Due October 2, 2016

“Hunter Huss IB Readings”

September 26, 2016 Due October 2, 2016

We are all aware of the issues facing not only the country, but also the last week in Charlotte and even Gastonia. I was impressed with Huss students’ show of solidarity on Friday, 9/23 because things like that make people think.

The problem, though, is much bigger than police shootings and racial profiling. The problem is the bias which every American has from growing up in our culture.

This week, read the articles (please read, you will enjoy if you let yourself), cite them, and answer the questions: How do we as a society move into a world where skin tone doesn’t matter? What can you, and/or others do, to make this happen?

Understanding Racial Bias

Overcome Racism

Unconscious Racism

47 comments
Posted under Uncategorized

Write a new comment 47 comments

Permalink # yeison0 said

Moving into a society where skin tone doesn’t matter is going to be a very difficult task. There are people that are going to raise their children to judge skin tone and their children are going to do the same. Then there are people like Trump that makes judging others based on skin tone seem okay. ” • Explicit bias is overt intolerance based on social, religious or political views that cause some people antipathy toward others” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html). Bias such as this is very common and a huge problem. While there are easy things we can do to try and move forward, such as, “Accept others, even if they don’t accept you. You do not need to become “colorblind” – you can appreciate other races and cultures for the things that make them unique” (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism), it’s still not that simple. Sure it’s easy to read an article and think that racism can be combated, but not everyone will read or heed the article. “Racist stereotypes, at their root, come from quite a fundamental learning mechanism” (https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism). Racism has to be combated starting at youth. If kindergarten classes were to teach how important it is to accept others regardless of skin tones, then maybe the cycle of children being taught racism can be broken. I can personally remain being the open- minded person I am. Hopefully people that aren’t open- minded can maybe follow this example. In our society, open- mindedness is the only thing that will help us move forward.

Reply
Permalink # ogalecday said

The first step we need to take as a society to stop racism and racial biases is by talking and understanding one another. Many reasons for these biases we have of certain people are due to inexperience. Because we don’t know what another person might have went through in their life, we should not judge them. The best ways to solve these problems are by talking. We can only comprehend why people do things once we learn what has affected them or how they feel. By talking with one another, we are able to learn how to be more welcoming to one another. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html

Another way to fight racism is not to be stupid. It is very important to stay educated and up to date with society. Racism is ignorant. Educated people understand that you can not generalize one race on one persons action. http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism

The way we can fight this racism is by teaching our children from a young age that skin tone doesn’t mean anything and love people by their character not their appearance.

Reply
- Permalink # carriganwithers said
  
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html
  
  “Racial bias is a harmful aversion to, stereotyping of, or discrimination against a race.”
  
  Racism has always been around, and it will continue to be around. Everyone has there own stereotypes picked out, it’s their opinion. The word Racism isn’t just specifically pertained to African Americas but since they are they ones who have been oppressed by it for hundreds of years; we tend to only think of them when we here the word.
  
  http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism
  
  “Find your voice, educate yourself, and speak up about the injustice that you encounter. Be bold and act with intention.”
  
  The thing that sticks out to be in this sentence is to “educate yourself”. Many of the problems that we see today wouldn’t exist if people would just simply educate themselves. Nothing has ever been accomplished by violence, especially within the black community . If were going to have any type of victory we have to stick together and do it peacefully. Violence was never key.
  
  https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism
  
  “Racist stereotypes, at their root, come from quite a fundamental learning mechanism.”
  
  Racism is acquired and learned, no child is born a racist. Whether it be against blacks, whites, Asians, or Jews somebody has to teach someone to hate another person of a different decent.
  
  YOU ARE YOUR OWN TEACHER! No one can educate you better than yourself. If everyone would educate and learn and understand history then maybe their would be some type of equality among us but unfortunately we will never be able to fully become a world where skin tone doesn’t define you. But we can make our mark and stand up for what we believe and make sure our voice is heard.
  
  Reply
  - Permalink # noblitt said
    
    “YOU ARE YOUR OWN TEACHER! ” Haha tell me I was wrong when I saw in a shy 9th grader who wasn’t particularly happy with going to school a great mind in a few years. Told you so Carrigan
Permalink # taylorwilson293 said

