The 'N' Word

When I read Randall L. Kennedy's article "Who Can Say N*****" the first thing that struck me was the almost casual usage of the n word, especially in the title of the article. When Kennedy writes, he raises the question of who can say this word and get away with it. I personally think the word is abhorrent, but I have heard others, especially in America, using it in friendly, non-insulting ways. I have been brought up to know that using that word is exceptionally rude; especially since I am a white American girl. I have never used the word and hearing others use it even if they don't use it in a derogatory way makes me wince, and I have found myself feeling embarrassed being in the company of people using that word. Is the n word really that bad though, if people are able to use it freely with one another and not have others question it? What Kennedy gets at in his article is that it's different for everyone, meaning it depends on who you are and who you're talking to that determines whether or not it will be offensive. He also states that no one really understands why the word became so controversial, because the literal meaning of the word is not necessarily bad, it's only bad if you want it to be. On the question of who can say it in modern day society, I don't think it's appropriate for anyone to use if it will mean different things to different people. The n word is associated with cussing for many people, and if cussing is frowned upon then I think the use of the n word should be too. Too much controversy surrounds this word for exceptions to be made for certain groups of people who use it.

Race and Universities

Is it wrong to have an all-Black student dormitory at University? What about an all-White dormitory? 
Yes, it is wrong. To pair students together who are generally all at the same level of intelligence (ie. all were smart enough to get in to the university) and are of the same age with those of similar race does not seem necessary or fair. Why does the color of one's skin matter? The mix of different people from cultures and backgrounds is one of the great things about university, people get to know other people that are unlike anyone they have ever met before. Having an all white or an all black dormitory is ridiculous; people are just people and college students are just college students, the color of their skin should not matter and everyone's differences should be celebrated rather than judged and grouped together.

The integration of Ole Miss University, Mississippi. James Meredith, October 1st, 1962

The Racial Issue of Adoption

I think that the hardest issue we discussed today for me to take a stand on was the adoption statement:

"In cases of adoption, agencies should try to match the ethnicity/race of children and parents, instead of doing adoptions in a race-blind manner."

The principle of adoption is an amazing one, to give a child parents he or she never had is one of the best things I can think of our society ever doing. Giving parents a child they may not be able to have is another wonderful thing. This made me think about whether or not the adoption agencies should be race-blind when choosing children for adoptive parents. I think that they should be, simply based on the fact that adoption is to better the lives of the children and the parents, and if a parent cannot love their child despite their race or cultural background then maybe they should not adopt from a race-blind agency. I agree that it may be better to place children of definitive cultures with parents who want to continue traditions when they are raising their child but if there is no good reasoning for choosing a specific race of a child then I don't think it is fair for parents to make racial preference requests.

Frederick Douglass Questions

Mascot Discussion - "Indians"

How should we decide what is offensive?
For this issue, I think the best way to deal with it is to base the decision off of the reactions of the public to the mascot. If the mascot is causing a lot of controversy in an area, I think that the best thing and the most respectful thing is to change the mascot or get rid of it. If there is no controversy then I don't necessarily think the mascot is an issue, a mascot is something schools and universities are really proud of and honor a lot. Unless people feel negatively targeted as Native Americans because of the mascot, there is no reason to get rid of it. 

Breaking Down Stereotypes

1. "All Muslims are terrorists or sympathizers."

