What Is the Human Cost of Racism?
As I follow the discussion we're having here at TPMCafe, I keep thinking about The Mother Teresa Effect, a concept based on her quote: "If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will."
Jae Ran Kim explains:
In 2004, Carnegie Mellon University conducted an experiment to see if this quote held true in real life. They gave participants five $1 bills to participate in a fictional survey, then presented half of the participants with a fact sheet about starving children in Africa along with an envelope for a donation. The other half of the participants received the same envelope, but instead of a fact sheet, they were given a photo of a young girl named Rokia and a paragraph about how her life would benefit from the participant's donation.As you might expect, those with the picture of Rokia gave more than twice as much as those with just the fact sheet.
The researchers tried the experiment again, this time giving one group the fact sheet and the story about Rokia and the other group just the story about Rokia. Again, those with just the story of Rokia donated more than the group with both the story and the facts.In other words, not only are we more likely to do something to help an individual than an abstract problem, the inclusion of factual evidence actually reduces our ability to empathize and take action.
Am I advocating that we throw all our facts and statistics out the window? No, of course not. What I'm arguing is that there is power in the specificity of the personal narrative and we should make use of it in our anti-racist efforts.
When I think back on how my own views about race have evolved over my lifetime, I realize that some of the most profound shifts in my thinking resulted not from reading theoretical treatises, but from learning about specific individuals' experiences.
Before I read Jonathan Kozol's book Amazing Grace: Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation, for example, I was a staunch believer in rugged individualism. It was Kozol's unflinchingly vivid portraits of the day-to-day experiences of black and Latino children in Mott Haven that made me realize just how self-righteous and privileged I was to believe we were all on a level playing field.
We can (and should) talk all day long about employment discrimination, racial disparities in sentencing, redlining, disproportionate healthcare, voter suppression, segregation in public schools, the prison-industrial complex, and more.
But by solely discussing racism in such aggregate and abstract terms, I worry that we will lose sight of the real reason all of this matters. Racism is a problem not merely because it represents some abstract sense of societal injustice. It's a problem because of the hurt, pain, anger, and suffering it causes to individual human beings.
When I think about discrimination in the workplace, I think about a Pakistani-American man I know whose colleagues at an internet start-up told him they didn't want to leave him in the office alone in case he blew up the building.
When I think about the impact of racist stereotypes in the media, I think about the black children in Kiri Davis's short film A Girl Like Me, and how 15 out of 21 of them chose the white doll over the black doll in her recreation of Kenneth B. Clark's doll test.
When I think about Eurocentrism in our education system, I think of an Afro-Latino man I know whose third-grade teacher told him that Africans lived like monkeys until the white man brought them to America and saved them from their own wretchedness.
If we want to mobilize people to take action against racism, facts and statistics are not enough. We need to put a human face on these issues.
. . . Kenneth B. Clark's doll test . . .
I've always wondered what the black doll looked like -- like one of these ladies, no doubt.
But, then again, Dr. Clark did have a point to make. So, anyone got a link to a picture of the dolls he used?
April 3, 2008 2:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree there is a price to be payed for racism, and its a price we can no longer afford. The world we live in today must find a way to eliminate or reduce racism or else we will face an extinction brough on by ourselves.
There will always need to be programs to teach tolerance, a good place to study this is here:
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/magazine/index.jsp
Racism has always been a part of human history. There are those who try and pick some culture and say it did not used to be this way but they are fooling themselves and in the end, even with good intentions, hinder doing what is necessary and possible to stop racism. Racism has always been with humans, and we need to constantly teach our children NOT to be racists through our behaviour and examples and with the material we educate them with. AND - we need to be honest and transparent.
Racism is a subset of Xenophobia, the dislike of the other or of those outside ones group. Skin color is just a very easy way to differentiate one from another unless one is raised to overlook or value.
Xenophobia is believed if not proved to have been necessary for the human evolution. It is present in all animal species to some degree. Xenophobia provides for a breeding population and when combine with the desire to pick a mate similar to ones self, makes adaption and change possible. Not all follow these drives and there are enough whose natural tempermant is to find difference interesting to assure the carrying of traits among breeding populations.
The animal world has all the good things and all the bad things we humans have and do, we are after all animals. What does differentiate us as animals is the ability to make up stories about our behaviour and build machines in our minds that can do good as well as distroy. Love is as much of a part of animal nature and the natural world as is xenophobia. Breeding population size does matter for evolutionary adaption and change.
Not everyone is a racist at birth, but it is the default state for most humans.
We must overcome Xenophobia now because humans have proved so sucessful at reproduction and manipulation of the material world that we are now in the Sixth and Largest Extinction that has greeted earth's life.
http://www.actionbioscience.org/newfrontiers/eldredge2.html
As the matrix one movie said after Neo awoke from his energy pod, was delivered, and was being educated in the Nebakanezer:
Welcome to the Real World!
So It Goes -
April 3, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I definitely think Carmen brings up a really serious question, how do we move folks to change? As Du Bois put it, "I was very disappointed at the results of my study...I began to realize that I had overworked a theory- that the cause of the problem was the ignorance of people...[The] cure wasn't simply telling people the truth, it was inducing them to act on the truth." Truth telling has never been sufficient. The cost of racism are usually greatest amongst those who are oppressed and most of our appeals are moralistic in essence. I think the doll study, the visibility of Jim Crow racism, etc. demonstrate that (cliche coming) "a picture is worth a thousand words" and the appeal to conscious. We can use numbers, but narratives tied to numbers or larger realities are the key to inciting change. In my view, the cost of racism, on all sides of the aisle, is that the people who are most vulnerable to social ills are the first to be ignored. Sorry this comment is all over the place.
