“The case for Reparations” - “And just as black families of all incomes remain handicapped by a lack of wealth, so too do they remain handicapped by their restricted choice of neighborhood. Black people with upper-middle-class incomes do not generally live in upper-middle-class neighborhoods. Sharkey’s research shows that black families making $100,000 typically live in the kinds of neighborhoods inhabited by white families making $30,000. ‘Blacks and whites inhabit such different neighborhoods, that it is not possible to compare the economic outcomes of black and white children.’
Excerpt from Defining Racism "Can We Talk?"
Early in my teaching career, a white student I knew asked me what I would be teaching the following semester. I mentioned that I would be teaching a course on racism. She replied, with some surprise in her voice, "Oh, is there still racism?" I assured her that indeed there was and suggested that she sign up for my course. Fifteen years later, after exhaustive media coverage of events such as the Rodney King beating, the Charles Stuart and Susan Smith cases, the O.J. Simpson trial, the appeal to racial prejudices in electoral politics, and the bitter debates about affirmative action and welfare reform, it seems hard to imagine that anyone would still be unaware of the reality of racism in our society. But in fact, in almost every audience I address, there is someone who will suggest that racism is a thing of the past. There is always someone who hasn't noticed the stereotypical images of people of color in the media, who hasn't observed the housing discrimination in their community, who hasn't read the newspaper articles about documented racial bias in lending practices among well-known banks, who isn't aware of the racial tracking pattern at the local school, who hasn't seen the reports of rising incidents of racially motivated hate crimes in America-in short, someone who hasn't been paying attention to issues of race. But if you are paying attention t it, the legacy of racism is not hard to see, and we are all affected by it.
Early in my teaching career, a white student I knew asked me what I would be teaching the following semester. I mentioned that I would be teaching a course on racism. She replied, with some surprise in her voice, "Oh, is there still racism?" I assured her that indeed there was and suggested that she sign up for my course. Fifteen years later, after exhaustive media coverage of events such as the Rodney King beating, the Charles Stuart and Susan Smith cases, the O.J. Simpson trial, the appeal to racial prejudices in electoral politics, and the bitter debates about affirmative action and welfare reform, it seems hard to imagine that anyone would still be unaware of the reality of racism in our society. But in fact, in almost every audience I address, there is someone who will suggest that racism is a thing of the past. There is always someone who hasn't noticed the stereotypical images of people of color in the media, who hasn't observed the housing discrimination in their community, who hasn't read the newspaper articles about documented racial bias in lending practices among well-known banks, who isn't aware of the racial tracking pattern at the local school, who hasn't seen the reports of rising incidents of racially motivated hate crimes in America-in short, someone who hasn't been paying attention to issues of race. But if you are paying attention t it, the legacy of racism is not hard to see, and we are all affected by it.
I chose this article because it is a prime example of racism, inequality, and stereotyping. Blacks are often categorized as dangerous or bad because of the way they look. It is not fair to prejudge somebody based on the color of their skin and that is why so many people, specifically blacks in this context, are angered when they walk into a jewelry store and are followed around because the employees of the store think something will be stolen. Again, the American dream does not include these actions and the prejudice behavior presented to blacks. The white lens is focused on blacks being thieves and criminals and a lot of times, whites believe blacks to be bad people just because they are black even today. There is still implicit bias against black people even though it is not seem to be as apparent. Although many people do not see it or hear it in their daily lives, it is still present but not as tangible. There is structural racism that keeps blacks from being as equal as whites.
- “Why Are White People So Touchy About Being Called Racist?
- By Scot Nakagawa
- “August Turner’s Come and Gone” by August Wilson
To get my grip
I came back home
Just a pullin’ the skiff
I went upstairs
To make my bed
I made a mistake
And I bumped my head
Just a pullin’ the skiff
I went downstairs
To milk the cow
I made a mistake
And I milked the cow
Just a pullin’ the skiff
Tomorrow, tomorrow,
Tomorrow never comes
The marrow the marrow
The marrow in the bone