2. The source of this stereotype in America and generally in the rest of the Western World:

"The religion of Islam is not a religion of hatred and violence, but a religion of respect for all humans and God. This is the true Islam, the religion of equality, morality, and faith. The two major branches in Islam are the Sunni branch and the Shi’a. The Sunni Muslims make up a total of 80% of the Muslim population and they do adhere to the rules and regulations that have been explained. The Shi’a Muslims are a minority and the more radical branch of Islam. Unlike Sunni’s, Shi’a Muslims put much priority on jihad (to struggle and fight through and for Islam). Their interpretation of jihad permits them to be violent and sometimes harmful towards non-Muslims and some Muslims. Martyrs are also very much honored by Shi’a Muslims, mostly because Shi’as have a strong support for Ali, who was a martyr and Muhammad’s son-in-law. This strong belief in fighting for religion promotes much of the radicalism among Shi’a Muslims. Though they are a minority, Shi'a Muslims change other people's understanding of Sunni Muslims. Muslim immigration into America began in the 1960’s with a small population and became more evident as more Muslims immigrated to the U.S. Many Muslims immigrated for economic opportunities, education, and to escape wars, civil wars, and revolutions in the Islamic world. Non-Muslims were very welcoming towards the new Muslims and accepted their culture and way of life. Muslims had also added more diversity and culture to the American society and lived successfully in their new lives. Mosques and Islamic schools were opened, and Islam began to be an integral part of American life. However events like Jimmy Carter’s failure with Iran in 1979 and September 11th, 2001 have portrayed Islam negatively. Many non-Muslims began to wonder if Islam was truly a religion of peace. ...These minor misunderstanding slowly turned into serious hate crimes towards Muslims. Mosques and Islamic centers had been attacked and even torn down by angry non-Muslims. Muslims in the western world were persecuted physically and mentally because of the portrayal of Islam as a corrupt and antagonistic belief. Muslims have been usually considered as top suspects for terrorism in the western world. An example of this would be the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995 (Encyclopedia Britannica). Before investigators discovered that Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were responsible for the attack, it was initially believed that the attack was organized by a group of Muslim terrorists. This information was displayed on several national television networks. Eventually, it was proven that the terrorist group was not involved with the bombings. Islam teaches Muslims to not support any Islamic terrorist in any way.Islam does not permit the murder of innocent people." (Hossain, Religious Tolerance).

Also, it is stated in the Quran, 

"Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors."

3. Science cannot prove this stereotype; there is no scientific proof that even remotely makes sense. Logically, if people were to look at the facts and actually attempt to understand Islam as a religion instead of basing it off of stereotypes, word of mouth etc. then this stereotype would probably not be as present as it currently is today in the United States and many other countries. The stereotype can be broken down into a component of a misunderstanding of culture and history; it is based off of a past of warfare and one more radical group of Islam, the Shi’a Muslims, have been generalized as "all of Islam". 

4. My direct experience proves to me the fictitiousness of this stereotype. To assume that all Muslims are terrorists or sympathizers is an uneducated, unfair thing to do, and I have countless personal experiences and I have met amazing people who are Muslims who have even further proved this to me.

5. All Muslims are not terrorists, nor are they all sympathizers. 

Citation

Hossain, Semonti. "Islam Behind the Stereotypes." Religious Tolerance. 25 July 2004.

"Oklahoma City Bombing." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2003 edition. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. 

How to Tear Down a Stereotype

1. State the stereotype clearly and accurately
2. Where does the stereotype come from?
3. Use data to disprove or enlighten "facts"
4. What is my personal experience?
5. Revise and restate the stereotype

Implicit Attitude Test

What was your result on the Race IAT? Do you think it is accurate?
My first result was moderate. When I took it for the second time my result was strong.

Your data suggest a moderate automatic preference for European American compared to African American. The interpretation is described as 'automatic preference for European American' if you responded faster when European American faces and Good words were classified with the same key than when African American faces and Good words were classified with the same key.

I agree with this, because I am considering my conscious and subconscious attitudes. I am positive that my exposure to the media and my family and friends' influence on me throughout my childhood is responsible for my subconscious prejudices. I also believe that we assosciate positive things with what we find familiar; we are much more comfortable when we are in situations where we have control.

What did you find interesting about the test? What questions do you still have after taking this test?

