize their prejudice by saying she's bitchy or arrogant, a lot of white America has the same reaction to intelligent, assertive, self-confident black women.
It's the same reason a lot of white people seemed way more threatened by Rev. Wright than by Pastor Hagee, and seemed way more indignant about OJ Simpson's exoneration than about any of the black men wrongfully imprisoned only to be released decades later after DNA evidence proved them innocent.
This is a serious challenge for race relations; getting ostensibly non-racist people to recognize their own subtle prejudices that are contributing to the problem.
BaddogLtd @ 26:
Yep. They may live in a Wall-Mart trash dumpster and live on dog turds, but they is a votins' for da guy with an "R" next to he's name, cause he a be-in' like one of them. Dey gots so much in a common. Maybe he'll have a beer wid-um?
Marge @ 10:
You can tell a lot about a man by who he associates. Obama has an intelligent equal, who worked for everything she has by his side . . . McCain has a multi-million dollar heiress, ex-drug addict, mistress who didn't get jail time because of her connections and an ex-wife who he abandoned because she was severely injured in a car accident. Hmmmm, who am I going to vote for?
If you're going to make these kind of assessments at the very least look at both sides. If you can excuse creating, and then raiding, a non-profit organization to feed a drug habit, and are looking forward to another Stepford wife type of First Lady, then you better really enjoy these last couple months of the George and Laura show. McCain is going to get beaten like a rented mule in the GE.
pissed off patricia @ 11:
There are several scientific studies that confirm what I suspect your intuitive answer to that question is.
Tests of individuals' rapid, automatic thought and feeling activations to pictures of faces indicate that within the broad category of "Black faces", people (White people, yes, but Black and other races too) are more likely to ascribe stereotypical "Black" characteristics to Black faces with stronger Afrocentric features.
I have no doubt that this is some of the reason why Obama has sometimes been smeared from both sides - being "too Black" for people who won't tolerate any skin tone other than lily white, and being "not Black enough" for not having more Afrocentric facial features.
And my gut reaction to your question (as much as I hate to acknowledge it, but in light of the survey results it's pointless to deny it) is that Obama would not stand as good a chance on the national stage as he does if he did have more stereotypically Afrocentric features.
It's ridiculous and sad, but it's really up to the media to change the associations people hold about racial categories.
burnt @ 24:
There isn't a genre of music dedicated to those subjects. Hyperbolic pronouncements based on some songs or a few lines of some songs isn't an argument or rational assertion.
burnt @ 24:
Try this article for a real understanding of the issue instead of a superficial one:
The Myth of L.A.'s Race War
By Maria Luisa Tucker, AlterNet. Posted February 24, 2006.
Isome Hussein @ 27:
Yep, you speak truths Isome.
So this country will either come to an end in the McCain Presidency, or begin to recover in an Obama one. Quite frankly, either is ok with me as it will finally get rid of this pariah on the world called the United States. The world doesn't deserve the nightmare that is America.
Gretchen @ 25:
Hmmm, well, there is an evolutionary argument that humans developed an instinctive tendency to accept "in-group" members and discriminate against "out-group" members as an adaptive advantage for helping ensure the survival of one's like gene pool.
You can buy the argument or not, but research has shown that it's ridiculously instant and simple to get normal people in a lab to make different likeability judgments of pictures of people based on the most arbitrary in-group and out-group discriminations, such as the color of the background or their clothing.
I mean, it's actually kind of working against human nature to try to get us not to stereotype and discriminate. It's a worthwhile goal, definitely, but you're swimming against the stream.
Spring edition of the Intelligence Report magazine from the Southern Poverty Law Center has an article entitled "Active hate groups rise to 888 in 2007". This represents a 5% increase from the year before. There is a map showing where these hate groups exist all over the nation. There are only a few states that have no hate groups. These hate groups include:
Ku Klux Klan (155), Neo-Nazi (207), White Nationalist (125), Racist Skinhead (90), Christian Identity (36), Neo-Confederate (104), Black Separatist (81) and General Hate (90) which includes anti-gay, anti-immigrant, Holocaust denial, racist music groups, radical traditionalist catholics and others.
We do not live in an enlightened country. Many of these groups have handed this hate down generation after generation. I don't know what the answer to this is other than to hope these people don't vote.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a wonderful group that represents the victims of hate crimes all over this country. A lot of their work is done with the help of donations if you are so inclined.
