Article Review
According to research, racism is not a thing of the past, but is rampant even now, in today’s society. It is a widespread problem that seemingly stems from the belief that black or African-American males are more aggressive than their white counterparts. The article “Is everyone a little bit racist,” by Michael Kristoff, delves into the intricacies of racial biases by citing a few examples and outlining a few studies that were conducted into the issue. It shows empirical evidence by way of researches and tests that were done, by a wide cross-section that determined that racism is still alive and well.
The article touches on a topic that has become a frequent occurrence among white police officers, that is the shooting, or killing of unarmed black males. Even though it is not only the white police, but other African-Americans who discriminate against these men, it is still an issue that has become a sore point for members of the society, as this instance of police shooting is not the first. The article went on to show that based on evidence, the black male members of society are stereotyped as violent and aggressive and ultimately targeted by the white police. Citing instances where black males were treated differently, it tells how they are given different treatment and sometimes harsher punishment for crimes or offenses that are perpetrated by both them and other white males.
Based on the article, research shows that it is not necessarily the people who are perceived to be racists who make this discrimination. It is also people who think of themselves as the enlightened few, people who hate the act of racism and yet they are the ones who harbor the discriminatory attitudes. The example that showed the scholars who sent out the resumes is a valid one, as, people have been known to show discrimination based on a name. These people are the ones who believe that a name says a lot about someone and this is not necessarily so, as people have taken names that they were not born with, or changed their birth names, just to be able to survive in a society that is rife with discrimination (Welch).
Showing that the professionals who are in charge of certain aspects of a person’s career are also sub-consciously discriminating against others, the article shows how they chose based on the names that were attached to the resumes. Kristoff then used an example of a video game with a shooter that is played online to show how the player, in taking on the persona of a law enforcement officer, did exactly what the white officers are being accused of, shooting the black males in the game, whether they are armed with a wallet, gun, or cell phone. The article then showed the frequency of black males being shot, in comparison to white males.
It showed that even the players who are not racists, without realizing it, tend to shoot the black males more readily than they would a white male. This, in itself shows how easy it is to assume that the black male would more readily harm someone, than the white male would. If this is just a game, then how could the white police officers in real life be expected to act any differently, based on how black men are perceived, or stereotyped in society? The article shows that they have become targets of society as a whole, and not just the police. Even the innocent are at risk of being mistaken for an aggressor.
In the article, even university students, who are supposed to be educated to a level where they know that it is wrong to stereotype and judge people, were asked to participate and the results were the same. Kristof also said in his article, that he took the test and did the same thing. He went on to say that he holstered his weapon faster with white males than he did with black males if both were unarmed. The article states that it is easier to exercise caution with white males, than with blacks,while the researcher, Correll, also noted a surprising fact.
No significant difference was found in the way that black players played the game, as opposed to when white players played. This could be because black on black violence is also a determining factor in how the black players perceived their fellow men. The culture, according to the article, that promotes the idea that black men are more aggressive is a very popular one. It states that in people’s minds, the young black males are perceived as dangerous. The idea that a person is guilty by association is also evident in the way that Americans are automatically thought to be white, so if a black person is present then they would also automatically be classified as a ‘foreigner”.
This was pointed out in the article by the example with Barak Obama. It was also evident in the tests that were conducted with Lucy Liu, who is American, but of Chinese descent and Kate Winslet who is from Britain and have the looks of a white person. Even more so than Lucy Liu. The article states that in the test, Lucy Liu was perceived to be the foreigner and Kate Winslet, the American. It should have been the other way around, but based on their looks, that was the perception. The article shows that, even though remarkable progress has been made in America, regarding class, color and creed, prejudice is still entrenched in society.
It went on to show that in 1958, the idea of blacks marrying whites was almost unheard of, but today, approximately 87% of Americans approve. There is some amount of evidence, that with proper metrics, training and policies, they can suppress their biases, or perhaps curb the impact it has on others (Kristof). He then went on to show how, with the help of cameras that were attached to the officers’ bodies, the complaints that were filed about these officers’ from the public saw a drastic decline. This shows that, with greater accountability, the instances where the police have been known to brutalize offenders will also decline.
The article also shows that it was not only white supremists who perpetuate these acts of discrimination, but the wider society who perform these acts with great subtlety. It states that these people are believers of equality, but will perform acts that show the opposite. The article effectively showed the different instances where biases and discrimination were carried out against blacks by not only others of similar race, but also by whites. It showed the outcomes and lets readers know that this does not have to be the norm. The culture can be changed.
Even though people have a host of conscious and unconscious views on these perceived differences, or negative associations, it has been dominant in society for decades. Many people are aware of overgeneralizing these negative associations and will consciously do things on this basis (Kevin Johnson). The way in which someone is perceived, whether it is based on their family, friends, ethnic group, or school, goes a long way in how that person is treated by their peers, or by society. The result is what we now have, a society that easily stereotype black males because of some who do commit crimes and are delinquents in the society.
Works Cited
Kevin Johnson, USA Today. 'Local Police Involved In 400 Killings Per Year'. Usatoday.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
Kristof, Nicholas. 'Is Everyone A Little Bit Racist?'. Nytimes.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
Welch, K. 'Black Criminal Stereotypes And Racial Profiling'. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 23.3 (2007): 276-288. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