Oh and Ellen, I think Robert Guthrie's "Even the Rat was White" may have an image of the dolls.
April 4, 2008 9:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am now journeying the most painful travel of this lietime. I had no choice but to accept the fact that me being born a 'minority' in America is justification to be violated. I TOTALLY DISAGREE! My deprivation of dignity was intentional and premeditated. I was supervised by a racist manager. This is perfectly in his rights.
I was violated when he chose to practice racism in a workplace (controlled environment?) with codes, by-laws and rules. I was intimidated at work and have been bullied since I left work. I choose to speak of the 'lawful' indignities. Change has never came in silence. I have no problem with my manager being racist. This is America, home of the free and brave. What truly hurts is corporate had the cold audacity to condone his actions and they do so to this very day. Is it because he represents everything corporate is founded and grounded on-RACSIM!!! I have no time to live in the flawless and perfect world of denial. To do so would be living a lie. As much as reality hurts-this is the healing and growing process. I have found that all the 'accused' parties wants to live the lie of denial. This is the very cause of racism running rapid in America. Racists die, but rasicm exists-IT LIVES!My manager took everything that I rightfully own and stomped it to the floor. That hurts to know that my complexion is the number one culprit. My manager was raised and taught to be racist. It is in his blood. He could not handle me rejecting his stupiity and not allowing his hate to become contagious. My kindness angered him more. He is really a scary, sick and sad individual. If he saw himself in the dark he more than likely would run. Guess what? My workplace wants me to be silent and forever be the victim. I think not! The truth? The whole truth? Nothing but the truth? Corporate was an enabler. I am not the first nor second victim. Shame on corporate! They did not resolve his first outburst of outrageous behavior. Honestly! My manager is a victim as well. He did know more than they allowed him to do. They(my manager and corporate) were cold conspirators in this inhumane violation. I am a human being. I was born with self-eveident worth. Unfortunately, some believe that they are superior over others. We come to work to be team players. Our goal should be safety, productivity and harmony. Religion, gender, preference, etc. should not matter. My manager actions were humiliating and against the law. Corporate non-actions has his actions looking nice and polite. How sad! This makes me nauseous. How could one be so degrading? I AM A HUMAN BEING! NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS! I refuse to allow their bullying to force me into submission. I speak to heal and grow. I was raised and taught to always face reality.
Reality? It is what it is-whatever it is. In this matter? Racism is the name and I call it out for what it is. I dare someone publicly shame me an then try to bully 'OUR' truth into secret. Circumstances are yesterday, today and forever. Did you know that I am mother! Grandmother! Daughter! Friend! I AM A HUMAN BEING! You hurt me and it sears my soul to know that your reign of horror awaits my kids and grandchildren. For me to lay down...this would be an injustice to humanity. Corporate, it is time you face reality. COMPASSIONATE CHANGE IS INEVITABLE! It is no I, you, he or she. It is 'US', 'WE'-THE PEOPLE! By the Creator's grace we 'all' exist. He needed no help from you nor me. What makes one superior over the other? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I am a victim of racist abuse and authority-power. In life we stand for something or sit for nothing. I stand with the sword of truth being my guide. I fear no one but the Creator. When one cannot face self...scary, scary, scary. I sincerely pray for you. I was taught love. Maybe you were taught it and forgot it. Maybe you never knew it. I know it!
I feel it and I give it. Love is the greatest gift that the Creator gifted. You have no right to play "GOD!" Who do you really think you are?
Guess what? Your truth comes back to haunt you! I arise anew to tell the inhumane truth. I am inside looking out and the atmosphere in here is not a pretty sight.
Ms. Deloris Phillips
AKA PEACE N UNITY
April 8, 2008 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Recently on my job I participated in a two day UNDOING RACISM workshop it was all day. The group of about twenty people consist of (African Americans from the south, Caribbean’s, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Italian, Irish, Jewish, Male, White Female and a Lesbian). After hearing the stories of everyone view on race and how they view themselves, I became very depressed. I experience racism on the job. When I explain my experiences, I was met with head shaking from people who I had known indirectly through the workplace but in different programs. We had so many similar experiences. The director who was in the workshops, ask me a few weeks later, did I really feel the way I felt, I gave her examples, she tired to explain to me that I couldn't have viewed that way, and tried to tell me that I must be mistaken, I then knew that she didn't have a clue, didn't understand and couldn't rap her brain around the fact that under her own noise there is racism. She wanted me to change my statement to the group. I made up my mind that if I speak to the group I would not change my feelings and what I said, but I would stay true to how and what I've experience.
The sad part about all of this was there were two young women, both educated, both from middle class families, but one was so depressed from so many things she had experiences, the other young women didn't have a clue, she grew up in middle American and never knew any people of color until she left for college. When she came to work at our department I could see that she was very distant, we took the workshop together, she couldn't believe how I felt about the workplace and how I was experiencing so many things, she said to me "but you are so nice" why would anyone be mean to YOU"? I told her that was Racism in a nutshell; this country was built on race. When you are condition to believe so many things about another culture you assume that it is all true. The public school system enforces all those negatives, we hirer people to work in the schools, not having a clue to the culture they are serving they bring all their biases with them. The police officers, alot of them learned the same biases in school, at home, they bring those biases to the work place, are you so surprise that people can shoot another human being 41 times and reload their gun and not feel any remorse or regret? In the media, movies "Sell the drugs to the N---, they are animals, let them lose their souls” They replay that movie over and over almost every weekend, what is that reinforcing?
I pray that racism will be gone in my life time, but I truly doubt it. Reasoning our children is not the problem; the problem is the adults that our children are around to influence their thinking. We need to race the consciousness of the American People. I have yet to see America apologize for what they did to the true Native Americans.
April 8, 2008 4:21 PM | Reply | Permalink