Bluesage @ 38:
I'm curious as to which states have no organized hate groups listed. Do you have a link?
I feel the question is overly broad. Racism is not a black and white issue. Everyone is racist to a degree. Mine is very low level but I do occasionally "acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice" and I do recognize it and try to minimize it (it's hard to suppress it completely when you grow up in a totally whitebread midwest small town).
I just hope that, as a country, we've matured enough to elect a "scary" black man.
Go Obama!!
Three out of ten is just about the ratio the Chimp "won/stole" in '04.
About half the 'people' vote.
I'd betcha that the vast majority of those to whom race matters will vote?
Bigotry, bias, rudeness, etc, are not 'racism.'
There are bigots, dickheads, and biassed assholes of every color...
Racism is the system of arrangements, laws, and conventions which permit 'race' to be the dominant factor in the allocation and distribution of 'social goods'' such as home ownership, wealth, personal freedom, employment, etc...
Only whites, finally, are capable of restricting access to such 'goods' by reference to 'race.'
"I feel the question is overly broad. Racism is not a black and white issue. Everyone is racist to a degree. Mine is very low level but I do occasionally “acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice” and I do recognize it and try to minimize it (it’s hard to suppress it completely when you grow up in a totally whitebread midwest small town)."
Be careful, you'll have the self-righteous all over you for this one! You're obviously correct that few, if any, of us, regardless of background, have achieved perfection in regards to our perceptions of others. The key, I believe, is self-awareness and a desire to evolve as a person. If you can watch your perceptions with at least some measure of rationality, then you are likely fine and will vote for Obama :)
fastfeat @ 39
The states without hate groups are Rhode Island, Alaska, Hawaii and South Dakota. The website is splcenter.org
Michelle Obama's thesis was on the very topic of racial divide in America. It wasn't particularly well written but it's revealing nonetheless. Everyone should read it if they get the chance.
Bluesage @ 44:
Thanks.
NoGWBpolicyleftinplace @ 31:
lol AWESOME! =)
can someone explain to me how this doesn't qualify as "racism", please?
fastfeat @ 39
In addition to the ones I listed there are also 131 active Patriot Groups. Of these groups, 43 were militias with the remainder being made up of "common law" courts, publishers, ministries and citizens' groups. These are mostly anti-New World Order and extreme anti-government doctrines and every state seems to have at least one of these groups.
Is not the publishing of statistics like these in and of itself propagating these divides among people of all colors?
Why is the statistic machine not based on one group? Americans, that would be a good division. We are all in this together and an asshole is an asshole.
Bluesage @ 48:
Will check out the site. I've heard of them, but not really looked into them.
I do have a weird fascination with how these groups are classified and defined.
Thanks.
Hope this doesn't contravene site policy. As social satire this is very much on point. Racism is pervasive even when we know better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVIVRIpZivI
Peter G @ 51:
A classic clip that is great to spring upon older friends and family members just to watch their faces!!
Isome Hussein @ 34:
incidentally, I'm a hip hop DJ, been spinning records for a long long time.
lol @ "hyperbolic pronouncements based on some" - dude, its a frickin *COMMON THEME* among the Dirty South crews...
***
none of my perceptions about certain "bad apples" among blacks, whites, latinos, women, men, old people, young people, etc is going to affect my vote. but seriously. racism and bigotry is a lot more complicated than a one-way street.
burnt @ 47:
Because it is pointing out the ignorance (and racism, if you read closely) of an individual(s). The post does not mention if the hypothetical person they are referring to is white, black or green.
seth @ 43:
My point, exactly!
Do any of you know who the racists are? People of color - The wealthy black man will keep his thumb on the lowly black man insuring that he never succeeds - then the white man gets blamed.
Ever see "Guess who's coming to Dinner"? Tillie the maid was very racist. That's appropo for most blacks. Very sad.
Hello everyone from Corvallis Oregon!!
My wife & I are loving it! We're sitting in an organic breakfast/lunch place in town and we're surrounded by like minded people.
Special Message for those 3, you will be extinct in the 21st Century, enjoy your stupidity while you have 2 others to blissfully piss away your own best interests, because you can't get over the fact that someone looks different than you...
