Why Do Millennials Not Understand Racism?

[kwassa]

a very interesting article and viewpoint

For all of these aspirations, however, millennials have a hard time talking about race and discrimination. Although 73 percent believe that we should talk “more openly” about bias, only 20 percent say they’re comfortable doing so—despite the fact that a plurality of minorities say that their racial identities shape their views of the world.

What’s more, for all of their unity on tolerance and equality, white and minority millennials have divergent views on the status of whites and minorities in society. Forty-one percent of white millennials say that the government “pays too much attention to the problems of racial minority groups while 65 percent of minorities say that whites have more opportunities.” More jarring is the 48 percent of white millennials who say discrimination against whites is as big a problem as discrimination against racial minorities. With that in mind, it’s worth a quick look at a 2012 poll from the Public Religion Research Institute, where 58 percent of white millennials said that discrimination against whites was as big a problem as discrimination against minorities.

............................

From these results, it’s clear that—like most Americans—millennials see racism as a matter of different treatment, justified by race, that you solve by removing race from the equation. If we ignore skin color in our decisions, then there can’t be racism.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/05/millennials_racism_and_mtv_poll_young_people_are_confused_about_bias_prejudice.html

[Scootaloo]

1. I don't imagine there's a lot of difference, generationally

Apparently at least a full half of the nation's white people truly believe they are being persecuted... thus explaining thier infatuation with the Republican party.

[LeftyMom]

2. I'm a tick older than those kids, but can I make some suggestions?

1. The media narrative about what racism is and need for political spin about specific claims leads to confusion and a perception that claims of racism are used as a weapon rather than made in good faith. This is probably reinforced by adults who are confused, resentful or just kinda racist.

2. School instruction about race is really shallow and tends to focus on a very narrow segment of the civil rights movement. If one based on their notions on the average school lesson, one would think that the issue largely died with Dr. King. Generations of American history are typically discussed without even an offhand mention of the roles of people of color in these periods, so a child might get the impression that race was only an issue at the time of the 3/5ths compromise, the civil war/reconstruction and 1955-64, or that people of color played no significant role outside of these set pieces in the national narrative. Since the young person knows they live in none of these periods, why are people talking about race? It's like talking about Teapot Dome. Somebody solved that, we moved to the next chapter. Right?

3. While both media and school narratives do adequately communicate that racism is terrible, by failing to discuss micro-aggressions and systemic bias, they create the impression that any calling out of racism is equivalent to accusing the offender of being grand imperial cyclops of their local klavern. This creates a situation where smaller biases are left unexamined.

[kwassa]

3. Suggestions are welcome.

1) I don't control the media narrative. None of us do.

2) I don't know what the current school instruction on racism is. I got great instruction back when I was in high school, a very long time ago. I had exceptional teachers, perhaps. One brought in outside textbooks on the subject.

And, are you speaking from knowledge about what all kids are currently learning, or what happened in the particular school system that you experienced?

3) The simple truth is that there is no downside to whites not talking about racism, for the reasons that you mentioned. There is the fear of being accused a racist when one simply is trying to understand. The result of this is that whites don't ask the questions they need to get that understanding. They also understand that there is no downside to not participating, so they don't participate. Something needs to be done to facilitate better dialogue.

[joeglow3]

43. Number 3 is why I hardly discuss

Honestly, it is a strong weapon that I have seen too many people use to shut down someone they may not agree with. A few years ago, there was a push to recall our democratic mayor (Omaha). It was spearheaded by Republicans who were pissed that they lost. But, to be fair, the mayor had a few BAD fuck-ups out of the gate and provided the means to successfully get the signatures for a recall vote. The thought early on was that it would be successful, as the right would be more motivated to get to the polls (fortunately, they did NOT).

All that said, we had a city councilman who made the claim that anyone who supported the recall of this white mayor, was a racist. When you see the claim being thrown around in situations like that just for personal (or political) gain, one tends to shy away from any situation where that may arise. After all, we live in a guilty until proved innoncent society.

[liberal_at_heart]

7. I agree with your points. I also think that economics has segregated us again. This means

many white kids don't have exposure to different cultures and races. Of the cultures and races they are exposed to they are very tolerant. But like most middle class or rich kids when they are not exposed to cultures or races due to economic status they don't understand and may not be as tolerant.

[ConnorMarc]

34. I Agree!

You hit the nail on the head!

