T he following posts provide opportunities for self assessment . Here a person can evaluate for themselves where they have been, where they are and where they are hoping to go on the journey of dealing with racism; white privilege, supremacy, fragility, and their ramifications.
A recent survey of 222 White medical students and residents showed that 50% of them endorsed at least one myth about the physiological differences between Black people and White people (for example, Black people’s nerve endings are less sensitive so they are less susceptible to pain.) This makes them less likely to recommend appropriate treatments. One third of these doctors believed that Black skin is just thicker than White skin. Racial biases that people take with them to their jobs everyday continue to harm Blacks in frightening ways all over this country. *National Academy of Sciences
Read through the Detour Spotting section at the bottom of the page.
Excerpt
Everyone’s a little bit racist, posits the song from the musical Avenue Q. But it may not be your fault, according to research in the latest edition of the British Journal of Social Psychology. In looking for the culprit as to why people tend to display tinges of racism, sexism or ageism, even towards members of their own group, a research team, led by the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that our culture may be partially to blame.
While previous psychological studies have shown that racism, sexism and ageism tend to be universal, a new study led by Paul Verhaeghen, professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Psychology, found that works in the American culture, namely literature, movies, TV, radio and the Internet, may contribute to the problem by exhibiting the same stereotypes that society works so hard to snuff out. …
“One of the things these findings suggest is that for those of us who, like me, very often feel guilty about these gut reactions you have and you’re not supposed to have is those gut reactions are normal and they have very little to do with you. They have more to do with the culture around you,” said Verhaeghen. “What is more important is your behavior, rather than your gut reaction.”
“The second thing is that there’s a reason for political correctness. At least, as studies suggest, it might be a good idea to not put stereotypes out there too clearly, because if you do, people will internalize them.”
Today, I don’t label people as racist, but instead, focus on naming and interrupting racist behaviors and attitudes. When people are called racist, they almost always shut down, get defensive, or fight back: none of these reactions generally leads to increased awareness…
Due to the decentralized nature of the movement, perceptions of the organization differ widely… This Black Lives Matter test will determine how much you agree with the aims of the movement, using Black Lives Matter’s own stated beliefs and demands.
The main thing to remember while completing this quiz is to be as honest as possible. It is so easy to see the issue and its ramifications in others, really difficult to see it in ourselves… Without some true reflection, there is no way that real progress can be made.