IMO - that is definition (B) of stupidity...congratulations on your ignorance. You are worthless...
Gretchen @ 54:
ah, ok - so its just classist. and possibly racist only if you concede that the aforementioned demograph has a propensity toward caucasian racial roots.
***
rain @ 56:
rain @ 56:
Gretchen @ 54:
KRS ONE has a song called "Black Cop" that discusses this very same topic.
like I say, racism is a lot more complicated than a one-way street. one might even wonder if the original poster's assumption that many of the respondents in the survey who claim to have no racial bias are "probably lying"... is a racist assumption. if one were so inclined to look at things that way.
hafdan @ 49:
Well, I suppose that burying your head in the sand and telling yourself that "we are all in this together" is one way to go but it's both naive and untrue. There has always been hate and prejudices out there and they flourish in the darkness and ignorance. Only when you recognize and shine the light on these things can you understand them and begin to correct them. These cycles need to be broken, not hidden or ignored.
burnt @ 53:
It's less complicated than you're letting on and despite your attempt to muddy the waters by essentially saying that "everyone is racist", it remains so.
So you're a 'hip hop dj'... but you're obviously not an expert on the genre. That's obvious since you insist that your fallacious assertion is right. There is Hip hop and there is rap (and a sub-genre of the notorious gangsta rap) and none of them are devoted to slurring white people or white women. In fact rap started out with Black consciousness, which is far from bigoted, prejudice or racist. Much of the 'dirty south' stuff is absolute fluff, with subjects no deeper than group dances (walk it out or get silly), gross sexual innuendo, or teen-aged boy driven bravado.
You won't let racism get in your way, you say... of course you won't.
Doubting_Terrance @ 55:
I have to agree. I'd say a good proportion of the 3 out of 10 people who admit feelings of racial prejudice are actually people who are more progressive and anti-racist in their politics. Think about it: A racist does not admit to being "prejudiced;" s/he simply feels that his/her view of other races is factual - "No prejudice, here those [insert racial epithet here] really are [insert derogatory and racist remark here]. Them's the facts."
Furthermore, most people whom say racist things or engage in prejudicial behavior almost never admit to being racist or prejudice and don't see themselves that way. Contemporary American society is marked by a "colorblind ideology" that has most people believing that color doesn't matter and making us (especially whites) believe that we do not harbor any racial prejudices. Given that we live in a society in which the political and economic landscapes are marred by institutional racism and the culture is inundated with racist images, these are two of the the big lies "colorblind" America tells itself on a ongoing basis.
So, while I wouldn't say that the full 30% are progressive, self-aware, and anti-racist in their politics, I'm more worried about the 70% who claim never to experience feelings of racial prejudice. What country do these people live in?
burnt @ 58:
Oh come on. Don't try to turn this discussion into a "Ah ha, gotcha! You're secretly a racist!" witch hunt.
If you look hard enough and make your definition wide enough, you can always find some evidence of "racial bias" even among people who claim to have none.
For instance, studies done on dating web sites have found that the large majority of posters will endorse statements like, "race doesn't matter to me," when describing potential mates of interest, but that between a White and non-White profile that are otherwise similar in terms of reported income, interests, etc, the White profile will get overwhelmingly more responses.
So does that mean that everyone who said race didn't matter in a mate but still didn't respond to a non-White profile is secretly a racist?
You can argue that the answer is 'yes' if you want, but I think that would be a little too judgmental on your own part and a little too intolerant of how humans naturally and instinctively perceive and make judgments about others, even outside our conscious awareness.
I would argue that maybe those people are lacking in a little self-awareness, but I wouldn't call them "racist" unless they consciously associated other-race members with feelings of hatred and acted in deliberate manners to spite or disadvantage them. Thankfully I think that group is a dwindling minority.
rain @ 57:
Yes, ditto for Fresh Prince of Bel Air.....I the racism between elitist Carlton and Will was disgusting.
rain, I don't recommend listening the voices in your head. Just ignore them . Step away from the computer and get some fresh air.
Isome Hussein @ 61:
those dirty south crews, have a huge following man. its not exactly my flavor (although it mixes really well with dubstep I have to admit) but its a lot of fun to a lot of people.
so by dismissing an entire culture, something that thousands of people across a lot of southern US states do every weekend as "absolute fluff" - isn't that a diluted form of classism/racism?