I found my result to be very interesting the first time, however what I found was even more intruiging and not necessarily in a positive way was my result the second time I took the IAT. After receiving my "moderate automatic preference" result, I was slightly shocked because I was under the impression before I took the test that I was very neutral when it came to racial preferences. My second test results made me feel guilty and almost horrified over something of which I have no control. I received a "strong automatic preference" after taking the test, even though I was so confused by my first test and attempted to do better the second round hoping to receive a neutral result. I don't know if the second result means anything but I found in interesting that although I was trying to do well I ended up doing worse, probably due to finding out my first moderate preference to European Americans. Some questions I have are why this happened, and what is the psychological rationale for my results. I also would like to know exactly how this test is measured and what those measurements mean. I found this to be a very eye-opening experience.


To further this, I took another IAT test relating to race. These were my results from the Light Skinned Dark Skinned IAT:

Your data suggest a moderate automatic preference for Light Skin compared to Dark Skin. The interpretation is described as 'automatic preference for Light Skin' if you responded faster when Light Skin faces and Good words were classified with the same key than when Dark Skin faces and Good words were classified with the same key.

These results didn't do very much for the guilt I had been feeling from the last test's results. I also took an IAT test on a subject that I find very interesting, the connection with boys, girls, and science.

Your data suggest a strong association of Male with Science and Female with Liberal Arts compared to Female with Science and Male with Liberal Arts. The interpretation is described as 'automatic association between Male and Science' if you responded faster when Male names and Science words were classified with the same key than when Male names and Liberal Arts words were classified with the same key.

I'm really curious as to who is responsible for putting this prejudice in my mind.

On Another Note..

In the article “Sports Taboo” by Malcolm Gladwell, several examples of the issues of racial and social prejudice are mentioned. The notorious stereotype of the genetic advantage that black men have in sports is addressed along with the standard that men and women don’t match up intellectually in math skills.

Personal Prejudice

What prejudices might you have?
Consciously, I think that the main prejudice I have is relating to men and muggings. Being a teenage girl I generally don't feel very safe walking alone at night in St. John's Wood. I don't think it's fair to associate people of color with muggings and ignore the fact that white men steal just as much, especially in this area of London, so I wouldn't say that my prejudice is a racial one but rather a gender one based on personal experiences and stories I have heard. I have always been taught to stay cautious and aware of my surroundings, and I generally will become worried if I am by myself at night and there is a man on the street near me. I realize that this is a bad prejudice to have towards any group of people, but it is what I have grown up learning and I have confidence in the aspect of being safe rather than sorry. I am sorry to admit that I also have a prejudice towards girls and science. I have somehow convinced myself (perhaps due to influence or the society I am a part of) that boys are always going to be better at science. This is greatly represented at ASL; the students in the highest level math and science classes are almost all males. I think that this opinion I have may have effected my learning experiences in my math and science classes since I was in Middle School; I convinced myself that it was okay that I wasn't too good at math because I had strengths in other academic areas, primarily in humanities. I always wonder if the stereotype that boys are better at math and science didn't exist, would I enjoy math more and be better at it than I currently am. 


This article talks of the stereotypes surrounding this prejudice. 


How strong are your subconscious attitudes toward race?

“At a subconscious level, I would guess I have a neutral preference toward a group that shares my skin color.”

“At a subconscious level, I would guess I have a mild preference against a group that has different skin color than my own.”

Black Men and Public Space" by Brent Staples

Article Summary 
In the article "Black Men and Public Space" by Brent Staples, the author explains his first hand experiences walking through a fairly affluent neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. He tells of an incident he was involved in regarding a white woman at night where she ran away from him when he was simply walking down the street behind her. Staples states that he feels the reason she was frightened was because he was a black man walking at night and the woman was alone. I know that whenever I am walking anywhere alone at night, I'm always a little frightened especially when I see a man walking alone. I wouldn't necessarily say that I get more scared if the man is a man of color but I do understand this. I think that a lot of people will jump to conclusions and stereotypes when they feel pressured or scared. Staples says he feels obligated to stay away from situations where he may potentially make people feel uncomfortable due to the color of his skin and the associations people make with his race. The part of this article that stood out the most to me was at the very end where Staples says in order to calm the fears of white people he would whistle the tunes of classical music. This made me think a lot about the other stereotypes surrounding people of color, and how just revealing knowledge of well known music can settle people's uneasiness.


