Part One
Hello readers! My name is Kaila, and throughout the next couple weeks I'll be exploring the complex racial issues we face today in America through the eyes Beverly Tatum in her novel “Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria.”
Beverly Tatum is an African American clinical psychologist who has spent her career researching black children's racial identity development, teaching courses on the psychology of race and, sharing her experiences and research through lectures and workshops throughout the country. Publishing her work in “Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria” to educate a broader population on racial issues in America.
Defining Racism “However, if one defines racism as a system of advantages based on race, the answer is no. People of color are not racist because they do not systemically benefit from racism. And, equally important, there is no systematic cultural and institutional support or sanction for the racial bigotry of people of color.” (90)
Bringing up racism is one of the easiest ways to shut a group of people up, Up until this point I never even thought of racism in this way, and I'd be lying if I didn't feel a little ignorant. I always thought of racism as hating people of color, actively trying to push them down and having a strong feeling of superiority. Though I never thought of the ingrained systems within our society, and I certainly never felt that I was racist. But as a white female, I am without actively realizing it. I live in a predominantly white area where we don't talk about racial issues all that much
“Active racism, blatant, intentional acts of racial bigotry and discrimination.”(91)
Active racism is what most people think of when they think of "traditional" racism, hate crimes, the KKK, etc., but most white people don’t act in this way. The majority of white people in 2019 aren't violent in any way to people of color but, all white people do benefit from racist systems, so they are indeed still racist but another kind.
“Passive racism is more subtle and can be seen in the collusion of laughing when a racist joke is told, letting exclusionary hiring practices go unchallenged, as appropriate the omissions of people of color from the curriculum, and avoiding difficult race-related issues.” (91) Passive racism is significantly more common than active racism, and many people don't even notice that they are doing some of these things. And some don't even understand that what they’re doing is racist. This all ties back in with the importance of an open and honest dialogue; these things have become so ingrained within us that we don’t even recognize them. If we want to end the cycle of oppression, we must first educate ourselves and talk to each other to change these patterns and go from passively racist to a supporter of change. Thank you for sticking that out with me I am still getting used to a blog format so future posts should be much more organized!
Beverly Tatum is an African American clinical psychologist who has spent her career researching black children's racial identity development, teaching courses on the psychology of race and, sharing her experiences and research through lectures and workshops throughout the country. Publishing her work in “Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria” to educate a broader population on racial issues in America.
“Talking about racism is an essential part of facing racism and changing it.”(78)
Defining Racism “However, if one defines racism as a system of advantages based on race, the answer is no. People of color are not racist because they do not systemically benefit from racism. And, equally important, there is no systematic cultural and institutional support or sanction for the racial bigotry of people of color.” (90)
Bringing up racism is one of the easiest ways to shut a group of people up, Up until this point I never even thought of racism in this way, and I'd be lying if I didn't feel a little ignorant. I always thought of racism as hating people of color, actively trying to push them down and having a strong feeling of superiority. Though I never thought of the ingrained systems within our society, and I certainly never felt that I was racist. But as a white female, I am without actively realizing it. I live in a predominantly white area where we don't talk about racial issues all that much
“Active racism, blatant, intentional acts of racial bigotry and discrimination.”(91)
Active racism is what most people think of when they think of "traditional" racism, hate crimes, the KKK, etc., but most white people don’t act in this way. The majority of white people in 2019 aren't violent in any way to people of color but, all white people do benefit from racist systems, so they are indeed still racist but another kind.
“Passive racism is more subtle and can be seen in the collusion of laughing when a racist joke is told, letting exclusionary hiring practices go unchallenged, as appropriate the omissions of people of color from the curriculum, and avoiding difficult race-related issues.” (91) Passive racism is significantly more common than active racism, and many people don't even notice that they are doing some of these things. And some don't even understand that what they’re doing is racist. This all ties back in with the importance of an open and honest dialogue; these things have become so ingrained within us that we don’t even recognize them. If we want to end the cycle of oppression, we must first educate ourselves and talk to each other to change these patterns and go from passively racist to a supporter of change. Thank you for sticking that out with me I am still getting used to a blog format so future posts should be much more organized!
Kaila, I appreciate your point on the willingness to share in class declining; it's something I've noticed as well. Your reactions to the various quotes in the text are thoughtful. Figuring out a way to structure the ideas and responses so that they connect to each other more smoothly is a good goal for future posts.
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