I think the original poster's right. everybody's a little racist, everybody can improve. myself included, I know this. the only reason I posted my original post was to debate your assertion (your post at 19) that the only really hurtful way to repress a race is to prevent them from working. my argument was that black people who hate white men and act upon their hate by targetting white wives sexually, and/or by infecting white men's children with tainted drugs is just as repressing.
I mean come on man. in the 60's the white man "allowed" the black man to attend white-only colleges. but they still made the black man drink from a segregated fountain, sit in a segregated section of the bus.
by your logic, in your post at 19, that crap wasn't racism. it was just rudeness.
"Being treated rudely is one thing, but racism is a horse of a different color (pun intended)."
bull. shit. racism, is racism, is racism. its everywhere, man. its way way way bigger than just a "some white heterosexual men vs. everyone else" thing. repression is way bigger than just holding someone back from "economic success", its holding someone back from achieving wellness or happiness, based on a disdain for the color of their skin.
Obly @ 63:
Nice post, Obly. I for one don't think the point is mainly to figure out who "the real racists" are, but to demonstrate - as your post did so well - the ways in which racial assumptions guide everyday actions in ways that 1) aren't often brought into our conscious awareness and 2) can produce racist outcomes. For instance, if we replace your same dating website example with the example of two equally qualified job candidates (one white, one non-white), we start to get some understanding as to how racism keeps reproducing itself without the help of easily identifiable racists. There is nothing natural in this...it is the result of being socialized into a racist culture and society. Thus, it is racist institutions, images, practices, laws, etc. that we need to spend our time identifying, even more so than racist individuals (but individuals don't get a free pass either).
Obly @ 63:
So maybe it's more of a prejudice where racist would be hate based. Because we all have prejudices. One of mine that I'm working on improving is when I see a beautiful blond woman I automatically think she's a ditzy airhead (sometimes true but not always). But I know I need work and the world is not black and white.
Isome Hussein @ 28:
I don't think it's "condescending" OR "soft racism" at all. African Americans are people born in Africa that have become U.S citizens, and can be any color. If you want to be referred to as "African American," but were not born in Africa, that's fine, but it is technically incorrect. Everyone here is not from somewhere else, I'm from the U.S., I was born and raised here, my ancestors are from all over the place; Mexico, Ireland, Germany. If we were to use your argument, I could choose to be Mexican American one day, Irish American the next, and German American next week. Like I said, you can choose to be called African American, but don't call it racism if someone argues the point.
I doubt they're lying, since race won't play an issue the way it did in the primaries. Americans aren't going to let their bigotry get in the way of their disgust with high prices.
Isome Hussein @ 19:
Racism is prejudiced or discriminatory behavior towards members of another race. When I see a black clerk talking freely with every black person in line and then ignoring MY attempt at being friendly, it's not just bad service. It's an intentional slight because of my skin color. Is this as bad as predatory loans or cops who pick on black kids? No, it's not even close, but it still is racism.
You say "people of African descent are not colluding..." Well, neither are the vast majority of white people. And if you look closely, you'll see that poor white people (and poor Latino folks) are often subjected to the same discrimination you describe.
So, yes, distrust or resentment of white people IS racism because it's judging people by their RACE. That is racism. It doesn't cheapen the word to use it accurately.
If I distrust you because you're black, I'm a racist. And if you distrust me because I'm white, you're a racist--period.
There are laws to protect people against institutionalized racism (and there need to be more, probably), but the kind of common, everyday racism I'm talking about is practiced by every race in America.
Isome Hussein @ 28:
It's not condescending at all. American is a nationality, not a race. Africa is a continent of many nationalities and races. A white person born in South Africa can come to America and call themselves African-American, then, right? But...isn't "African-American" another word for "black?" See, it's an inaccurate and unhelpful term.
Should I call myself a European-American because my ancestors 200 years ago came here from Europe? If I'm supposed to stop saying "black" in favor of "African-American," then you'd better stop calling me "white" and switch to "German-Dutch-French-Scottish-American."