How do we as a society move into a world where skin tone doesn’t matter? I’m not sure if we can do that honestly. If we are talking about a society without complete views of other races and that we don’t see that skin tone matters, then we are talking about a “utopia” or a world that color doesn’t exist. In my first four years of schooling (Pre-K till 2nd grade), I went to a private Christian school near the upper class area of town, or at least where the upper class people went to school. In this school, I was not exposed to a variety of races; however, color was never an issue in my mind. The main fact of it was, when I ran into other races and just different people in general who were different in stores, or anywhere in public, I knew there was something different looks wise, but I have been raised where race and differences does not matter. The Guardian article stated, “If we don’t have the opportunity to interact with individuals of a different race then the information we have to inform a racial category has to come from other sources such as the media or people’s opinions” (https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism). This shows that our minds need to process differences to process the world. Racism is mostly given to people based on how you were raised. Yes, there is something caused unconscious bias which was explained when the second article states, “Unconscious bias is prejudice born from personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes that is unrecognized by the perpetrator” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html). BUT, there are ways to control this. The best way, in my opinion, to control unconscious bias thoughts is through focusing on the true reasons for life. I have been taught and have learned from my personal convictions that God has created everyone different and equal whether internally or externally. Once we accept that others are different and understand the first two main priorities in our lives (loving God first and loving others), then we will accept differences and love others not based on color, but based on people’s hearts. David Platt once said, “To be sure, what we conclude about counteracting culture may prove costly for you and me. But by that point, I don’t think this will matter much. For our eyes will no longer by focused on what is most comfortable to us; instead, our lives will be fixed on what is most glorifying to God, and in him we will find far greater reward than anything our culture could ever offer us.” This is so important to understand differences, because if we understand the fact that this life is not ultimately what matters, then we will understand that we have to love others focusing on each other’s souls. Someone once told me, “If only our eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how very different our ideals of beauty would be.” I loved this as it really explains how I feel about this subject. Loving others is what we need, and to love others, we don’t need to look at outside appearances, but rather think about the souls of the individuals before us. That is how I strive to live my life. Though I think that this is the most important thing that we need to do in order to accept each other’s differences, there are others ways. I think the first article sums up really what I have tried hard to do for years. “Keep an open mind. Accept others, even if they don’t accept you” (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism). This allows others to see that acceptance is key as explained earlier and you do this by keeping an open mind. Another way that we can try to move to a more stable society in which we are more caring for others and compassionate to those that are different is just by being a good citizen. Part of being a good citizen is to respect authority, respect others and obey laws. Therefore, if we keep a peaceful attitude in the center of all of our differences, then we can unite more easily. Though all of these things are reachable, most likely as people are being raised in racism and taught racism, this will never be fully reachable, because people honestly do not love each other enough. Compassion is the work of the heart, and it is key to existence; however, we have to strive for compassion or a society in which “race doesn’t matter” will not exist. To sum up my opinion, until you change your thinking, you will always recycle your experiences.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  I agree, it comes down to individuals thinking.
  
  Reply
Permalink # carlisfair said

Fundamental racism is learned not born with. You’d be lying if you were raised in America and you say you did not base stereotypes. There are many factors regarding this issue. Throughout our life or childhood we are exposed to different ideas and opinions.(Humans are able to learn and adapt so quickly because they are excellent at making generalizations about the world based on very limited experience.) Unluckily, an immense issue that we in our country is racism. No matter where you are, although some areas much better than others, you are still exposed to racism. As a whole we have to be educated and open minded about different races. We cannot be scared of color of skin when we are the leader of the free world. (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism) We cannot be influenced with the percentage of our country believes of hatred. Humans are all the same with different backgrounds and we must respect that. Imagine being in the hoes of those who feel oppressed. As a non US native, i often experience racial bias quite often. It is something we develop from experiences and opinions thought to us by other people.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  not sure who the hoes are in Imagine being in the hoes of those who feel oppressed but I appreciate your thoughtful comments
  
  Reply
Permalink # loghanhilton said

I feel as if it’s almost impossible for us as a society to move into a world where skin tone doesn’t matter. I feel this way because people are always going to see an issue with different skin tones because of the way they were raised. The world is too diverse to move into a world of such. I personally would love it but as many others like Trump wouldn’t. We also tend to let social media influence us. “Explicit bias is overt intolerance based on social, religious or political views that cause some people antipathy toward others”(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html ) The way people could make skin tone not matter is to try to uderstand and get both sides of the situation. Look beyond color, and look into the person as if they were any other. I believe if people stopped caring so much about the outside appearance and worried more about the inside the world would be such a better place. “
Keep an open mind. Accept others, even if they don’t accept you. You do not need to become “colorblind” – you can appreciate other races and cultures for the things that make them unique. Embrace uniqueness wherever you encounter it.” (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism ) There is nothing worse than being biased about someone because of their skin tone and sadly that is how the world is and most likely will always be. “If we don’t have the opportunity to interact with individuals of a different race then the information we have to inform a racial category has to come from other sources such as the media or people’s opinions.”(https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism)

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  great post, and like you know, Trump isn’t making other people racist, hes just saying out loud what they say in private, so it makes it okay for them. Scary…
  
  Reply
Permalink # kameronsnyder said

The way we Americans as well as people of the world can move into a new age of peace and love for one another is by education the young and the old.
Much of the racial bias or racism people have for one another is through “Unconscious Bias”. This biased which is developed through personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes is ignorant. Many people who suffer from this bias generalize people. Due to one bad encounter with a person of a different religion or race, they generalize those actions and ideas for all who match the description. This is not correct because one race or category of people should not be generalized for one participants wrongdoing. These prejudices can also be passed on through elders or role models. That supports why it is so important to educate people to change their way of thinking. By doing this, we better the world to exclude people being deferred to a set of ideas and actions based on their characteristics rather than the personality and overall person they are. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html)

