Thank you, President Obama.
As a very privileged, white, upper-middle class male, I often wonder about my true level of racism. I like to think of myself as a very tolerant person, and no one has ever accused me of being a racist. Still, I have to wonder about stereotypes that are embedded in my subconscious. Am I more likely to cross to the other side of the street to avoid walking past a black person at night than if it were a white person (all things being equal)? I would hope not, but I can't make guarantees. Do I think that black people can jump higher than white people? Well, yes - I do believe this one. I have some evidence from playing basketball with many people. But I have known several whites who could jump out of the gym, too. Perhaps it is a form of racism because I expect black people to be able jump well (conveniently ignoring the counterexamples), but dismiss my WFWH ("white friends with hops") as anomalies.
I don't lose sleep over it, because I know that I am working on it, and I know that I am definitely not an overt racist. But questions about my level of racism bother me from time to time.
But then I read about things like this. It took me a good long while to even figure out the idea behind this email. Finally it hit me: "Black people like watermelons" is an old-fashioned stereotype about black people. Man, you need to be really racist to think of this, to send it, and then to suggest that everyone should just laugh it off. It is always dangerous to think this way, but I am reassured that I am nowhere near as racist as that mayor.
Then I get sad, because I am reminded that this isn't all that uncommon outside my circle of friends. We finally have a black president, but we still have a long way to go.
posted by Dirk Awesome @ 4:07 PM
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