Or how about we just call ourselves AMERICANS and stop trying to divide ourselves by our ethnicities? All of these hyphenated names are divisive. In fact, "African-American" even divides blacks from other blacks. Are black people from Africa called "African-Africans?" I doubt it; they generally call themselves "black" and/or refer to their specific nationality.
And besides, what's wrong with the word "black" anyway? I'm not really "white" but that's what the ENTIRE WORLD calls my ethnicity.
Daniel W. @ 66:
I definitely agree with most of what you've said, and I'll only make a nitpicky contention with one small part. It isn't true that there's nothing at all natural about our tendency to discriminate. Even pre-cognitive infants and non-human animals demonstrate observable preferences for "sameness" (with respect to themselves) and faces/others that are familiar to them.
We do seem to be hardwired to categorize and make snap judgments about others. There's no way to change that. To run around calling everyone who instinctively prefers people who look like themselves a racist is, IMHO, disingenuous, insulting, and counterproductive.
What we need to do is what you alluded to, to try to change the way our society is structured so that kids don't grow up adding all of the stereotypical "baggage" to their instinctive judgments that produce discriminatory consequences, consciously intended or not.
For just one thing, we need to aggressively promote integration, and the earlier the age the better. We'll never learn to like each other if we stay separated. Anything that promotes segregation is harmful and wrong and needs to be beaten down hard.
I really enjoy the intelligent discussion I see on here about this issue. =)
Not to be overly naive or Pollyanna-ish about this, however, but I also see a lot of cynicism. Don't you think there are tons of people to whom race is absolutely a NON-issue ? Especially in places like the West Coast, the Southwest, and the West in general. More enlightened folks living out here. Folks who genuinely don't care about race differences, who hardly see them, and/ or who really aren't affected by it one way or another.
earlier, #59 said that: "one might even wonder if the original poster’s assumption that many of the respondents in the survey who claim to have no racial bias are “probably lying”… is a racist assumption. if one were so inclined to look at things that way.". Well ? I agree with this. Assuming that people are lying when they say that they have no racial biases is highly cynical. Truly, put yourself away from a prejudiced city or region, and look at us all as a whole.
Or am I being overly naive ?
Doubting_Terrance @ 67:
Sure, you could call that a prejudice based on a stereotype, but I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. We seem to be hardwired as a species to make snap judgments about people based on their similarity to others we've encountered in the past and to the stereotypes we've learned from family, friends, pop culture, etc.
Natural selection wouldn't have designed us any other way though; humans couldn't have survived as a species if we had to take the time and energy to evaluate every new person from scratch.
I think you're doing the right thing though, by forcing yourself to question your automatic judgments and give each person a fair shake on their own merits. I say, if you have the chance, try to get to know a few more blondes; the more you know who aren't airheads, the less likely you are to snap to that judgment instinctively.
Are the same people who think that 1908 was a better time than 2008?
Or worse, is it possible that only 30% of the voters, white, black or otherwise are honest enough to admit to prejudice?
Win or lose (please not a draw decided by Scalia), the election of 2008 could be the most significant thing that has happened re: race relations in the US since Reconstruction. Should we get through it peacefully and intact - no white sheets and no south central LA - we may come out of this a better country.
I will display the flag again on the day Michele Obama becomes First Lady.
Would it count as racial prejudice if I acknowledged a willingness to vote for a black, hispanic, or asian candidate over a less worthy caucasian oppenent? Yeah, I'm anti-White, alright.
idealistic in NM @ 73:
Of course there are people that don't think of race or ethnicity. I was born and raised in Dallas and moved to Los Angeles when I was 21. I've lived in both suburban and urban settings. I would never go back to living in a suburban setting, I love the diversity of the area I live in now and wouldn't change it for the world. I have black (or African American if you prefer :)) neighbors, gay neighbors, and neighbors from India, Japan, and the Middle East. We will never learn from one another if we separate ourselves.
60 to 70 percent of the country is of average or greater intelligence.
I love it.
-fred
Fred Fnord @ 78:
Not necessarily incorrect. Now if they had said median intelligence...
