Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "The new threat: 'Racism without racists'" [View all]kwassa
(23,340 posts)27. This is the key point brought up by Ferguson.
I think the OP is right, and I've experienced it here. "Racism" to white people is the individually mediated form. Racism to black people is primarily the institutional form.
To a white person "racist" is a finger in the chest. To a black person "not racist" denies the reality of their daily life.
Ferguson represents the disparate ways police treat blacks and whites. The reason this blew up so big is not because it happened in one town in Missouri, but because so many other blacks all over the country recognized the experience. Profiling is alive and well in America's police forces.
The other big, new point is that a cop will be protected by a prosecutor from the consequences of his actions, which sends a very dangerous signal to law enforcement all over the country.
There is the police stop for traffic violations, and then there is the investigatory stop, which happens only to minorities, most of whom are law-abiding citizens. The message being conveyed is that one is under suspicion because of one's color. These law-abiding citizens are being treated as guilty until proven innocent. Whites don't have these experiences, so they refuse to believe this exists.
I had a conversation with a black colleague yesterday, and told him the joke I had read where one black man said "I knew I was getting old when the police stopped pulling me over." He laughed hard, and said that was definitely true.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
49 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
I know and I hear you. But still... that person is so NOT worth the time and effort
Number23
Nov 2014
#11
oh my, that is some ignorant shit right there. holy crap, talk about flawed methodologies......
bettyellen
Nov 2014
#47
Nicholas Kristof took a test a few months ago that said he had some small amount of bias.
applegrove
Nov 2014
#3
This is something that black people and people of color have been saying FOREVER
Number23
Nov 2014
#5
I see many people have a problem where they avoid the topic all together or get angry about it.
bravenak
Nov 2014
#8
I remember getting in trouble as a young adult for telling a potential hirer that everyone has
uppityperson
Nov 2014
#10
Required reading for DU! The racism here has become nearly unbearable.
Liberal_Stalwart71
Nov 2014
#16
Surely you kid? I don't think people here would put up with it. I have not seen it.
applegrove
Nov 2014
#17
You're probably right. But where do we go from here? I feel as though there's hope!
Liberal_Stalwart71
Nov 2014
#19
These tests find subconscious bias. A tiny bit. Believe me I had no idea either.
applegrove
Nov 2014
#28
You aren't alone; the majority of our fellow Americans in general haven't, to be truthful......
AverageJoe90
Nov 2014
#32
Social engineering. Many people are led to believe racism doesn't exist anywhere but the South.
Rex
Nov 2014
#30
Acceptance or 6 or 7 decades of legal precedent. I don't know, still plenty of haters hating
TheKentuckian
Nov 2014
#49