posted by Sam and Michelle
Post your 450 word (minimum) comment and 100 word (minimum) response to a classmate. You should be responding to the lecture about Stages of Racial Identity – People of Color: Stages 1-4. You can write anything you want about whatever you hear in the lecture.
When I listened to this lecture, I thought about children and what race means to them. Of course, there is no denying that racial identities and how many people view others racially is based largely on part to the physical characteristics of skin color. What I notice from watching children playing with one another is that many of them just see other children. Skin color is something that they may see but not really care about. How come most people as they get older can’t see people as people instead of seeing people in terms of race? What does it means to belong to a certain race? Does it mean someone is going to act in a certain way or behavior? Does it mean that someone can’t be trusted or needs to have special attention paid to? It doesn’t and shouldn’t mean any of these things, but many people in society actually feel in such a way.
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(cont'd) The way I see it, there are good and bad people of all races. There are many examples of past and present instances in which people of different racial identities act in similar behavior. Sometimes, when there are news stories or current events, people may hear of a crime and immediately decide in their minds the racial composition of the suspect. In many instances, you really don’t know the race of the individual just because of the nature of the crime that was committed. Years ago there were certain crimes that once you heard of the circumstances you may be able to predict the race of the suspect with a certain sense of accuracy. That is no longer the case. I really don’t see why some people continue to try and put certain things into a particular type of racial component.
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(cont'd) If more and more people tried to consciously stop put racial labels on things or identifying certain acts with being associated with a particular race, they would no doubt be a decrease in the amount of stereotypes that continue to cause problems in society. No matter what strides are made in society, it still seems that people are always going to categorize things in terms of racial compositions. Maybe categorizing things in terms of race or racial identities for people is just an easy way to put a label on something as opposed to critically evaluating and analyzing a situation and making an opinion based on stereotypes? While it appears that there have been changes in society with the way that people perceive others in terms of race, there still is a lot that needs to be done. Many of the problems in society are because of the effect of stereotypes and the damage that they cause. Hopefully, as a result of people seeing people for who they are instead of their racial composition, things can get better and the problems associated with race relations can start to be solved.
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I hate the phrase acting white. What is acting white? That is saying that all white people are and act the same. This is not true no one race of people all act the same cause they are not the same. Therefore what is acting like another race? I think people are affected by there surroundings yes but only in part there are also key factors in a person that will make them behave in whatever way they behave.
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Race relations in the United States I believe is in a weird limbo. Of course there will always be racist people because hatred is taught not born and when hatred of another race is so deeply rooted into a family it is hard to shake that out of them. I think race relations in the U.S. is also strained because of the guilt some white people feel for the pain and suffering their ancestors caused. I do not think people should feel guilty for the past especially a past that they really had nothing to with them directly. However in the same respect people need to be aware of the past so steps can be taken so it is not repeated. But I feel like guilt will not do anything to direct and help with race relations today.
I think people should embrace whatever culture they have inside them. Obviously culture is more relevant to some than others by embracing ones culture I think it can help people understand themselves better.
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I think people in the preawakening stage especially for colored people defiantly leave this stage before white people. I think because they are surrounded by more of different colored people. Even within the colored race all the different skin types people start to notice. In the colored culture people notice how darker skins people versus lighter skinned colored people. How they are treated within ones own race is also shocking to me. People always talk about race relations in the U.S. usually meaning black versus white but what about the race relations of colored people between each other. After watching the video about the dolls it was really shocking. For children especially young children are being taught things that are racist against ones own culture.
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I think it is so ludicrous that people inside my own race the colored race would be even more racist at times than white people. The colored children said that white was good and black was bad. The truth is those children were colored and obviously someone had to teach them that since they are so young. I think this shows how race relations need to be worked out within the colored community so there is no racism in one’s own race.
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Growing up my parents pretty much made sure I had all types of dolls that were both black and white. This was mainly to make sure that both sides represented. With my daughter I did the same thing. I didnt want my children to think that one color is better than the other. I got and still get, even from family members, you act and talk so white. How do you act and talk white? Because I use proper English, dress conservative, have long straight hair? I don't get it. I hear a lot of races use improper English. Are they acting Black? I was kind of sad about the doll experiment. That's really crazy. The kids aren't comfortable in choosing
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a doll that looks like them. It was sad to see how the little hesitated in handing the lady the doll that looked at her. We as parents really need to examine ourselves and the things we are teaching our children. Are we raisning racist kids? Something to think about. Why, we as parents just can't teach our children, no matter what your race is, that your beautiful in the skin God choose for you. If God wanted you to be something else, He would have made you that in the very beginning.
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cosuji Reply:
June 27th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
I was also shocked by the experiment, I went home this weekend and noticed that my little sister have a couple white dolls, and I asked them why they choose white dolls instead of black dolls just to see what their response was, and luckily it wasn’t any real reasons. They were regular responses like they didn’t have the black doll, or they simply just liked the doll and there is nothing wrong with that at all, even I have had white dolls when I was younger but I never thought about any of the things that the children in the experiment thought about the white and black dolls. I want my sisters to grow up loving and being comfortable with their race the way that I am.