Obly @ 72:
Thanks, Obly. Just to clarify a bit, while it is certainly true that human beings are cognitively pre-structured to categorize the world around them (this is how we have "culture"), I still contend that there is nothing particularly natural about doing this by "race." The fact that we categorize and often discriminate among categories can be argued to be natural in the sense that we are biologically disposed to do so, but the content of these categorizations is a matter of socialization and enculturation. In fact, there is nothing "natural" about the way people have categorized race since the concept was invented shortly after European exploration of the "New World." In fact, a person classified and treated as "Asian" in the U.S. may be surprised to find out that they are categorized and treated as "Black" in South Africa. Similarly, a person of categorized and treated as "black" in the U.S. may be surprised that they are categorized and treated as "white" in Brazil. Which categorization system is the most "natural?" None of the above. They are simply the ways different societies have categorized human physiology and culture (which is always more variegated and diverse than any set of racial categories can capture) at different historical moments.
To get an idea of how poorly our current racial categories actually map on to the realities of human difference, I encourage people to try out the following exercise:
http://www.pbs.org/race/002_SortingPeople/002_00-home.htm
The rest of PBS's website on "Race" The Power of an Illusion" is also very good, explaining why race is not at all natural but very much real in the workings of our day-to-day lives.
idealistic in NM @ 73:
I love your idealism, but I would say your assertion is a bit naive [no offense intended, just answering the question :)]. The claims that "I don't see color" or that "race doesn't matter to me" and other such statements only perpetuate the myths that:
1) somehow people who grow up and live in a racist society and culture are somehow immune to the effects of that socialization - in other words, in a society in which we all are inundated with racialized (and often racist) images and rhetoric, some of us have the magical ability to not "see" race.
2) that the causes of and solutions to racism are mostly individual - in other words, if we stop talking about or "seeing" race then racism will disappear (it won't, racism in this country is institutionalized, meaning that it is embedded in practices and policies that perpetuate themselves with little need for individual racists).
3) that the "litmus test" for white liberals when it comes to racism is how and to what extent one "notices" race in everyday affairs. IMHO, we have to do a better job of noticing race, racism, and racial prejudice (in ourselves, others, and in our institutions) in order to combat racism in our society.
My $.02
Yes. 3 out of 10 people are republicans that support George Bush. So, it makes sense. But the Obama people want to add 3 more out of the 10 to say that 6 out of 10 are racially biased.
They want to include all the Hillary supporters, who obviously are racist since they didn't want Obama as the nominee.
So let's see if the Obama-crazies try to get my vote by saying that I am a racist. I am one of those scary Hillary supporters that won't vote for Obama or McSame. Not until the Obama-crazies apologize to the Clinton democrats.
Oh, but they'll say I'm a racist, so I won't be expecting any apologies soon.
Phlipper @ 82:
I agree; we'll be seeing many of these attempts to fan the white guilt flame.
Daniel W. @ 81:
Don't interracial relationships/marriages mess up your argument?
When I was a kid, more than 50 years ago, race "relations" were not an issue of any obvious concern. (Unless you happened to be black) Everyone knew where everyone else stood in regards to race. It was quite literally a "black and white" plank in our society. Blacks over there and whites over there, which was fine with most everyone. (Unless you happened to be black) It never registered with white people that black people were being treated like so much rubbish, to put it very mildly. But then we had the civil rights movement of the 60's. The passage of civil rights laws and legitimacy thrust on an unprepared black society. Uneducated, poor and basically aimless blacks then had the power of the federal government to pave the way to equality and the same prosperity enjoyed by the white race. Suddenly and tragically the lone voice of hope and reason was silenced by a gunshot. The guiding force, the perceived overseer of injustice and the leader of the movement was murdered. Since Dr. King was murdered there has not been a central voice to help steer the black movement. Until the same kind of leadership and voice of reason and influence is once again at the head of the ongoing and in many ways--stagnant fight for equality and justice for all black people, white people will continue to all too easily ignore and minimize the blatant and disgusting inequality that is everywhere......Still.
dada @ 84:
I'm not sure what you mean here. Do you mean that people who are in such relationships/marriages don't notice race? Are that this proves that they are bereft of any racial prejudice at all times and in all circumstances? Are that they prove that racism does not exist? I don't believe so. However, the increase in interracial relationships (the non-coerced kinds that are entered into voluntary and among equals) are one of many signs that we have made progress in race relations in this country.
