The Book Part
Michele Alexander covers the issue of racialism in the modern society. Though the media claims that the modern American society has moved past the racism era, racism has taken a modern form in terms of the social policies that the government implements. Through these social policies, members of different races receive different conviction for the same offenses. These social policies present the transformation of racism. Obama’s victorious election into presidency may have depicted the end of racism, but society perceives it differently.
The social policy on the drug war presents the real image of modern racism. The criminal justice system faces similar challenges to other social institutions; racism dominates the system either consciously or unconsciously. For example, the verdict regarding drug related offence for a white man differs from the same verdict for a black man. The drug war presents both prejudice and stereotypes against members of the minority communities. These members receive tougher sentences from the judicial system for involvement in such criminal offences. The mass incarceration system presents a similar image to that in Jim Crow. Mass incarceration has designed a well-disguised implementation system for racism and social control to take place.
The modern racism that occurs in the modern society creates a division between the poor in black and white communities. Racial control takes the form of Jim Crow and slavery in the pre-modern society. However, in the postmodern society denies equality and freedom to the black community in a disguised manner. The racialism history seems to reoccur as the elite Whiteman drives for division between the blacks and the whites. Two centuries ago, racialism took the form of slavery. Presently, racism has taken the form of social policy and laws, which discriminate against the black community in all dimensions of life. The law and order seem to create segregation rather than unity among the communities. The book implies that the war on drug has created the new form of racialism as politicians implement the policies and fund the campaigns the war seems to have the blacks as the main target. Members of the black community have taken the receiving end of such social policies with their imprisonment increasing at unprecedented rates. The blacks continue to suffer even as government reports indicate that white youths have a higher likelihood of getting involved in the drug trade. They also have a high drug possession rate. This implies that the war on drugs targets the black community and has created the new channel of racialism.
According to the book, racism presents in the sense that the authority assume prejudiced assumptions towards the blacks. Essentially, the people championing the fight against drugs abuse and smuggling target the black community. Furthermore, these blacks are treated in a more ruthless way than the whites. For example, the blacks are mainly mishandled by the police when they are conducting a search. This is prompted by the prejudiced assumption that blacks are mainly thugs and people of wicked morality. It is apparent that this is a misinformed perspective which is based on racial attitudes.
The Films Part
True Colors
Part one of the film presents the form which modern prejudices take place. The film presents a comparison of the racialism in the 60`s and the 90`s through a test. The test takes place in predominantly white neighborhoods and mixed neighborhoods where the two testers lived. At times, the testers received fair treatment while in other times they were. The testers come from equal dimensions of life, with the same education and family background. They move into the same neighborhood to record the treatment on each of them. The only difference between the testers revolves around their skin color that implies the difference lies in their races. The testers undergo monitoring for two weeks. The testers, John and Glen get unequal treatment in shopping stores and the neighborhood. People delay in responding to Glen, the black man. The white man, John gets a quick response and warm treatment in the social places; however, both the blacks and the whites treat Glen poorly. The experiences of the testers prove that racialism exists in the society mostly against the black man. The film proves that the white man can adapt in a variety of neighborhoods. The film shows that black men pay for their race.
The second part shows a continuation of the tester’s experiences. The testers proceed to search for jobs. As they search, they encounter employers who advise them differently. For example, the black man receives lectures regarding drugs and laziness. The employers argue that Glen needs to take care of the job and avoid the cons related with black men in the workplace. In contrast, the same employers welcome the white man comfortably. The search is also conducted differently. Glen does not receive any accommodation from the renters. A different case occurs to John as he searches for an apartment. The apartment owners imply that the black man may turn the neighborhood into a ghetto. Though the black man presents himself in a similar manner as the white man, he receives poor treatment. The experiment covers all aspects of their life and proves that they receive different treatment.
Answers to questions on True Colors
The events take place in St. Louis Missouri. John is white while Glen is black.
Diane Sawyer oversees the testing.
The AA’s paid $443 more on profit margin for a car as compared to white men.
Black men pay more for a car than white men do, as depicted in the film.
The testers uncovered discriminatory practices in the shopping mall, the real estate sector, and their job applications.
Experts claim that the sales representatives perceive white men to have a sophisticated life as compared to black men.
The sales men believed that the whites are superior to blacks.
The perception towards the tester’s leads the sales clerks to offer different prices to both.
The taxi experiment took place in New York City. The city presented an environment where diverse ethnic group interact but racialism still emerged.
The Beauty
The second film presents the case of racism through the skin beauty. The racism takes a different form as the characters receive difference in treatment due to their skin color. The teacher creates a perception that one race has ugly people while the other has beautiful people. The perception affects the minds of the students and they continue to judge beauty based on the skin color. The children perceive their teachers differently due to their skin color. The film depicts a different type of racialism, which determines beauty by skin color. It is apparent that beauty does not take the form of a person’s skin color. Beauty essentially refers to smartness of a person. When a child develops with this perception of beauty it may have negative implications such as skin bleaching and plastic surgery.
Answers to the film Beauty
The halo effect refers to a psychological phenomenon that claims that a person can influence the perceptions of other people and influence their thoughts towards something.
The film shows a different form of racialism and presents quality-learning material in the racism class. It shows racialism through terming the white people as beautiful and non-white people as ugly.
Recognizing beauty is a natural human instinct, because the mind perceives beauty and controls human instincts.
The potential employers perceived that white employees presented a good company image due to their beauty while black employees presented a bad image.
The children perceived their teachers differently due to their skin color. The concentrated as the white teacher taught while failed to show attention to the black teacher. They conducted themselves this way due to their perception of beauty.
The attitude developed from the perception that the whites are smart than the blacks.
In the courtroom, the defendant who was not white did not receive a fair hearing from the magistrate.
The white defendants do not receive fair treatment from the courts because of their skin color. People deem them as ugly and not deserving of fair trial through the court.
