The everyday response to racism

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SummerMadness

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The everyday response to racism
An African-American man in New York gets on an elevator with a group of white men, one of whom proceeds to tell a joke that includes blacks and monkeys. What happens next? In this case, the black man struggles to keep his composure, comments that he's not a fan of jokes, and steps off the elevator before reaching his destination.

The response was one of hundreds logged by a team of sociologists led by Michèle Lamont, professor of sociology and African and African American studies, director of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and the Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies.

The sociologists' eight-year study examined the responses of minority groups to acts of racism, discrimination, and stigmatization in three cities: New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Tel Aviv. The results, published in a recent book, "Getting Respect: Responding to Stigma and Discrimination in the United States, Brazil, and Israel," examine the typical responses from five minority groups against a variable that the researchers call "groupness," a measure of collective identity strength.

The examination included interviews with blacks in New York and Rio, and with members of three groups in Israel: Palestinians, Mizrahi Jews who originated in the Middle East, and recently immigrated Ethiopian Jews. Researchers discovered that group strength was an important factor in determining people's responses — whether they confronted discrimination head-on or not — but that other factors also played a role.
 

Andrewofthetribe

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SummerMadness

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Sounds horrible I'd rather not discuss racism here in a public forum, it's a vile thing and causes me much distress, I will read any comments and opinions put forward though. If I see a message of hope I shall be sure to pass it on.
Did you think the article was horrible? It's quite interesting research on how racism is handled throughout the world. For instance, in the United States, black people will speak up without fear, whereas in Brazil, people usually remain silent. However, movements like Black Lives Matter have had an effect on how racism is dealt with in other countries.
 
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Andrewofthetribe

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Did you think the article was horrible? It's quite interesting research on how racism is handled throughout the world. For instance, in the United States, black people will speak up without fear, whereas in Brazil, people usually remain silent. However, movements like Black Lives Matter have had an effect on how racism is dealt with in other countries.
I have given racism a lot of thought it's taken me right back to my own ancestors and their beliefs. I have found it difficult to get rid of my own racist beliefs taught to me by the people around me. I do not even know what it is like to be of colour in this society as I have always assumed the privelidge was for everyone. Unfortunately it's not always easy to put ourselves in the skins of others and feel their pain. I like to think I have felt some of it albeit a very tiny portion and hope I can continue to learn everyday by gods grace.
 
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LadyCrosstalk

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Racism is obviously unrighteous. But it is also wrong when it is expressed by African-Americans as well. The difference between Trump and Kaepernick is that Trump is speaking of the corruption (which knows no race) and injustice that has downgraded our Republic and Kaepernick's is based solely on race--thus racism. I have African-American friends who speak of racism being inherent in the African-American community against darker-skinned African-Americans.

The part of the human genome that has anything to do with skin, hair and eye coloration is such a tiny part of said genome. To make such a big deal of it EITHER way is sin. Promoting fury among African-Americans over the evils of slavery and racial discrimination does nothing to solve the problem. All it does is convince those who were inclined in that direction to harden their attitudes against those not of their own ethnicity. We all need to see ourselves as part of the family of man in all of our variety. That is made much easier if we see ourselves as being under the Fatherhood of God (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). There is no racism expressed in the Bible. Dark skin and eyes were seen as beautiful (it speaks of the "beloved" in the Song of Solomon as having "flashing white teeth"--a contrast that is not seen in light-skinned individuals).

Racism really has its origins in slavery--the type of which (by kidnapping of peaceful people) the Bible CONDEMNS. There were only two types of slavery permitted among the Israelites: 1) indentured servitude (and indentured servants were to be freed, at least, after seven years). 2) foreign nationals who were taken in war. That was simply the way of the ancient world and it was never based on any racial characteristics.

There was absolutely no Biblical basis for what was done to African-Americans. It left a horrible stain on the new American Republic and an enduring legacy of injustice. Muslim slave traders were the most guilty, as they were the ones who did most of the kidnapping, but those of European ethnicity, who bought the slaves, were guilty as well. They should have known better. If truth be told, they likely did--if you look at the example of John Newton who, even while a slave-ship's captain, understood the misery and suffering of his human cargo. After his conversion to Christ, he never stopped feeling miserable about his part in the tragedy and injustice of slavery.