Honestly, I'm not trying to prove that everyone in the U.S. is a racist here. I'm just saying that we need to get past the colorblind ideology that pervades both conservative and many liberal forms of politics to face up to the way that racism saturates our culture. No one is immune to it. But that doesn't mean we can't be critical of it, recognize it in ourselves and others, fight against it and against those people who embrace and perpetuate racist ideologies.
Sorry about the typos in the last post. Fingers...going...faster...than...brain :).
If three in 10 acknowledge racial prejudice, 7 in 10 are lying.
Daniel W. @ 86:
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, yes, we do live in a racist society, but that there are some us that are "immune" and have the ability to see beyond color, ethnicity, and differences. I think interracial relationships show that to be true. I agree with you that we can't stop talking about race relations in this country in the hopes that it will disappear, even though history has proven that there will always be those that dislike others just because they're different. We've got to at least try and tamp down that monster as much as possible.
burnt @ 65:
A genre of music is not an entire culture, but more importantly what you're talking about is NOT a genre of music. You're still referring to SOME songs or some LINES in some songs.
That wasn't my argument. Try again.
That's such crap... it doesn't deserve much more argument than that.
No, that is not my logic, it's yours! Being forced to pay the same money for inferior service while others get superior service is racism.
I don't know who you're quoting but it certainly isn't me. I agree with the poster who is trying to tell the ignorant that institutional racism is pervasive.
And an African American clerk at a store (which is more likely than not owned by someone who does not share her ethnicity) doesn't hold you back from any of those things.
Paul B. @ 71:
Sure it is a continent, good of you to notice. However it was chosen because those of us descended from enslaved Africans had our history and our culture taken from us. There is no country to reference.
They already do, but they remain caucasian/anglo/of Dutch descent, no matter how long they continue to live in Africa.
Unhelpful to whom? If you're concerned with pigeonholing someone you indeed might find it 'unhelpful'.
If you want to, I don't care.
Personally I wouldn't refer to you at all. But others should refer to you in accordance to your wishes.
There's no need to cry about it. We're divided anyway. We worship separately, and outside of the workplace we live separately. We get disparate justice, less public services in our neighborhoods, pay higher interest rates for loans and according to the AMA get inferior healthcare in spite of comparable insurance and knowledge about whatever ails us. But you want to wax indignant because a lot of people choose African American over Black? It's not divisive, it's a reclamation & acknowledgement of a culture stolen.
The Irish still have their parades every year and no one tells them to stop referring to themselves as IRISH (they don't even use a hyphen on that day). The Italian American women in my office are proud of their heritage (and rightly so) & frequently refer to their Italian background; the same goes for the Latinos, Armenians, Germans, etc. Should they cease and desist from referring to the culture of their forebearers because they were born & raised in this country? I mean after all they've been here so long why should that other culture even require acknowledgement?
Uh, no you're so far off base I wonder why you tried to make a claim you cannot back up. African immigrants in America refer to themselves as either Africans or Nigerians, Somailians, Ethiopian, etc.
Nothing is wrong with the word, however if someone of my ethnicity prefers to be called African American, there's nothing wrong with that. You either respect people, or you look down on them and believe they don't know what is best for them and that them making YOU comfortable is more important than their self-determination.
Paul B. @ 70:
I said colluding knowingly or unknowingly. As long as white people hold the majority of the positions of power & authority, the nasty attitudes of their friends, neighbors and relatives unwittingly support the unjust decisions they make that adversely affect me and people who look like me.
The alleged nasty attitude of the minimum-wage clerk in a store she doesn't own may affect you for the moment, but it isn't racism, it is NOTHING compared to the real scenarios that I listed and it certainly doesn't impede your social or economic ascension or status in the country.
No, it's distrust and/or resentment and a list of imagined slights from African Americans as long as the Empire State building won't change that.
If you're a loan officer and distrust me based on my skin color and deny me a loan or steer me into a high-interest rate loan, you are being prejudiced practicing racism. If you do it regularly, you're a racist.
If we encounter each other on the street and for no particular reason there is distrust from either side it is prejudice.
Einstein thought experiment….picture all human races without a skin covering. Can you pick out the black person?
Yes. He'll be the one with his pants hanging below his ass, stealing your car, and saying you "Axed for it" 'cause of all the years he was oppressed.
Mike Smollon @ 93:
Hey, who invited the Klan member douchebag?
Comments are closed on this entry