Realization

I used to think that we should all be color-blind.

I now have realized that it is important to respect and appreciate all the differences each person is blessed with from their heritage.

The Question of Race

If there is no biological explanation for race, how did it come about and why does it continue to be so important to this day?

Our country is built upon the belief that all men are created equal. If this is so, then one may ask why so much conflict, crime, stereotypes, criticism, and debate have arisen centered around the issue of race. Race is defined as "A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics" (see citation at end), however modern, unbiased, and what would be considered as "unracist" scientific research has proven that a person's race cannot in fact be defined by genetically transmitter physical characteristics. Are we not all considered equal? Why does it matter then, this perceived and futile term? I believe that one reason the aspect of what race you are is so present in our society today is that it has simply been around for long enough. Ingrained into our minds and often both consciously and subconsciously effecting our immediate impressions or characterizations of the people around us, race is something that has undeniably shaped our society, be it for the better or the worse. Why does race continue to be so important today? I believe it's because of fear. America is a big country, and the world is a vast, intelligent, and amazing place full of smart, innovative people. But all of these people are white. In history, the power has laid in the hands of the whites and in turn they have created the hierarchy that was present in society for hundreds of years; the concept of white supremacy over all others. Of course society has advanced and equality has become something that America can use in it's founding statement more honestly, but there is still the racial issue and there is still a very present advantage of being white. I hope that this is something our country and indeed the world will outgrow with time, but for now the world will still be affected by this concept of color.

Three Questions I Have...

1. How have whites retained the position at the top of the racial hierarchy in the western world for so long? 

2. How do people of other races characterize white people physically? We hear a lot about racial stereotypes coming from whites about others but what is it like the other way around?

3. For how much longer will the "advantage of being white" stay an advantage? Years? Decades? Centuries?

citation

http://www.answers.com/topic/race-1

White Privilege

How did the privilege exercise make you feel?

           The white privilege exercise today was a very different and unique experience than any other exercise I have taken part in. It was very compelling and it made me think a lot about how I take the privileges I have in my life for granted the majority of the time. Placing me the furthest away from the base line where we all began as equals, the statements made and questions asked consequently made me feel lucky to have a life like my own, but also somewhat guilty for something I have no control over. One of the prompts that I felt was the most impacting to me was the question on whether or not your parents support you and tell you that you can be anything you want to be if you set your mind to it. The idea that parents of different races and social classes may feel that telling their children that they can succeed in whatever they choose to do is in fact deceiving never even crossed my mind before. In a country that stands on the belief that hard work and dedication will get anyone where they want to be, I had trouble comprehending this idea that it is not the same for everyone at first. The question of what can these parents say to their children truthfully and with meaning is one that I have been asking myself all afternoon. Is it kinder to be honest and admit that their children may not be able to do whatever they desire due to their race, gender, sexual orientation or social standing rather than simply comforting them with encouragement that is insubstantial? My parents have always been supportive of my dreams and ambitions and I have been lucky enough to never have even had to think about how my life would be if I were to have to motivate and support myself without the help of others. This exercise proved to me that there are things that privileges mask and that not everyone can get as far as they may want or deserve in our so called 'Meritocracy'.

Which of the four fears outlined by Robert Jensen do you have?

The fear that they can do to us what we have done to them is something that worries me. Time after time again it has been proved that humans are capable of doing terrible things to one another. Whites have had the upper hand but who's to say this won't change? Even though it was not us individuals who committed the terrible things to other races that our ancestors did in the past, we are still linked together as one, and can collectively be blamed.

Look at the “Daily Effects of White Privilege” list. 

(a) Pick the five effects that you feel you most take for granted. 

8, 15, 19, 20, 50

(b) Pick the five effects that you would be willing to give up.

31, 37, 10, 13, 5