Humans are an interesting species. We have a need to group and categorise things. Everything must have a place so we can compare it to something else. Our brains work through seeing the similarities and differences between different ideas, colors, and objects. The reason that we see race is because of the way our brains work, we see differences. But just because we see differences doesn't mean that we have to act upon them. In theory we could judge race by any other feature say eye color, or hair color. But why don't we base race off of those factors? There are two main reasons. First of all the society we live in once enslaved African Americans and created a prejudice against them. Secondly skin color is the most noticeable difference between humans mainly because it is usually accompanied by different hair and different eye color. Interestingly enough people tend to associate themselves to people similar to them. In an experiment at a grade school parents dressed their kids in either blue or red shirts regardless of the color of their skin. The children would prefer the company of the children with the same color shirts as them compared to the children with the opposite color of shirt regardless of race. In addition to preferring the children with the same color of shirt the children would say negative things about the other children with shirts of the opposite color once again regardless of their race. So what does this experiment show us? It shows us that for some reason, people discriminate against people that are different than them regardless of the reason. So now that we know that people discriminate against others for minuscule reasons we need to figure out a way to stop discrimination. Many people believe the way to do that is to be quote on quote "color blind" and avoid the issue of race at all costs. Forgetting about race would seem like a good way to get ride of the concept right? But no, contrary to the belief that being colorblind is the best option, talking about race and understanding it is the best way to go about dealing with race. In surveys of many younger children found that parents that talked to their children about race in a productive meaningful manner raised children that were much less likely to discriminate against others compared to children who were raised not to talk about race or be "color blind". When children were introduced to stories in which a commonly accepted white figure was changed to a African American figure children had a hard time adjusting. But after they had time to think about the difference they came out of the situation more friendly to other races than when they were first introduced to the idea. People are most afraid of what they don't know. That's why so many people are afraid of the dark, or afraid of other cultures. They don't know enough about them and therefor act hostile towards them. If people understand race, and how it is only skin deep then people would be more open to others of a different race. But the only way people are ever going to be able to put race behind us is if we have cooperation from both sides. Now I'm not talking about Republicans and Democrats, I'm talking about African Americans and other minorities and whites. Leaders from both sides need to come together and agree to certain ideas. Ideas like equality from both sides. Whites shouldn't call blacks demeaning names nor should blacks call white demeaning names. The NAACP shouldn't make companies feel obligated to hire the minority candidate over the white candidate based only on the worry that they will be sued if they don't. It creates feeling of hatred towards the African Americans because the white person feels that they were cheated out of a job. They need to create equality, and equality is not taking the rights away from some and giving them to others, equality is giving everyone the same rights. And until that happens there will always be inequality.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
"colorblind"
Humans are an interesting species. We have a need to group and categorise things. Everything must have a place so we can compare it to something else. Our brains work through seeing the similarities and differences between different ideas, colors, and objects. The reason that we see race is because of the way our brains work, we see differences. But just because we see differences doesn't mean that we have to act upon them. In theory we could judge race by any other feature say eye color, or hair color. But why don't we base race off of those factors? There are two main reasons. First of all the society we live in once enslaved African Americans and created a prejudice against them. Secondly skin color is the most noticeable difference between humans mainly because it is usually accompanied by different hair and different eye color. Interestingly enough people tend to associate themselves to people similar to them. In an experiment at a grade school parents dressed their kids in either blue or red shirts regardless of the color of their skin. The children would prefer the company of the children with the same color shirts as them compared to the children with the opposite color of shirt regardless of race. In addition to preferring the children with the same color of shirt the children would say negative things about the other children with shirts of the opposite color once again regardless of their race. So what does this experiment show us? It shows us that for some reason, people discriminate against people that are different than them regardless of the reason. So now that we know that people discriminate against others for minuscule reasons we need to figure out a way to stop discrimination. Many people believe the way to do that is to be quote on quote "color blind" and avoid the issue of race at all costs. Forgetting about race would seem like a good way to get ride of the concept right? But no, contrary to the belief that being colorblind is the best option, talking about race and understanding it is the best way to go about dealing with race. In surveys of many younger children found that parents that talked to their children about race in a productive meaningful manner raised children that were much less likely to discriminate against others compared to children who were raised not to talk about race or be "color blind". When children were introduced to stories in which a commonly accepted white figure was changed to a African American figure children had a hard time adjusting. But after they had time to think about the difference they came out of the situation more friendly to other races than when they were first introduced to the idea. People are most afraid of what they don't know. That's why so many people are afraid of the dark, or afraid of other cultures. They don't know enough about them and therefor act hostile towards them. If people understand race, and how it is only skin deep then people would be more open to others of a different race. But the only way people are ever going to be able to put race behind us is if we have cooperation from both sides. Now I'm not talking about Republicans and Democrats, I'm talking about African Americans and other minorities and whites. Leaders from both sides need to come together and agree to certain ideas. Ideas like equality from both sides. Whites shouldn't call blacks demeaning names nor should blacks call white demeaning names. The NAACP shouldn't make companies feel obligated to hire the minority candidate over the white candidate based only on the worry that they will be sued if they don't. It creates feeling of hatred towards the African Americans because the white person feels that they were cheated out of a job. They need to create equality, and equality is not taking the rights away from some and giving them to others, equality is giving everyone the same rights. And until that happens there will always be inequality.
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it's interesting that you say 'equality is giving everyone the same rights'. Next week we will talk about that very issue. Is it equal if the policies of a society systematically create situations where one race will gain a LOT of advantages over another over a long period of time, and THEN say, 'ok, we'll all play by the same rules now'--but the disadvantaged people are still starting from a disadvantaged position?
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