“Consider that racist stereotypes are largely rooted in ignorance. Confront ignorance with truth. Try to keep an open mind and step outside of your shell. Learn as much as you can about other races, languages, and cultures. Knowledge is power.” (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism)
This quote supports the idea of racial bias and racism being the cause of ignorance and generalizing. Through knowledge and open mindedness it is less possible to be racist. Education eliminates ideas of inferiority and the ideas most racists have.
The way we as people can combat the disease of racism that is widespread across the country, is by spreading the righteous ideas of love and respect for one another and not the hate and prejudices of people. With the masses coming together to spread this message and with the people who strive for equality, we can take big steps to overcome racism. (https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism)

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  Great post, shows you, Ms. Science lover, that history matters 🙂
  
  Reply
Permalink # kameronsnyder said

How do we as a society move into a world where skin tone doesn’t matter? What can you, and/or others do, to make this happen?

The way we Americans as well as people can move into a new age of peace and love for one another is by education of the young and the old.
Much of the racial bias or racism people have for one another is through “Unconscious Bias”. This biased is developed through personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes is ignorant. Many people who suffer from this bias generalize people. Due to one bad encounter with a person of a different religion or race, they generalize those actions and ideas for all who match the description. This is not acceptable because one race or category of people should not be generalized for one participants wrongdoing. These prejudices can also be passed on through elders or role models. That supports why it is so important to educate people to change their way of thinking. By doing this, we better the world to exclude people being deferred to a set of ideas and actions based on their characteristics rather than the personality and overall person they are. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html)

“Consider that racist stereotypes are largely rooted in ignorance. Confront ignorance with truth. Try to keep an open mind and step outside of your shell. Learn as much as you can about other races, languages, and cultures. Knowledge is power.” (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism)
This quote supports the idea of racial bias and racism being the cause of ignorance and generalizing. Through knowledge and open mindedness it is less possible to be racist. Education eliminates ideas of inferiority and the ideas most racists have.
The way we as people can combat the disease of racism that is widespread across the country, is by spreading the righteous ideas of love and respect for one another and not the hate and prejudices of people. With the masses coming together to spread this message and with the people who strive for equality, we can take big steps to overcome racism. (https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism)

Reply
Permalink # JacobPacheco said

Fundamental racism is learned not born with. You’d be lying if you were raised in America and you say you did not base stereotypes. There are many factors regarding this issue. Throughout our life or childhood we are exposed to different ideas and opinions.(Humans are able to learn and adapt so quickly because they are excellent at making generalizations about the world based on very limited experience.) Unluckily, an immense issue that we in our country is racism. No matter where you are, although some areas much better than others, you are still exposed to racism. As a whole we have to be educated and open minded about different races. We cannot be scared of color of skin when we are the leader of the free world. (http://WWW.WIKIHOW.COM/OVERCOME-RACISM)
This shows that our minds need to process differences to process the world. Racism is mostly given to people based on how you were raised. Yes, there is something caused unconscious bias which was explained when the second article states, “Unconscious bias is prejudice born from personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes that is unrecognized by the perpetrator” (http://WWW.HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/JOHN-FITZGERALD-GATES-PHD/5-STEPS-TO-UNDERSTANDING-RACIAL-BIAS_B_7446510.HTML).

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  Smart guy, no clue why he walks like a dumb guy – just kidding – great points
  
  Reply
Permalink # mikaylapeavy said

How would we as a society move into a world where skin tone doesn’t matter? In order for us to move into a world where skin tone doesn’t matter, we’d have to be less ignorant and be more open minded. A lot of people are extremely biased on their own skin color. Which in reality, everyone is the same. There’s only once race and that is the human race. So, in order for us to move forward and become a world where skin tone doesn’t matter we will have to become educated instead of choosing to be ignorant.
http://m.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism
What can I/others do to make this change happen? Like I said in my previous statement, we need to educate ourselves and keep an open mind. We have to teach our children to love instead of hate and since some of us haven’t been taught that, then we have to learn to love everyone no matter what the color of their skin is.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism

Reply
Permalink # Kdot99 said

We as humans can teach our friends, peers, families, and students to have an open mind before they make a judgement solely on skin tone or race. I often theorize that a true racist can’t reverse their behavior unless they become subjects of racism themselves. Take for example the ubiquitous scenario where a minority is followed through a store by a staff member to make sure they don’t steal. Imagine how you would feel if someone made a judgement about you without even knowing your name. John Fitzgerald Gates calls this “Implicit Bias.” he defines it by as “an understood, implied and otherwise unspoken prejudice.” It is similar to paying women less for the same job that men perform. I personally think that unless implicit bias can be removed from our society—no change will be done.
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html)

