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Nailah French

Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

21 September, 2017

Topic Proposal: Yes, Youre Racist

Introduction/Overview

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are

endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the

pursuit of Happiness.

-Thomas Jefferson et al., The Declaration of Independence

These truths are not self-evident. Although the foundation of America consists of the

notion of the American dream, along with freedom and unalienable Rights, the reality is quite

different. How could we expect otherwise when declarations of freedom were drafted whilst

slavery existed? The road to true equality has been lengthy and tumultuous. While many believe

true equality was executed during the civil rights movement, is this an actuality? There is the

common belief that racism is an issue of Americas past. As a country, weve moved beyond.

Whether it was proven by Civil Rights or supported by the election of President Barack Obama,

many Americans believe that the truths, proposed by Thomas Jefferson, are a reality. This idea

is most supported by white Americans. Nevertheless, the America that they experience differs

from that of minorities. White Americans; their reality is different than mine.

Bias: prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually

in a way considered to be unfair. Everyone is subject to having them. Im from Durham, therefore I

have a bias towards Duke. It could be simple or complex. Our biases could be apparent,

conscious. Dangerously, our biases can be unconscious as well. Unconscious biases affect us

differently because we are unaware of how they shape our behaviors.

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Race: groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits, deemed

by society to be socially significant. Ultimately, race does not exist. Its a social construct. Yet, it

directly affects daily life. It influences the first impressions we make, the biases that people

have, how people are talked to, and how theyre treated. Race affects societys expectations.

Race affects peoples future pay rate, future jobs, and future housing opportunities. This is

apparent, regardless of the message that it is not a factor.

Racial biases begin with information as trivial as ones name. This bias is apparent for

people of all ages. Students with black-sounding names are more likely to be labeled by

teachers as troublemakers. Applicants with such names as less likely than their white-named

counterparts receive an interview. When contacting the government about schools and libraries,

citizens with black-sounding names are less likely to receive a response. Names lead to a

stereotyped assumption of appearance as well. In a study of predominantly white participants,

men with black-sounding names were more likely to be imagined as physically large,

dangerous and violent than their counterparts. This phenomenon isnt exclusive to black people.

Those with names that indicate Latin descent also had violent attributions. The researcher

commented that this trend seems to mirror the irrational fear of Black and Latino men in society.

Nevertheless, these men are often the victims of violence due to others being afraid of them.

Initial Inquiry Questions

Racial debates flood the news as of late. It is seen on the news, in articles, and across

multiple social media platforms. From Black Lives Matter to Taking a Knee. From Trump rallies,

police killings, and the actions of white supremacist rallies. Racial relations have been

challenged. The idea that, as a nation, racism is an issue of the past is being dismissed. The

belief that racism was solved by removing colored only signs, integrating schools, and giving

us a few rights that were written to be unalienable was the solution to racism was suddenly

challenged. Nevertheless, there was still the belief that as a nation, we have moved forward.

Ultimately, we just havent crossed the finish line. This posed my initial question. Has racism in
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America progressed since the civil rights era? Or has racist expressions changed? Are our

biases simply unconscious versus conscious? Today, most people would not say yes if they

were asked if they were racist. It is socially unaccepted. Nevertheless, how many people

privately think it?

My Interest

My neighbor freshman year used the term coon toons. Simplistically speaking, coon

toons refers to music for African Americans, that depicted stereotypical and racially offensive

images of black people. This was a popular genre until the 1920s. Nevertheless, the saying

continued, often referring to loud rap music. I confronted him for using the term. I asked him if

he knew what it meant. If he knew that it was offensive, incorrect; hurtful? He blankly stared at

me, confused that I even saw an issue. Everyone says that, where Im from. Its not racist. His

genuine confusion baffled me. I showed him images associated with coon toons. The cartoons

that humiliated black people. The images of our exaggerated lips and black skin. All items used

to belittle us. His response was ambivalent. He shrugged. It was 2014. He was using racist

terms, presented racist images, and told that his neighbor and friend was uncomfortable by it all.

His response? A shrug.

I was standing in line with my roommate and a friend of hers appeared. He was a young

white guy, a freshman, as were we. Immediately, he began to share how he decorated his dorm

room. My roommates friend, a black guy, was mad because I have a confederate flag above

my bed! He began to laugh. My roommate glanced at me, the only person of color in the group.

I stared at him, hysterically laughing, appalled that he felt comfort in others discomfort. I stared

at him, saddened that he didnt understand why the confederate flag shouldnt be hanging

above his bed.

He called my name, loudly, drunkenly. I stopped. What are you doing tonight? Come to

this party with me! I was a little anxious. Although we were friends, I didnt know his friends and

he was already drunk at 9 pm. Where? He named a fraternity. One I never heard of. But wait.
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I have to text them and make sure its okay to bring a black girl. I felt my stance stiffen. My

gaze deepen, then soften. Why would you invite me somewhere without being sure that I was

welcome? Why would you go somewhere that black people may not be welcomed? I yelled at

him. I felt sad. Disrespected. Unwanted. I returned to my room, glad to be in bed. 2 hours later,

my phone lit up. A text, from him. They said it was cool! You should come! The words

sprawled across my screen. I stared. The question would not have been proposed if I were

white. The need for this confirmation would not have existed if I were white. But I am not.

People are unconcerned with my discomfort. He was ignorant to how this situation made me

feel. His priority was to make sure that those in the fraternity were not uncomfortable by me.

Uncomfortable by my presence. I tried to laugh it off. I couldnt. If these were the comments said

directly to me, what was discussed in my absence?

These experiences would not have occured if I was white. Or frankly, they would have

affected me differently. Yet, it showed me that the main group that does not see the prevalence

of racism are the ones unaffected by it. The people who claim I dont see color or the very

ones asking their friends if they can bring a black woman to their party. See color. See me.

Understand my struggles and hardships. Understand your privilege. Understand that to be

considered half as good as you, I have to work four times as hard. To understand it, is to help

change it. That is my interest. I desire to move forward as a nation. I want my children to live in

a world where equality is a reality, not a notion that simply sounds appealing.

Next Steps

My next step is to conduct research. Although I am aware of a multitude of racial studies

due to my Psychology background and previous sociology experience, I would like to know

more. Racial biases are not solely black and white. I would like to also research biases within

the black community. This will consist of reading a variety of peer-reviewed articles. I am also

considering discussing with peers. I am aware of my personal experiences. Nevertheless, it is

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crucial that I fight my biases (because everyone has them). Allowing open conversations with

others allows growth, especially when discussing hard topics.