[img][/img]

[Hippo_Tron]

54. To Kill A Mockingbird was our 8th grade summer reading, but no civil rights lesson to 11th grade

I remember sitting in my bunk at sleep-away camp trying not to fall asleep reading that book, because it made absolutely no sense without the historical context.

[geek tragedy]

4. Because they are white and don't experience real racism. nt

[Harmony Blue]

28. Your statement is so wrong and biased

what is" real" racism?

People have been racist against me because they thought I was not white (eg Mexican/Lebanese) and people have been racist against me because they knew I was white calling me a cracker for example. Racism is racism no matter what.

As a millennial I don't see racial differences and I watched half of Los Angeles burn to the ground during the L.A. riots. It started with the racist white cops attacking Rodney King but the backlash hit the Koreans because they were viewed as the privileged of the south central community compared to the black community. The same Korean community that came to the United States to invest into south central L.A. when the big banks would not and the thanks they received was seeing their stores burned to the ground.

Older generations simply don't understand us in that we are humanists and we don't divide the world up into neat little boxes.

[ChazII]

32. Wonderful post! n/t

[bravenak]

44. You forgot about the girl that got shot by a Korean store owner for stealing a bottle of

orange juice. She got probation for murdering that girl, then the rodney king verdict, rampart division and their corruption and harassment and assualts on black youth. Thats why Korean store owners were targeted. http://msmagazine.com/blog/2012/05/07/remembering-the-l-a-riots-remembering-latasha-harlins/

We stopped them from burning the two in my neighborhood.
It wasn't because the Korean were viewed as privileged, it's because of no justice for that 15 year old girl. Not to mention the fact that the Korean store owners were notorious for following black people around the store accusing them of stealing. I had it happen to me no less than a hundred times. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopping_while_black



So no, it didn't just start with the racist cops, i was there too. I was outside in the streets. Between normandy and western and then i went to my grandma's house on La Cienega and Jefferson by the see's candy factory number 1 ( i worked there as a teen).

That situation had been building up since the watts riots ( my mom was there).




Calling you a cracker is not racism. You need power and a system behind the power backing you up for it to be racism. This is sociology 101. I learned the difference in elementary school.

[bravenak]

50. I think you lack the knowlege to deal with this subject.

I do not care for your tone.

For your enjoyment and pleasure.
Probably going to manually ignore you now.
Welcome to DU.

[PeaceNikki]

56. Excellent graphic.

Sadly it's dead-on.

[Starry Messenger]

57. I'm stealing that.

[AgingAmerican]

51. "You need power and a system behind the power backing you up for it to be racism"

What a load of crap. Judgment and intolerance of people based on their skin color is racism, period.

You are claiming that institutional racism is the only legitimate form of racism. That's absolute hogwash.

[bravenak]

53. I'll give it to you again.

I do not like your tone, either.

[randys1]

59. They wont learn, their own racism (all AMERICAN whites myself included are racist to some degree)

and privilege wont allow them to understand the reality.

Every white person in america receives benefits, daily, from institutional racism...period

And yes, still to this day.

[AgingAmerican]

65. Yes, that's institutional racism

Which is just one form of racism. Judgement and intolerance of groups or individuals based on skin color, in all cases no exceptions, is racist.

[randys1]

66. sigh

[AgingAmerican]

67. So hatred or intolerance of another race or other races isn't racism?

If it isn't racism, what is it? Please explain.

[Gormy Cuss]

70. Yep, racism in its simplest form means bias based solely on race.

However, the effects of racism against those who also experience institutional racism is qualitatively worse. Surely you understand that.

[AgingAmerican]

72. Of course

But racial hatred, whether it's institutional or from individuals, is universally putrid.

[bravenak]

69. Mental block.

Makes it impossible for some to see what is obvious.

[LeftOfWest]

62. Right there bravenak

"You need power and a system behind the power backing you up for it to be racism. This is sociology 101. I learned the difference in elementary school. "

THAT is it. Right there.

Perfectly stated, right on point.

[bravenak]

71. We seem to have discussions like this all the time.

I think i am just reduced to using gifs or posters to make my point.
Repeating myself over and over is lame.

[randys1]

78. Yep, they will never god damn learn

here they are on the receiving end of privilege and benefits of racism and always the first ones to spout out "but it means this too"

"leave me alone, I am not a racist"

blah fucking blah

1. ALL white Americans are racist to some extent even if completely subliminal or subconscious, myself included...

2, ALL white Americans receive benefits of racism on a daily basis, whether they know it or not, myself included...