Another thing that can help overcome racism is knowing WHY we look different. Society often criticizes minority groups for physical attributes, but never seem to know why. A Wikihow article briefly explains that humans migrated some 10,00 years ago, contributing to our differences in skin color. ” Everywhere that our ancestors went, some people stayed and some people eventually moved on. The people that stayed adapted to their environment in various ways: people in cold northern climes, with less sunlight, developed lighter hair and skin, while people living nearer the equator tended to produce more melanin to protect their skin from the heat.”
(http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism)

It is vital to teach young children good lessons relating to racism so that they won’t manifest it in later in life . If you act judgemental; your children will mirror your actions. If you act open-mindely; your children will mirror that action. An article by the Gaston Gazette expresses this by saying ‘racial biases start at about 5-years of age but, where they are not supported, tend to peter out from about 10-12 years.”
(https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism)

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  Good points, I think its important to remember that we can definitively prove because of the sequencing of DNA that race is only a social construct, there is no biological basis whatsoever.
  
  Reply
Permalink # ameliataylor33 said

I believe the younger generation is the start to a world where skin tone doesn’t matter. We as a generation haven’t really experienced a severely oppressed society. We didn’t experience segregated schools and therefore do not have that much background. Having a world where race isn’t an issue starts with us. As stated in this article “Unconscious bias is prejudice born from personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes that is unrecognized by the perpetrator.” We haven’t had that, so therefore we should not have that mindset of a race and our children wouldn’t grow up to think this way.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html

Going along with being racist by being around those who are, we must stop them. To get rid of racist slurs we must stop repeating them like they’re nothing. The term ‘niggaz’ is now treated as a joke when earlier it would be a slap in the face. Why do we feel the need to differentiate ourselves? Because evolution taught man that they needed to be the best and superior. Race was created as competition of men to be dominant over the other. ” Call out racism when you see it. Don’t be afraid to stand up for someone who is being mistreated!”, we need to follow this and combat any racial slurs in order to remove them from our vocabulary.

As stated, a human is not born into believing racism. “Babies are not born believing that any group is better than another but they do attend to race surprisingly early.” They identify with the closest looking one. However, I believe if racism wasn’t an issue neither would this. Who does a mixed child identify most with? Its black father or its white mother? It is a mix of the two. Is that saying that child would be any less racist? Treated any less? Babies are not ever born believing they’re better than the other. That habit is learned and picked up. So, if we took racism out of our lives, our vocabulary, and out of all the negative attention between the races then perhaps the next generation may continue to do the same, until race is a completely illogical idea. Emphasis on the idea. Racism is not real. It is undoubtedly an idea come up by someone who would rather be superior.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  I like your points, but schools across the south are more segregated now than in 1970 and they continue to segregate more every year due to neighborhood choice and charter schools. Scary to think about the future when we go back to seperate but unequal.
  
  Reply
Permalink # ameliataylor33 said

forgot to cite the last two sources, but they are in order!
http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism

Reply
Permalink # ihateannefrank said

As awful as it sounds, I honestly don’t think we as people are open minded enough as a society to move forward into a culture in which race doesn’t matter. You can take any class in any school at Huss and I GUARANTEE you will find at least one racist, prejudice, or stereotypical minded person. There are whole communities that are racist, even whole towns. There are many people as well who believe that racism just doesn’t exist anymore. When you have so many people that think like that, I feel as it would be extremly difficult for us as a society to move forward enough to where skin tone doesn’t matter. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html
What we and others around us could do to make this happen is encourage acceptance. No matter what color you are, or what color another person is just encouraging the idea of acceptance among everyone, and helping less open minded people to understand that we are all the same on the inside. Race doesn’t matter, in fact I don’t even particularly think it exist. It is just something everyone will have to work on one at a time.https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  you are absolutely correct from a biological perspective, race doesnt exist, but yet it does socially.
  
  Reply
Permalink # laurenmac1029 said

The most important thing we can do as a country is to educate everyone. I think that all of this would not be happening or happened if more people were educated. Maybe everything would be easier if we all continued into the world as babies, who have no concept of skin color “Babies are not born believing that any group is better than another but they do attend to race surprisingly early.” (1) One thing that people need to understand is that the media is your biggest enemy when it comes to stories like these. The media knows that if they show a white on white crime then nothing will happen or if they show a cop getting killed, then no riots will break out. Racism has been in this country a long time and sadly I don’t see an end to it anytime soon. Whenever you see put on the news, you see the bad and the ugly part of this country and world together, yet, you do not see the good. I’m a strong believer that there is still good in the world. There are bad police officers, however, there are bad people in every profession. The good cops don’t get as much recognition because the media knows that will not make as much money as the title “INNOCENT BLACK MAN SHOT.” A lot of it though starts at home though. People are more disrespectful and think the world owns them a favor, and then wonder why bad things happen to them.