How do we get from where we are? By ignoring skin color and focusing on the content of godly character. African-American Christians are frequently among the most devoted followers of Christ. That is the way forward for breaking down prejudice on BOTH sides. [Staff edit]
 
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brinny

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Racism is obviously unrighteous. But it is also wrong when it is expressed by African-Americans as well. The difference between Trump and Kaepernick is that Trump is speaking of the corruption (which knows no race) and injustice that has downgraded our Republic and Kaepernick's is based solely on race--thus racism. I have African-American friends who speak of racism being inherent in the African-American community against darker-skinned African-Americans.

The part of the human genome that has anything to do with skin, hair and eye coloration is such a tiny part of said genome. To make such a big deal of it EITHER way is sin. Promoting fury among African-Americans over the evils of slavery and racial discrimination does nothing to solve the problem. All it does is convince those who were inclined in that direction to harden their attitudes against those not of their own ethnicity. We all need to see ourselves as part of the family of man in all of our variety. That is made much easier if we see ourselves as being under the Fatherhood of God (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). There is no racism expressed in the Bible. Dark skin and eyes were seen as beautiful (it speaks of the "beloved" in the Song of Solomon as having "flashing white teeth"--a contrast that is not seen in light-skinned individuals).

Racism really has its origins in slavery--the type of which (by kidnapping of peaceful people) the Bible CONDEMNS. There were only two types of slavery permitted among the Israelites: 1) indentured servitude (and indentured servants were to be freed, at least, after seven years). 2) foreign nationals who were taken in war. That was simply the way of the ancient world and it was never based on any racial characteristics. There was absolutely no Biblical basis for what was done to African-Americans. It left a horrible stain on the new American Republic and an enduring legacy of injustice. Muslim slave traders were the most guilty, as they were the ones who did the kidnapping, but those of European ethnicity, who bought the slaves, were guilty as well. They should have known better. If truth be told, they likely did--if you look at the example of John Newton who, even while a slave-ship's captain, understood the misery and suffering of his human cargo. After his conversion to Christ, he never stopped feeling miserable about his part in the tragedy and injustice of slavery.

How do we get from where we are? By ignoring skin color and focusing on the content of godly character. African-American Christians are frequently among the most devoted followers of Christ. That is the way forward for breaking down prejudice on BOTH sides.

Amen sister.
 
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RDKirk

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Racism is obviously unrighteous. But it is also wrong when it is expressed by African-Americans as well. The difference between Trump and Kaepernick is that Trump is speaking of the corruption (which knows no race) and injustice that has downgraded our Republic and Kaepernick's is based solely on race--thus racism.

You just said that if my tire is flat, and I go to Sears and tell them "fix my tire" instead of "fix my car" that I'm a racist.
 
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Aldebaran

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Racism is in the eye of the beholder.
If you walk through a door but don't hold it open for the person behind you (who happens to be black), then you're racist because you don't show them courtesy. If you hold open the door for them, then you're racist because you are patronizing them as if they can't open a door for themselves, and you must be racist.

Or if you're in an elevator and show them courtesy by asking them which floor they're going to, you're racist because you're assuming they aren't going where you're going. If you don't ask them them and just push a button for the floor you assume they're going to, then you're racist because your assumption is supposedly based on the color of their skin.

One person's courtesy is another person's racism.
 
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RDKirk

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Racism is in the eye of the beholder.
If you walk through a door but don't hold it open for the person behind you (who happens to be black), then you're racist because you don't show them courtesy. If you hold open the door for them, then you're racist because you are patronizing them as if they can't open a door for themselves, and you must be racist.

Or if you're in an elevator and show them courtesy by asking them which floor they're going to, you're racist because you're assuming they aren't going where you're going. If you don't ask them them and just push a button for the floor you assume they're going to, then you're racist because your assumption is supposedly based on the color of their skin.

One person's courtesy is another person's racism.

No, you're racist if you consistently behave in a negative way toward certain people and not toward certain others, and the clear distinction between them is race.