3. ONLY white Americans can resolve racism IN AMERICA because, well see #1 and #2

[AgingAmerican]

75. And it's incorrect

nt

[bettyellen]

47. the "if I stick my head in the sand" racism disappears for me, isn't it that way for PO too method?

Yeah, it doesn't work that way.

[Fearless]

5. This is really miles from what I've experienced in life

To most millennials I know, racism is a non-issue... that being that it isn't something that they accept and something they're more than willing to be vocal about.

[liberal_at_heart]

8. Millennials use social media alot to point out social, racial, and economic injustices.

Millennials get a bad rap. But then again that is the norm. The older generation always looks at the younger generation and thinks they are lazy, selfish, or irresponsible. My daughter is a mellennial and she is very aware of social injustice including racism.

[FSogol]

23. My observation too. n/t

[Warpy]

6. Fortunately, they won't come into power

until the architects and maintainers of the old, real Jim Crow stuff are dead and buried.

I'm afraid a lot of people out there think racism is completely over because we don't have those drinking fountains any more and black folks can stay in "white" hotels.

They're wrong. Maybe as they grow up they'll grow into wisdom. I hope so.

[Harmony Blue]

29. Your lack of wisdom is showing

if you don't understand the millennial point of views on these issues.

[Warpy]

31. Nice personal attack with no justification.

We're done here. Now go away.

[1000words]

9. I see it as evidence that the word is losing it's meaning

Consider this internet meme, and tell me I'm wrong:

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/thats-racist

[Nevernose]

10. I teach high school seniors

And it's been my experience that they don't understand racism because they're less and less racist as the years go by. They don't understand it because they're not around it as much. It just seems dumb to them, for the most part, and kind of pointless.

[Nye Bevan]

12. My kids have friends of several races and treat them the same.

I didn't think that this was a problem until I read the DU posts on the evil insidious racism that is "colorblindness". Apparently, since my kids don't seem to give a shit about skin color, I have failed as a parent, or something.

[kwassa]

14. I think your individual anecdotal experience is only that, and doesn't represent anything.

and reading your posts over time, I think you have a very poor understanding, if there is any understanding at all, about racial issues in today's America.

I would point out the most obvious: "colorblindness" is a fallacy, that we obviously all see color, and react to that.

[Nye Bevan]

15. Thank you for your frank and open opinions of me.

Clearly I need to work harder on my parenting skills.

[Puzzledtraveller]

19. So if we fail to see color then we are racist?

Basically we need to focus on that which makes us different than that which we have in common. I think that's what the other poster was implying, did you get that? I get the feeling that what some want is for things to really stay the same. There is something very non-progressive about that view IMO.

[gollygee]

25. Ignoring racism and pretending things are "color blind" is not at all progressive

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/colorblind/201112/colorblind-ideology-is-form-racism

[gollygee]

37. People DON'T treat people based on how they are and not race

It's been tested and proven time and time again. In housing, employment, everything.

White men with criminal records have an easier time getting jobs than African American men with no criminal records. Google it.

Pretending there is no racism doesn't help end racism. Racism thrives in the dark.

Also, read the OP again. White millennials aren't "not seeing race." They're seeing race and thinking THEY are the victims.

[Nye Bevan]

64. This "colorblindness = racist" is one of the most headscratching memes on DU.

Last edited Thu May 22, 2014, 07:29 PM - Edit history (1)

I can't help wondering whether the ones pushing it the most don't actually know any racial minorities in real life. Because I'm pretty sure that most DUers who do just treat them the same as all of their other acquaintances and friends.

[whistler162]

73. Gotta keep hate alive!

[kwassa]

74. Let me white 'splain it to you.

as the expression goes.

I know my wife very well, so I do know racial minorities.

The entire notion of "color-blindness" involves blindness. Unless you are blind, you see color. Perhaps if you are really color-blind, you see and you don't see color, and there are relatively few people like that. To claim to be color-blind is to insult people of color, because what you are saying is that you are not seeing them.

Got it?

Treating all people the same is great, but it is not enough. The missing component is really getting to know people of other races and cultures, and developing real relationships with them. Until then, you only have good intentions, not good actions.

What else can I 'splain to you?

[Nevernose]

16. Bigotry is definitely still a problem

A few years ago I actually had the son of the local KKK leader in my class (which was actually rather fascinating, and at times a serious exercise in self-control). There are still plenty of students who say stupid shit like "If a gay makes a pass at me I'll shoot the motherfucker."

It's dramatically less than when I was in the same school district in the 80s, but it's not gone.