(sorry if this is sporadic lol)

https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism

Reply
Permalink # bethanyashlyn said

I do think there is a race issue. Statistically, black males are more likely to be shot in a police situation than white people or females. However, it is also (statistically) true that black men are more common among crime rates than other races/genders. But are they more commonly found in crime because of the stereotype so they’re profiled? Or is there a stereotype and they’re profiled because they’re more common in crime? It’s kinda like which came first, the chicken or the egg? We don’t know. I do think that the media is milking it and irritating the situation because after the second or third time a black man was shot by a police officer, most black people became fearful of police and started over-compensating so that they wouldn’t get shot, but by doing so and trying to avoid getting shot by going against orders of police, only ended up getting more people shot. I, as a white female, could not possibly understand the perspective or the thoughts of a black male as they are pulled over by a white male police officer, so I can’t say that I wouldn’t have been scared and acted as defensive as the black males in those situations because I don’t know how it feels. But, based on common sense, it is NEVER a good idea to get out of a car with a loaded gun when an officer pulls you over. So this man from Charlotte was in the wrong for that. Also, this particular case doesn’t really have anything to do with race as a motive because the cop was also black. But I also understand that the BLM movement is still upset because it is still a black male that got shot. Although they’re upset, trying to gain attention for their cause by blocking traffic, setting things on fire, stealing from stores, and assaulting other people and their property is ENTIRELY unnecessary. Some of these kids that go to the protest don’t even know what they’re protesting and only go to feel like they’re a part of something. The ones that don’t know what they’re even protesting are the ones that are looting stores, setting stuff on fire, laughing and cheering on the news, etc. These people that act this way are slandering what the BLM is SUPPOSED to stand for and if I was one of the legitimate members of the BLM, I would be pissed off at these fake supporters that just want to be included in something that they don’t really understand. I agree that all lives matter, but given the fact that a large group of black people are racially profiled and it does sometimes cause situations such as shootings or unfair charges, I think this community is trying to get across the point that black lives matter TOO, not that they’re the only lives that matter. But I do feel like within the BLM community, there are a few that act as if their lives matter more or that the world owes them something. If everybody in the movement could get on the same page that they’re trying to say “Hey, our lives ALSO matter and we would like to be treated as such,” a lot of the confusion and unnecessary rioting could have been avoided.
And another thing is that if people would just wait and listen and try to hear from as many perspectives as they can before jumping to one side or the other, everyone would be better able to understand each other. Quick to hear and slow to speak. If people spent a little more time listening to how others feel instead of being concerned with only how they/their group feels, they might gather new information that could completely change their opinion. Black people get shot by police. A little more often than white people. White people get shot by police, less often than black people. Police get threatened by black and white people, not as often as people who aren’t police. You can’t fight segregation by continuing to segregate yourself when there is a large chunk of people trying to integrate you to where you need to be.
So, in conclusion, white people need to stop being ignorant to the fact that black people deal with racism. Black people need to stop being ignorant to the fact that a large group of white people legitimately do care about them and want equality for them as well. Everybody needs to stop being ignorant to the fact that not all cops are bad. Cops need to stop being ignorant to the fact that there were some cases that innocent people were killed. All of these things are being swept under the rug of ignorance and nobody can understand why things aren’t getting worked out because nobody will sit and think about how every single group, including their own, could help the situation.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  perspective is important, and when you consider black men are 3 times more likely to die at the hands of the police, and even in Charlotte, which considers itself above race, in a population that is 37% black over 60% of traffic stops are black, then we really need to consider the reasons for the anger.
  
  Reply
Permalink # dsantinelli said

Racial bias is a controversial topic because not everyone knows exactly what it is, or if it is real. Human minds are good at finding patterns. For example, looking at the stars the ancient Greeks found patterns (constellations). In modern times, I would say that people are raised to notice patterns in different ways. I think I can say for everyone that when we were kids, race had no place in our minds. We did not think differently about other kids because of who they were or what they looked like, but simply how they acted. As adults the world is not the same as it was when we were kids. Race plays a big part in our lives, and I would say it is because of the media. The mainstream media is always talking about race, and this is what is causing the divide in modern culture. The mainstream media does not only divide races, but religions, cultures, and countries. Looking at The Huffington Post article you posted, John Fitzgerald Gates stated that “Recent cases of businesses refusing to provide services for gay couples or churches refusing to marry them are forms of explicit bias resulting in discrimination”. That is a controversial issue in itself, but notice how he is attacking religious people? About that issue, a gay couple could go to a different bakery instead of singling out a Christian one to garner media attention. This is an example of division based on religion by mainstream media.

My grandparents are immigrants from Italy and when they came to America, people treated them harshly. Slandering them, beating them, harassing them. There were no social justice movements to protect them, so what did they do? They joined all the other Italians in Little Italy and stayed in their group. I am in no way saying that they should have been harassed, I am simply giving an anecdotal example of how people divide themselves.

