Racism 101: Are you a Racist?

crankyskirt:

racismschool:

Watching this video actually made me emotional. I have personally experienced this. I’ve never had anyone come to my rescue. For those that haven’t experienced it, I really can not convey how horribly it feels to be seen and treated as a criminal for simply being black.

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” ~Martin Luther King Jr

You know what gets to me? (Besides the fact that this brings up all kinds of unpleasant memories.) The fact of this series itself. The fact that, over and over, ABC makes loot creating scripted scenarios of real, terrible encounters - on some “we’re proving that this exists” type ish - in a way that makes it appear like they’re being educators who are enlightening their viewing audience.

Except, I don’t buy it. Not even a little. I don’t buy that the folks who were confronted after not doing anything (ugh, that “black card” guy) learned anything. I’m not looking at the white people who did get angry as heroes for having basic levels of empathy. I don’t buy that viewers, sitting comfortably at home or wherever, go out into the world and do that much better after seeing stuff like this. And real talk? There is something really fucking unsettling about putting the pain of people of color on display to tell white people that they shouldn’t be racists. Decent human beings aren’t supposed to need shit this blatant in front of them to recognize other people’s humanity. And the pain I experience from racism is not an experiment. It’s not meant to educate. It’s just not supposed to fucking happen, period.

The training for that starts way earlier than the age range these segments target. And it’s work that’s a hell of a lot less comfortable.

I had to reblog this entire thing just for the above comment.

PREACH!

PREACH!

Pu-REECH!

Do you hear me? You are telling TRUTHS right now.