I know what it's like to raise tolerant, nonracist children, though. I get where you're coming from: when my daughters friends come over to hang out, it looks like the United Nations. It's awesome.

[Nye Bevan]

11. Obama was elected president largely because of the millennials.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2012/11/07/why-obama-won-hispanics-millenials-were-the-difference-makers/

[kwassa]

13. So, what is your point?

That the findings in this survey are wrong?

[JI7]

55. reminds me of some wingnuts insisting Sterling is not a racist

because he hired some black people for his team

and if we didn't have the tape i'm sure people would be using the same argument against the minorities who said they were discriminated against him when they were looking for housing.

[alp227]

17. The question would be better asked about microaggressions, the more subtle type of bigotry,

as happens in politics & pop culture, rather than "racism" (which younger people see as something that belongs to history books).

[Sheldon Cooper]

18. Exactly.

Just because people are no longer being lynched doesn't mean that racism is a thing of the past.

[Puzzledtraveller]

20. How can we keep racism alive so that millenials will never forget?

[gollygee]

26. Only white people are able to forget it

and enabling that does not create a world without racism.

[Harmony Blue]

30. This

well stated thank you.

[kwassa]

46. I can see you didn't read the article.

[alp227]

36. Ignoring the problem doesn't eliminate it. Nt

[alp227]

41. What do you mean "no one" and "divide"?

Are you repeating right wing talking points?

[pampango]

22. "Compared with previous generations, they’re more tolerant and diverse and profess a deeper

commitment to equality and fairness. At the same time, however, they’re committed to an ideal of colorblindness that leaves them uncomfortable with race, opposed to measures to reduce racial inequality, and a bit confused about what racism is.

...a majority of millennials say that their generation is “post-racial.” Seventy-two percent believe their generation believes in equality more than older people, and 58 percent believe that as they get older, racism will become less of an issue.

Which gets to the irony of this survey: A generation that hates racism but chooses colorblindness is a generation that, through its neglect, comes to perpetuate it.

An interesting dichotomy between a personal and genuine commitment to equality and fairness whether it is about race, gender or sexual preferences and a weakness in understanding of the need to deal with (and how) societal problems in these same areas.

I think that people who work with high school or college age students are impressed by their genuine personal commitment to fairness regardless of race, gender or sexual preference. Perhaps because of their youth (perhaps it's deeper than that), they seem not to fully understand how many people in society who do not share that commitment which has caused social problems that still need to be dealt with on a society-wide scale.

[boston bean]

24. One word, OBAMA. nt

[JI7]

61. and even before Obama they had Oprah to point to

to show everything was just perfect when it comes to race issues.

[Lee-Lee]

27. Many things come into play

They are less racist themselves, and the same for their friends, so don't comprehend it.

They were less likely to have been raised by racist parents.

With the two above it means they are pretty well sheltered from racism and its existence.

They learn about the civil rights movement in history, and anything taught in history class must be old news.

Accusations of racism have often been reduced to a meme, as mentioned above. It is clearly a microaggression, and widespread, so by passing that meme on they are while minimizing racism also being racist.

And sadly sometimes accusations of racism have been thrown out when it wasn't warranted. This ends up with those accused or seeing it happen left jaded and when they see false accusations it casts doubt on other claims that are legitimate. I see this a lot in the military because they have a strong internal mechanism for investigating claims of racism, and it drives me crazy to see it abused. A Soldier who is simply a substandard troop will get in trouble and then try to weasel out of it by claiming the leadership is racists/sexist/whatever they can think of. This ends up leading to an investigation led by someone from outside the unit, that everybody else in the unit knows is bullshit because they know a poor Soldier is a poor Soldier and they serve under those leaders so they know how they are. This leaves people less likely to see legitimate claims as legitimate later. I have seen it change the attitudes of the white members of an entire Army Company (about 125 soldiers) when the 1SG, who was a great leader and not biased at all, had her career wrecked and she was raked over the coals because 2 soldiers made bogus claims of racism because she was pushing for a third friend of theirs to be punished for a series of problems. She was later cleared, but by the time the dust settled she had been removed from her position, passed over for the promotion board (that only met once a year) and pretty well forced into retiring before she wanted to. And I saw a huge attitude shift- when we had our yearly EO briefing the year before it was taken pretty seriously, even if some thought it was a waste of time. The next year the questions were almost all along the theme of "What about false accusations", "What protection do we have from being accused", "what are the rights if I get accused"- EO in that year had gone from something that was supported to something that was feared by the whites in the unit. I have never seen such a huge shift in attitudes in a group like that before, and it scared me.