On the subject of patterns, police have noticed that black males disproportionately committing more crimes than other groups. Is this racial bias, or just humans noticing another pattern? The black lives matter movement is rightfully speaking out against police brutality, which I agree is an issue in our country. Some people should not be in authority, especially those who cannot handle the power given to them. However, I would like to see them speak out about black-on-black crimes. According to the statistics, 93% of black homicides are committed by other blacks. I think the black lives matter movement should go into areas where black-on-black homicide is happening (e.g. Chicago) and build, support and encourage the people there.

Will there ever be a time where we do not see race? It is impossible to say. Will there be a time where humans do not see patterns? For the scientifically-minded, evolution would say no. We can, however, make a difference with how these people are seen. We should attempt to change the perspective/pattern of violence in the black community and make people see a different pattern. The black lives matter movement should attempt to change that pattern.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded-homicide/expanded_homicide_data_table_3_murder_offenders_by_age_sex_and_race_2012.xls
http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-black-americans-commit-crime/19439

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  very nice perspective Dalton
  
  Reply
Permalink # jada8864 said

I think that we will never be able to look past skin tone because for some people that have certain things instilled in their brains will never be able to look past it. When you try to educate that group of people, they are to ignorant to listen to what you have to say and that’s the sad truth.
I am a true believer of all people are the same just with different backgrounds and we all came from the same place. To many people think that that is not the case, its like black people came from a different universe and messed up the whole world to certain whites and to me that’s pure stupidity! There are times when me or a family member will be in a place and people will watch us or stop talking because we’re a darker tone than they are and we’re a “threat” to them when they didn’t even take the time to get to know me and as a human that does hurt me. I and other people have to accept that things will never change.
When someone is killed people take to the streets and begin to peacefully protest and media spins it to only show the negative parts or the protest and label all the participants thugs, which is implicit bias. http://www.huffingtonpost.com
When someone catches racism on video it is a good thing but people will interpret it in their own way. Due to that you can never fully educate someone on the events that are taking place. http://www.wikihow.com. From this as i said before in the eyes of certain people I know I and others of darker tones will never be equal even though we are and there is nothing that will fix that because people are stuck up their own butts and won’t accept people for who they really are no matter how hard I or anyone else tries to show them otherwise.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  Stuck up their own butts is not every eloquent but its true, great comments.
  
  Reply
Permalink # ShaniyaHollis said

When I first thought about this weeks questions, I honestly had to think about if the society we have today would be able to be a society where skin color doesn’t matter. In order for us to live in a peaceful world where skin color doesn’t matter, it would take a lot of different things. I feel that the first thing we should do is start understanding another person’s point and reasons for why they feel the way they do about something. Majority of the time, people are only bias of someone/something because of what someone has grown on them. For example, growing up as a kid, the people around you teach you things. This could be defined as Unconscious Bias. “Unconscious bias is prejudice born from personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes that is unrecognized by the perpetrator” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html).
Another thing that would be helpful to our society becoming a world with no judgment of skin color, would be for people to overcome their racist thoughts and feelings. Although it could be extremely hard to change how someone feels, this is what could help us have a more peaceful world. “Accept others, even if they don’t accept you. You do not need to become “colorblind” – you can appreciate other races and cultures for the things that make them unique. Embrace uniqueness wherever you encounter it” (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism). Forgetting about stereotypes would also be another great way to solve this issue we have. People are stereotypical even when they don’t even realize it because they’ve adapted to the things that people say about other cultures, races, relations, etc. “Racist stereotypes, at their root, come from quite a fundamental learning mechanism” (https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism).

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  nice points, Acceptance is definitely what we all need to learn
  
  Reply
Permalink # Noah Rodriguez3443 said

To really make a change towards view on skin, people must first understand the struggle and burden they carry from simply being a different color. “Do not take racism lying down. Act on your beliefs when you come across injustice, prejudice, and discriminatory words” http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism

It may simply be because others may seem more deserving of better treatment because of the past which can be biased itself, or it could just be the lack of sympathy or empathy towards mankind. To destroy racism is simply illogical and highly unrealistic due to the fact that this once an idea is now a reality for most of, if not the whole world and it’s civilizations. This does not mean that we should stop trying but simply we should try to suppress it, nonetheless kill it. Many times I go into places of work and school and I see discrimination everywhere. This problem is not the idea of racism but merely the reality of a superior agenda and attitude that’s in all of us. It’s the constant awareness that these people or person is not normal. But to whose standards are we basing this off? This brings in the idea of bias. From all the different types of racial bias, we as humans find it hard to simply state that we all have an inferiority complex to a certain extent. Though we may not admit that, it is very evident in everyday life. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html

The group with the most influence on racism and discrimination as a whole are not the youth but the adults simply because the youth are meant to learn and who teaches the youth? Adults do. They could use their power and influence to teach the undeniable truth in science and in morality that humans are unmistakably created equal. The youth only have the rest of their lives to do what they can to stop this idea from killing the morals of us all.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  good points, but an example of why I stay on you in class. If you have intellectual gifts then use them ALL the time
  