If I saw someone consistently closing the door in everyone's face, I'd figure he was either a jerk or worked in my company (everyone is required to use his own NFC badge to unlock the door).

If he only does it when the following person is black, male or female, I'd call it a race issue.
 
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Aldebaran

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No, you're racist if you consistently behave in a negative way toward certain people and not toward certain others, and the clear distinction between them is race.

In the examples I gave, there are some people who would just assume it's about race and make their judgement based on how they feel, rather than on the intentions of the other person.
 
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RDKirk

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With regard to the OP article, I saw the point about the expectation of assimilation being a primary factor in how minorities responded to bigotry against them:

We’re able to show that African-Americans confront [racism] much more readily, and they feel legitimate in confronting. Ethiopian Jews, another group that we studied, are recent immigrants to Israel. They want to be assimilated, so they don’t have as confrontational a stance. Arab Palestinians are extremely excluded — they know that they are perceived as “the enemy within,” as allies to the Palestinians — and therefore they’re much more likely to confront. Their expectations about having full citizenship, about being included in Israel, are very, very low. So they’re also less likely to say they feel ignored or misunderstood because they don’t expect to be understood.

I am old enough to have experienced the transition of American Blacks from a hope and expectation of our War Generation in assimilation to the rejection of assimilation by my generation. We integrated (because our parents taught us to), but we did and do not not expect assimilation. In fact, we "sour-graped" assimilation as a reaction to seeing how hard the majority group fought it.

So what the article missed was that black Americans today are freer about being confrontational because we have abandoned an expectation of assimilation. At least the black Boomers have, but I think it can still happen with Millennials, once Boomers are dead and unable to continue our racially oriented policies, and Millennials can shape society as they really want to.
 
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RDKirk

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In the examples I gave, there are some people who would just assume it's about race and make their judgement based on how they feel, rather than on the intentions of the other person.

No, you're racist if you consistently behave in a negative way toward certain people and not toward certain others, and the clear distinction between them is race.
 
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keith99

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No, you're racist if you consistently behave in a negative way toward certain people and not toward certain others, and the clear distinction between them is race.

I think that is a little bit too narrow. Racism is if you consistently think or act towards any one race differently than others. If I decide all Chinese are honest or for that matter that blacks all have music in their souls it is just as racist as associating a negative trait to either of those races.
 
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RDKirk

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I think that is a little bit too narrow. Racism is if you consistently think or act towards any one race differently than others. If I decide all Chinese are honest or for that matter that blacks all have music in their souls it is just as racist as associating a negative trait to either of those races.

Okay.

I might be willing to quibble as well on "racist" to the extent that ignorance can be a factor. I recall the day when a white man could day, "Jackson, I've known you for years, and I know you are a fine, upstanding man...but you're black and I'll never at at the same diner as you."
 
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I think that is a little bit too narrow. Racism is if you consistently think or act towards any one race differently than others. If I decide all Chinese are honest or for that matter that blacks all have music in their souls it is just as racist as associating a negative trait to either of those races.

What you're referring to there is cultural differences. Some cultures value certain things over others. The Irish are often proud of their cultural differences on St. Patrick's Day.
 
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CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN

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In the examples I gave, there are some people who would just assume it's about race and make their judgement based on how they feel, rather than on the intentions of the other person.
I haven't seen these people. The people I see the people, that claim they aren't racist. But complain about the N's being on welfare. Call them names and say the world better with out them. And want to hunt them down. Some people I know have called them animals, ape.
 
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keith99

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What you're referring to there is cultural differences. Some cultures value certain things over others. The Irish are often proud of their cultural differences on St. Patrick's Day.

No I was not. Reread my post. I used the word ALL. Thinking an Irishman is more apt to enjoy a pint of Guinness than an American is recognizing cultural differences. Thinking all Paddies like Guinness is racism. Thinking Englishmen don't like Guinness is foolishness. Getting upset over the term Paddy is Political Correctness.
 
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Racism really has its origins in slavery--
You made so good points but I disagree with you here. Racism is not mention is scripture since it deals with the true sin, pride. Too many cries racism in order to cover up their own pride while attacking someone else pride.
 
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