“Black People Were Just Less Smart Back Then” -Grandma
“Black People Were Just Less Smart Back Then” -Grandma
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17967345
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Either/Or thinking on race only gets so far. If a person thinks all acts can be objectively judged as racist, not racist, or not racially relevant... Then they'd be wrong.
Because it's not just white folk that are complicated. It's everyone. And there are differences of opinion (and history) within communities.
Some acts are overt. Some are obvious to the trained observer. And some... Will be met with varying reactions.
Whether an act has racial implications at all, will also be in dispute.
Believing in equality isn't the same as acting on it. Belief isn't the metric. Behavior is.
My parents believed and taught equality. They "just" thought the races should be separate. That that was a racist attitude was lost on them until it was forced.
I've had blind spots. I'll find more. We all have them.
Listening, reading, searching our attitudes... Questioning why we did things how we did... This is how we keep momentum.
White certanties of virtue isn't the progress people think it is.
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I think that when it comes to race there's only a binary possibility.
Your parents held a belief that mixing races was wrong. What was at the root of that belief? Some races are inherently not good enough or clean enough for their family, children or grandchildren. That is the very definition of racism. Your parents were racists, just not on the level of a clan member. There can be varying degrees of racism, but you either hold racist beliefs or you don't.
That's the crux of the argument here;
- I think that if you hold racist beliefs you are racist
- You think that a non-racist can hold racist beliefs.
I would love to hear an argument that changes my mind but so far I haven't heard one.
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That's not my point. I am saying to a large degree science has shown that implicit bias is real. That unconscious biases show up among all groups, especially if given the right priming.
And based on that, we all have times it shows up. Whether we know it or not. Whether we like it or not.
This is not to drain the conversation of its relevance. It only enhances the urgency and importance of the conversations.
But I'm not into this either/or because this is a gradient. Or if it's either/or then it's 99+% of the population failing the test. If that's the line, there's an honesty to it.
And implicit bias, at its core, is based on belief. Even if transitory.
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if it's either/or then it's 99+% of the population failing the test. If that's the line, there's an honesty to it.
I wouldn't go as far as 99+ but yes, many people have beliefs that put them in that boat. I wasn't even excluding you or I.
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Then I think we're fairly aligned and I respect your honesty.
No dispute on whether I'll be ferreting out biases for the rest of my life. I just consider it mental hygiene.
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Yeah also I grew up in a world that was much more openly racist than the one of today so I'll catch myself having stereotyping intrusive thoughts about dumb stuff people will do and I'll be like, "no x type of person isn't the only type that cuts you off in traffic, dumbass". I don't think that's a belief though.
Just like I don't think that having intrusive thoughts about jumping off a ledge means your suicidal.
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105 comments