  Reply
Permalink # cressworthy said

Moving into a society where the color of your skin doesn’t matter is a very hard thing to do. People in this world all have different perspectives about things. There’s people out here that will raise their children to hate a certain race just because of their skin color. “Explicit bias is overt intolerance based on social, religious or political views that cause some people antipathy toward others” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html)
Another way to solve racism to to be smart about it. To be honest it’s all ignorant at the end of the day. Be educated to the fullest because all educated people know racism is not the way. http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racismN
The right way to fight racism is to tell our kids at a young age not to hate people from the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  Ignorance is the hardest thing in history to fight.
  
  Reply
Permalink # devonthegoat said

How do we as a society move into a world where skin tone doesn’t matter? What can you, and/or others do, to make this happen?

Moving into a society where skin tone doesn’t matter is highly unlikely. Racial tension has been around for decades and even though it is not as bad as it was then, it’s still around today. Of course not everyone is going to carry out the racial tension, but in my opinion, it will always be around in some kind of way.
“Consider that racist stereotypes are largely rooted in ignorance” http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism
Stated in this article, Ignorance plays a key role in racism today. Racism is always learned, no one just ends up racist. When kids are born, who they are around and what they are around causes them to learn the traits of being racist. People will always be ignorant, and that’s just something you can’t change, at least not all at once.
Unconscious bias is prejudice born from personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes that is unrecognized by the perpetrator. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html
With unconscious bias, it means that without thinking or processing it, the bias pops into our heads. If someone had grown with racist people around them, unconscious bias might be a thing for them. People are quick to judge when it is “out of the norm” especially if they were raised on that belief.
Referring to Charlotte or any other major racial incident, it also can be news that causes some of the racial tension. It’s not just the news that causes it, but the news will always keep the tension alive for their views. For years racism is a huge situation in our society and has been for many many years. It as of right now, it is highly unlikely to live in a racist free world.

Reply
Permalink # amandamonge070 said

I personally believe this can happen but won’t happen during my life time. Too many people in my generation and other generations have been taught racism. When thing like that are still being taught. It makes it extremely hard for us as a society to be able to make that change and have the idea that skin tone doesn’t matter. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html
I do how ever believe that the people in MY generation who don’t see skin color can promote that racism and the idea of any “race” was created and taught and we can teach others to not see color. Spread the knowledge on accepting people for who they are on the inside.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism

Reply
Permalink # victooorrrr6 said

Moving into a society where the color of skin is not going to be an easy task. Children are still being taught that hate is okay and their descendants will be alike. People tolerate hate because they admire others like Trump who are notorious for judging skin colors. “Explicit bias is overt intolerance based on social, religious or political views that cause some people antipathy toward others” http://WWW.HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/JOHN-FITZGERALD-GATES-PHD/5-STEPS-TO-UNDERSTANDING-RACIAL-BIAS_B_7446510.HTML

Bias such as this is very known and it presents a big issue. While it is simple to move forward and accept others even if they don’t accept you. Evidently, it’s not as easy as it seems. The simplicity of reading an article and thinking racism can be dealt with is not common because not everyone will comprehend the article. “Racist stereotypes, at their root, come from quite a fundamental learning mechanism” https://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/SCIENCE/HEAD-QUARTERS/2015/JUL/08/HOW-CAN-WE-FIX-UNCONSCIOUS-RACISM.

To combat racism, it must start in the early stages of childhood. The notion of kids being taught racism is okay can be ceased. It would have to start in the commencing years of grade school. Personally, I am inclined to reserve all judgments. I accept everyone no matter what distinct features they have. I believe everyone should be like me by looking at people by what’s inside instead of their appearance. Skin color is the only thing that’s difference on the outside but internally we are all the same.

Reply
- Permalink # victooorrrr6 said
  
  different***
  
  Reply
  - Permalink # noblitt said
    
    good post
Permalink # erynn1999 said

I personally don’t agree with this because we should judge people based off of their actions. we should not judge them based on the color of their skin or based off of their background and where they come from. ” While some researchers contend bias can be either negative or positive, I disagree. ” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html
” Racism runs deep. It can seem like an insurmountable task to overcome institutional racism, and it can be unsettling to confront racist tendencies within yourself. Do not think that you need to do it alone.” it takes a whole nation to change the way people think. Things will not change if we do not come together and do what’s best for our country . It is up to us.
” Racist stereotypes, at their root, come from quite a fundamental learning mechanism. Humans are able to learn and adapt so quickly because they are excellent at making generalisations about the world based on very limited experience. ” we are taught to be the way we are because as children we are not just born to be racist . Our parents are who installs our thoughts in our heads and they make us think one thing instead of us having our own opinions. As people who care for others we are supposed to stop and think how this may effect someone else. We have to make sure people feel equal so we are able to keep the peace between the two colors.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  good points, and your story about the ignorant rednecks breaks my heart. Humans can be so hateful to other humans
  