I think the above is the quickest way that opinions get shifted from one to the other, and also the one thing that makes changes in attitude most firm. That is why I hate to see people make bogus accusations, it makes people less likely to believe claims that have substance and gives ammunition for those who claim it isn't a problem.


But in short, it is society changing for the better, as racism does die people are less likely to take it seriously.

[Throd]

35. Damn those kids for not viewing racism through a 1970's narrative!

[LittleBlue]

38. Maybe millenials have their own ideas about things

Maybe they think their understanding of racism is fine and it's others who don't understand it.

[name not needed]

45. That can't be it. It's that damned rap music and the sexting.

[JI7]

52. no, based on the OP white millenials see themselves as victims of racism

so they certainly do see race.

[KamaAina]

40. Oh, this oughta be fun. I'll have extra butter on mine.

[jwirr]

49. If my millenial grandchildren are any indication of the attitude of that age group then yes racism

and other isms are on their way out. But to deny that racism exists is to say that the issues we fought in the 60s do not exist anymore on any level. Since there are people still alive who were very much against anything other than white supremacy and are still demanding any other way is wrong how can they say it no longer exists? We hear of acts of hate based on race, gender, etc. everyday.

I can only hope that the millennials are correct and racism as it was once known is on it way out. That equality becomes real.

[Hippo_Tron]

58. Alternate headline: Teenagers lack life experience

The MTV poll surveys "14 to 24 year olds". You're excluding a large segment of older Millennials and thus half your age group is teenagers. At age 15 or 16 I'm quite certain I could've agreed with some incredibly stupid statement like "we live in a post-racial society". At age 26 I have a much broader worldview, thus I don't.

[Starry Messenger]

60. The existence of campus racism says that there are millennials that still aren't getting it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/04/san-jose-state-hazing-report_n_4720674.html

"Authorities said four white students at San Jose State University displayed Nazi imagery and a Confederate flag in their dormitory suite to taunt a black dorm mate and also attempted to hang a U-shaped bicycle lock around his neck.

The teens barricaded the dorm mate in his room on multiple occasions in harassment that started in early September and continued through mid-October of last year, according to the report.

Three of the teens, Colin Warren, 18, Joseph Bomgardner, 19, and Logan Beaschler, 18, pleaded not guilty in December and January to one count of a misdemeanor hate crime and one count of misdemeanor battery against their 17-year-old dorm mate."

Plus every year there are some horrible stories about blackface parties for MLK day at colleges.

[randys1]

63. How terribly disappointing

I want to believe the younger generation gets it and wants to deal with it some way...

[Nye Bevan]

68. I can attest that my younger relatives are much less racist than my older relatives, in general.

My wife has an uncle who refers openly to "spooks" and uses the n-word.

My kids, nephews and nieces, however, I have never heard a racial slur from, and they have friends of several different races. (I do admit that "That's so gay!" is still an occasional problem with them that drives me absolutely nuts).

[MADem]

76. I'll tell you, if I have to hear the damn "n word" from any more of these young kids of every race,

ethnicity, color, shade, hue and gender, I'll be tempted to go buy a damn paddle!

It's not a frigging term of endearment, it's not hip, cool, or trendy, either. And when the damn fools write it out with an -ahz ending it doesn't make it any "better" to my eyes.

They need to do a better job teaching history and civics in school. These kids don't know their history, I think.

[gwheezie]

77. My goodness, where do some of you live

I agree, there seems to be more younger folks less racist than when I was coming up, otoh I can't believe there are still so any racist young folks.
I said on another thread, we the people have supported a government that for centuries made racism our laws, this country was founded by racists for heaven's sake. It is our history. To say it's institutional racism and not us is baffling, it is us, we elected the people who wrote the laws, we've had fits and starts to right a wrong but we have not gotten to the more perfect union. The effects of what we the people supported through our government are still festering.
I had to throw a young man off my property because I hired him to do some work for me and he started making racist comments and I just could not tolerate it. My neighbor has his grandchildren with him every day after school and I thought what if those little girls hear the word nigger coming from my house. I was mortified. The young fella was stunned that I found him to be too ignorant to finish the job. He assumed because I am white that of course I would see the world just like he does. It's not the 1st time I've come across this attitude.
Look at what is happening with voting rights, we voted for the people doing this. How do you separate institutional racism from individual racism when we as citizen's seem to be voting for people who want to take us back decades.