The Google document is here
Our last lesson was about how racism can be implied or subconscious. That racism manifests itself both in institutions and in individual communication. But because we all live in the same society, we are all socialized thinking similarly about what people we should trust or not trust. This means that even non-whites are socialized to be white. This makes lighter skin more reliable and desirable. This is called colorism.
A girl like me
1. Where is the racism in the video?
DiAngelo What does it mean to be white?
Read a short excerpt from a book by sociologist Robin DiAngel, What does it mean to be white? Please click Racism and specific racial groups to read the section “White racism and people of African heritage“(skip ahead to read ONLY Pp. 315-319)
3. Based on the passage above, what is colorism and why is it important?
4. If you’re not black, what was interesting about reading? If you are black, what else would you include that the author did not mention?
A police officer dilemma from the University of Colorado in Boulder
If minorities themselves can be socialized to make their race less desirable, it is clear that this can apply to everyone in the United States. That means teachers, doctors, and also police officers (more about how implicit bias affects black Americans in all of these areas). However, because police officers are empowered to use lethal force, the effects of implied bias have far more serious consequences when it comes to police work.A study by Joshua Corell of the University of Chicago shows that unconscious bias leads to second-to-second differences among all people (not just the police) who face white or black. Soc Images explains this here.
The main research page is here, but here you can try the online version of the first-person shooter task. The main findings of the study are as follows:
In short, the conclusions are that we live in a society that teaches us all indirect bias. This includes the police and even other minorities.
5. Do you understand how implied bias can lead to police shooting more blacks than other groups? (And it’s a recognition that it’s not anti-police, it’s just a realistic view of race in America)
The poem is also highlighted on the Critical Media website here.
