OVERCOMING OUR RACISM The Journey to Liberation Pace

OVERCOMING OUR RACISM: The Journey to Liberation Pace University May 16, 2005 “I’m not a racist. ” Taken From: Sue, D. W. (2003). Overcoming Our Racism: The Journey to Liberation. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Bigotry and Bias l “No one, born and raised in the United States or any other part of the world for that matter is immune from inheriting the racial/cultural biases of their forebears. ” l “Even though most of us are well-intentioned and consciously believe in the principles of democracy, we cannot escape the biased social conditioning of our society. ” l “Despite the fact that we are not personally responsible for our social conditioning, we individually and collectively must accept the responsibility of liberating ourselves from the stereotypes and prejudices that we have acquired. ”

WHAT MAKES US BIGOTS? Racism is rooted in normal social psychological processes. 1. 2. 3. Cognitive Processes – Categorization Motivational – Power/Social Dominance Sociocultural – Social Conditioning

WHAT MAKES US BIGOTS? Sociocultural Conditioning l Schooling and education l Mass Media l Peers and social groups

POWERFUL PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES l QUESTION: l Is it possible for any of us who are born and raised in the United States without inheriting the racial biases of our forebears?

THREE FORMS OF RACISM l 1. Individual racism is any attitude or action whether intentional or unintentional, conscious or unconscious, which subordinates a person or group because of their color.

THREE FORMS OF RACISM l 2. Institutional racism is any institutional policies, practices and structures in governments, businesses, unions, schools, churches, courts and law enforcement entities by which decisions are made as to unfairly subordinate persons of color while allowing other groups to profit from such actions. l Example: Housing patterns, segregated schools, discriminatory employment and promotion policies, racial profiling, inequities in health care, segregated churches, and educational curriculum which ignore/distort the history of minorities.

THREE FORMS OF RACISM l 3. Cultural racism is the individual and institutional expression of the superiority of one group’s cultural heritage over another (arts, crafts, language, traditions, beliefs and values).

MYTH OF RACISM l Only the White Supremacists (Skinheads, Neo Nazis, Ku Klux Klan) are bigoted, biased and racist. l I am a good and decent person. I believe in equality and democracy. I don’t discriminate.

THE CHANGING FACE OF RACISM l Almost all recent studies on racism suggest several trends in the evolution of racism which challenge this false conclusion:

THE CHANGING FACE OF RACISM l 1. Traditional racism, which is consciously expressed via racial hatred and overt hostility, receives the greatest share of news media attention. These are individuals who often intentionally act out their hatred in obvious and dramatic ways.

THE CHANGING FACE OF RACISM l 2. Most Americans would clearly label these individuals as pathological, evil, filled with hatred, and willingly condemn and work to punish them. It also makes it easy for us to say that racists are only those people - the Skinheads, KKK, and White Supremacists. They are no way like me!

THE CHANGING FACE OF RACISM l 3. The face of racism has changed significantly. The “old fashioned” form was generally overt, direct and oftentimes intentional. It stressed strongly the inferiority of most racial/ethnic minority groups and continues to be highly visible.

MODERN OR AVERSIVE RACISM l Modern or aversive racism is characterized by the following traits: l 1. It is often subtle, indirect and unintentional. It is unconscious. It is outside our level of awareness. l 2. While there is an underlying belief in the inferiority of persons of color, it is most strongly expressed by a belief in the superiority of Whites.

MODERN OR AVERSIVE RACISM l 3. Racism becomes more frequent and intense as persons of color move up the status hierarchy. In other words, it more likely expressed against high status individuals because they violate the normative structures of society and provoke anger and jealously. l 4. Racism is most likely to be strongly directed toward those who challenge the system and ask for change.

MODERN OR AVERSIVE RACISM l 5. It is more likely expressed in a failure to help rather than in a conscious desire to hurt. l 6. Discrimination is likely to emerge not when a behavior would look prejudicial, but when other rationales can be offered for prejudicial behavior, and when we attempt or pretend not to notice differences.

WHITE SUPREMACIST OR JUST “PLAIN FOLKS”? l What’s Wrong With The Following Picture? l While White Euro. American males constitute only 33% of the population

WHITE SUPREMACISTS OR JUST “PLAIN FOLKS”? 1. They occupy 80% of tenured positions in higher education. l 2. 80% of House of Representatives

WHITE SUPREMACIST OR JUST “PLAIN FOLKS”? l 3. Over few years between 80%-90% of the U. S. Senate l 4. 92% of Forbes 400 Executive CEO level positions

WHITE SUPREMACISTS OR JUST “PLAIN FOLKS” l 5. 90% of Public School Superintendents l 6. 99. 9% of Athletic Team Owners l 7. 100% of U. S. Presidents

MYTH OF RACISM l It is the overt White supremacist which poses the greatest hazard to persons of color. l In general, the contemporary form of racism is many times over more problematic, damaging and injurious to persons of color than overt racist acts. Indeed, the latter acts represent very minimal threat to the quality of life of most racial/ethnic minorities.

CONCLUSION l It isn’t White supremacists who create and control the tools that result in such unjust and damaging disparities.

CONCLUSION l l l l It is people we elect to office; Teachers who educate our children; Business leaders who carry out the policies and practices of their corporations; Government leaders, law enforcement officers; Physicians, dentists, construction workers; Our family, friends, and neighbors; IT IS YOU AND I !

MYTH OF RACISM l I don’t condone nor practice discriminatory behavior. I’m not responsible for the actions of others. Don’t blame me!

ALBERT EINSTEIN QUOTE l “The world is too dangerous to live in not because of the people who do evil, but because of the people who sit and let it happen. ”

PASTOR MARTIN NIEMOLLER QUOTE l “In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then, they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. They came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up. ”