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I will probably mention this in my internal dialogue because it is something that I have often been thinking about, and more so since I have joined this class with Sam, but It’s not racist to call someone black! If they are then what is so racist about it? They are black, aren’t they? It’s like saying “that chair is black,” no one says “that chair is darker colored.” It is just about describing someone, not about being racist. I feel that if someone were to be offended by that statement or feel as though that statement is racist, then oh well. I believe that person is too sensitive then and needs to get over it. I work at a cancer hospital over my breaks from school, and I had a black patient asking me to give her friend that she brought for moral support, and I asked her what her friend looked like at what was her name, she said it was Kim and she said “she is dark skinned like me.” I wasn’t sure why she just didn’t say black. I used to think that only white people would describe backs as “darker skinned” because they were afraid they would offend them, for whatever reason. I do not really understand why white people do not want to talk about race though. I have a feeling it is because they have nothing to prove or to be proud of. Like black people for example, I know their parents, probably a lot of them, say ‘ you should be proud of the color of skin that you have, do not be ashamed.’ Whatever it is that their children, or whomever, that they are talking to are probably going through some problems in their neighborhood, or in school, and it is because of their race. They might even feel out of place, or relating back to history. I feel that because they were once slaves so they need to make them feel that they will no longer have to go through that again. Once upon a time ago it was looked down upon, but now they want their generation and the rest of the world to know, and probably especially white people, that there is nothing to be embarrassed about for being something other than white. I have noticed that a comment that everyone is talking about is the instance where the children were picking a white doll over the other colored ones. I remember when I was a child and I had Barbie dolls. They were all white, up until they had Stacey’s friend who was black, but not too dark. She was a light brown, but they made sure that she was noticeably black because of the textured hair that they gave her. I also remember the American Girl dolls that many of us (girls) had when we were younger. They had mostly white dolls until they threw in “Addy” who looked more like Woopie Goldberg than anything else.
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Reading making peace between our colors is very interesting to me because you are able to see race through the eyes of someone who is not “colored” which you often do not get to see. I think I have to agree that minorities rarely acknowledge the fact that racial issues also affect white people, which enable them to form a well thought out opinion on racial issues. I must admit that I haven’t always been so open-minded to the idea of white people actually having a good understanding of race relations, because it always seems as if they do not have the problems that we have. The Author speaks about how her father worked extremely hard to get where he is at, and I do not doubt that at all, but if a minority had the same story there may have been some road blocks in his way, simply because of his race. I believe that the main issue between colored people and white people is that even as much as a white person may try to understand what we go through as a colored people, you can never really understand because you are not colored. I am black but when it comes to certain racial issues I can feel like almost anyone of any race can relate to me but white people because they are not colored. Every colored person has or will experience some type of racism in their life, and although a white person might have an experience with racism it will never be like the experiences that colored people have. It isn’t that we will not allow white people to understand, it’s that we feel as if white people can’t understand. For example the professor spoke about how he began to become very acquainted with disabled people which enabled him to get a better insight about how life as a disable person may be, but no matter how acquainted he becomes he has never been disabled. He may be extremely familiar with the disability but because he has never had to really experience life with a disability, his knowledge stops there. This is the same for race relations, you can know as much as your mind will let you learn, but until you actually walk in the shoes of a person you will never really know. Even today I was hanging out with my best friends from back home when one of my friends whose first name is Shaniqua, said that she was considering legally change her first name to her middle name which is Renee because she thinks it will prevent her from getting a good job when she graduates from college. How many C.E.O’s of fortune 500 companies do you know with a name like that? Sadly this is life for many minority people and it’s difficult for us to really believe that a person who will most likely never experience the things that we experience can really understand our struggle.
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I can definitely see that the lectures are going in a different direction, but they are still very interesting. This lesson covers “The tale of the two legged Amphibians” or the tale of color. The first stage for people of color is the Pre-Awakening Stage. In this stage, little thought is given to racial and cultural differences. People sometimes assume they are “white.” This is common among Asians. Also in this stage, racism is experienced, but not clearly identified as “racism.” Cultural views and emotions surrounding race are internalized. This can include a deep rooted self-hatred.
The second stage is the awakening stage. In this stage, people of color awaken to their ancestry and realize that the place of their group is within the mainstream culture. They begin to see the “us” and “them” groups and discover that they are the “them”. They begin to struggle with white culture but they don’t embrace their own culture.
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The third stage is Immersion. In this stage, the conscious exploration of heritage begins and white people become irrelevant. They find other non-white cultures uninteresting, but tolerate them because they are allies against white people. They will often belittle their own people who are not in this stage. This stage is marked by a chaotic balance of bitterness and love.
The fourth stage is the Disintegration stage. In this stage, people of color begin to see their own bigotry. They make links to “racism” and “prejudice” and contradictory actions. They begin to confront their own people in this stage.
The fifth stage is the Pseudo Communitarian Stage. In this stage, meaningful relationships are established with anyone. Race still remains the primary lens through which they navigate the world, so you still focus on issues related to their own group or minority issues in general.
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The “A Girl Like Me” video was very interesting and at the same time, very sad. This was a video that was put together by a young black girl. Many young, black girls were interviewed. The resounding sentiment was that they were taught at a very young age that lighter skin was more beautiful as well as many other “white” features (ie. Hair, nose, etc.). We also viewed a study that was completed using very young black children. The children would enter a room and were shown two dolls that were identical in every way, except for their skin color. One doll was black and one doll was white. When asked which doll they liked the best, the overwhelming majority chose the white doll. They also would chose the white doll when asked which doll was the good doll. When asked which doll was “bad”, the black doll was selected a large percentage of the time. These children were extremely young and already at the pre-school/elementary school age, it was ingrained in them that “white” is better.
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