  Reply
Permalink # samanthaperez2699 said

Although there is a lot of biased based opinions, at time we don’t realize that we offend others. “prejudice born from personal experiences, perceptions and attitudes that is unrecognized by the perpetrator. In this sense, unconscious bias is a byproduct of experience in which an absence of clear prejudicial intention nonetheless results in bigotry. ” (http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7446510)

To make things better we’d all have to be conscious about what we say and do, and honestly, sometimes we don’t. We speak as normal and at times don’t filter what we’re saying without the realizations that others could get hurt. We have to stop and think about every single thing that we say. That’s the only way to start.

“Educate yourself and stay informed. Consider that racist stereotypes are largely rooted in ignorance. Confront ignorance with truth. “(http://m.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism)
This quote holds SO MUCH truth in it, educating yourself is a MUST.! You can not speak if you do not know what you are talking about. Learn about other cultures, understand why groups are divided, view several differ stand points and then share those things with others! That’s the true solution, not just acting out of mere anger.

“If we don’t have the opportunity to interact with individuals of a different race then the information we have to inform a racial category has to come from other sources such as the media or people’s opinions.”
We need to interact with one another at a younger age, with the help of parents, if our parents tell us a race is better than the other then of course we’re going to agree with our parents, but we’re not capable of comprehending what’s right and what’s wrong.

To fix these problems, we need to be mindful of others, educate ourselves, be conscious of what we’re saying and interact with other to learn more about each other than simply judge them because of stereotypes.

Reply
- Permalink # noblitt said
  
  good points, and it shows how much we need to educate ourselves!!
  
  Reply
Permalink # monicaaauribe10 said

Moving today’s society into a world where the color of your skin does not matter seems far from possible to say the least. People will always judge you where it is because of the way you talk, act, and biggest of all the color of your skin. I’m sure it wasn’t always like this but generation after generations have been told that the white race is the superior race and somehow we all seem to still believe that. Where you would even start to fix this problem is a good question to ask. Would you talk about the reason we are the way we are or would you ignore it. The fact that so many people ignore the fact that we do look at skin color is the real problem. “Racial bias is a harmful aversion to, stereotyping of, or discrimination against a race” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-fitzgerald-gates-phd/5-steps-to-understanding-racial-bias_b_7446510.html). The fact that people group other people together biased on what a few of that kind do poorly is not right at all. We all tend to put people in categories where they don’t actually belong, it’s so hard for us to think that someone from another country could come here and live better than us. This is actually the reality. People of different skin colors and races are coming to America, building something up from nothing and are doing better than most Americans, which are living in poverty. We need to understand that we are all humans and we all want the same and equal opportunities as anyone else whether they are white, black, Hispanic, or Asian. “Consider that racist stereotypes are largely rooted in ignorance. Confront ignorance with truth” (http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism), fear is often confused for misunderstanding (the fact that they don’t know). The fact that we fear these new ideas, new ways of living , and new tradition that other people bring to this country shows just how much we don’t know about America as a whole. To fix this we need to all be a bit more open-minded when it comes to things like this.

Reply
Permalink # basic1mack said

In order to live in on society that is free of racial bias and discrimination. We must acknowledge it’s presence in the many aspects of our daily lives.Racist stereotypes, at their root, come from quite a fundamental learning mechanism. “(Humans are able to learn and adapt so quickly because they are excellent at making generalisations about the world based on very limited experience.” For example,churches and religious institutions tend to have an overwhelming majority in the term of race/ethnicity among its attendees. Division such as this is why we as Americans are so ignorant of one another’s individuality. “Keep an open mind. Accept others, even if they don’t accept you. You do not need to become “colorblind” – you can appreciate other races and cultures for the things that make them unique.” (http://m.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism ). In a country where it is relatively easy to go through without your day with limited interaction with people of varying ethnicity.Racist stereotypes, at their root, come from quite a fundamental learning mechanism. Humans are able to learn and adapt so quickly because they are excellent at making generalisations about the world based on very limited experience.” Allowing for stereotypes to influence your behaviour toward an individual isn’t surprising. Furthermore, we must address the association we have with the term “racist”. Nobody regards themselves as a racists, at least with pride, people tend to explain their views in a way that works to rationalize them. “Bias in policing, economic and health disparities and social policy are topical in the media, corporate dining halls and on college campuses. Yet, a review of the literature and media coverage suggests insufficient understanding of the nuances of racial bias.” (http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7446510). Racism isn’t just an older white male shouting the “N-word” ,wearing a white hood. Racism is also the unconscious choice of an individual to surround themselves with people of their race and culture. Therefore acknowledgment must be the first step toward a world free of racial bias. Then we can seek methods of integrating multicultural individuals to eroded the ignorance and establish the dogma of judgement based on character.

Reply