Racism and Its Effects Introduction Racism is an ongoing force that negatively impacts the lives of Americans every

day. The racist mindset in America stems from the times of slavery, where blacks were thought to be inferior to whites. Throughout history, the ideology of race and racism has evolved and developed several different meanings. Today, we can still see the devastating effects of racism on people of color, as well as whites. Racism, like other forms of oppression, is not only a personal ideology based on racial prejudice, but a system involving cultural messages and institutional policies and practices as well as beliefs and actions of individual (Tatum, pg. 9). As a result of this system, it leaves the oppressed at a great disadvantage in society. This includes access to social, cultural, and economic resources and decision making (Rothenberg, 2007). In order for change to come about and for the American society to reach racial inequality, we first have to acknowledge the problem openly, which our society has yet to do. In this paper I am going to analyze the meaning of racism and how it affects both people of color and whites. In doing so, I am going to explore how racism impacts ones racial identity, using my life experiences as an example. I will also demonstrate how racism leads to prejudice and discrimination and provide examples of these. I will close the paper with solutions and ideas to improve our communities and our society as a whole.

Racism Defined

Racism is defined as a system of advantage based on race (Tatum 1997). In America whites have control over resources such as jobs and education. This gives them the power to be racists toward others. Because people of color do not have this power, they are not able to be racist towards whites. Many whites would not consider themselves as racist, but there are different forms of racism. Active racism is what most would consider racist behavior. Active racism is blatant, intentional acts of racial bigotry and discrimination. Today, a more common form of racism is passive racism. Examples of this would be laughing at a racist joke, allowing exclusionary hiring practices go unchallenged, and avoiding difficult race-related issues. Below is a metaphor used to describe these two forms of racism: Visualize the ongoing cycle of racism as a moving walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt. The person engaged in active racist behavior has identified with the ideology of white supremacy and is moving with it. Passive racist behavior is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is being made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking. Some of the bystanders may feel the motion of the conveyor belt, see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around, unwilling to go the same destination as the white supremacists. But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt-

unless they are actively antiracist- they will find themselves carried along with the others. (Tatum 1997) Another form of racism is called cultural racism. This is when the cultural images and messages that affirm the superiority of whites and the assumed inferiority disadvantage people of color. Because racism is so ingrained in the fabric of American institutions, it is easily selfperpetuating; all that is required to maintain it is business as usual. Connections to Racism: Prejudice and Internalized Racism Racism exists because of prejudice. Prejudice is defined as a preconceived opinion or judgment, usually based on limited information, (Tatum, p. 5). If a persons has prejudice attitudes and opinions, they allow it to effect their decisions and actions, creating the racism. Stereotypes, omissions, and distortions all contribute to the development of prejudice, and most of these are found in the media. Prejudice is one of the inescapable consequences of living in a racist society. It is like smog in the air. Sometimes it is so thick it is visible, other times it is less apparent, but always, day in and day out, we are breathing the air in. None of us would introduce ourselves as smog-breathers (and most of us dont want to be described as prejudice), but if we live in a smoggy place, how can we avoid the air? (Tatum 1997) It is the responsibility of all those who are aware of the pollution to clean it up, even if were werent the ones who polluted the air. It is important that we do not pass prejudice views to our family, friends, or anyone else around us. When you combine prejudice plus power, you form a strong e system of oppression. Tatum (1997) explains this: Racial prejudice when

combined with social power, (access to social, cultural, economic resources and decisionmaking), it leads to the institutionalization of racist policies and practices, (Tatum p.6). As a result this cycle of prejudice and racism continues. This cycle of oppression had negative effects, especially on people of color. If a person continuously hears negative messages about his or her racial group, over time they actually start to believe these stereotypes. When people start to internalize these messages, it turns into internalized racism. Internalized racism may have people of color feeling inferior or different because they have come to believe, have internalized, the dominant societys message that they are different and do not belong. Osajima (2007) discusses the three main effects of internalized racism: The first effect is that internalized racism can generate questions and doubts in the minds of people of color placed in a predominately white setting. Second, internalized racism can lead people of color to question their own thinking and judgment about racism. Third, internalized racism can be a divisive force, creating a desire in people of color to be white. In addition, the accumulated life experiences of racism can have a lasting effect on ones perceptions and feelings about self and identify, (Osajima, 2007). I will explore how whites and people of color develop their racial identities.

Developing a Racial Identity

In every persons life, an identity is developed usually somewhere around adolescence. A persons identity gives them a sense of self so that one can answer the question, Who am I? The steps to finding any identity, as described by James Marcia (1973) include a diffuse state, a foreclosed state, a moratorium state, and an achieved state. One begins in the diffuse state, where there has been little exploration and no psychological commitment to a particular domain. Then a person starts to make a commitment, based on their roles or beliefs, often influenced by their parents and close peers, without the person really considering alternatives. Then when the person reaches the moratorium state they start to explore these beliefs that they never really analyzed or considered before. Lastly, when the person reaches the last state of achievement, they create a state of strong personal commitment to a particular dimension of identity following a period of exploration, (Tatum, 53). For most white teenagers, they dont often think of their identity as being which racial or ethnic group they are a part of. White people arent reminded on a daily basis of their whiteness, or the advantages that come along with being white, therefore they never really think of finding their identity in terms of analyzing their race and how it relates to people of color. Abagond (2009) created an example of a model that whites could experience for finding their racial identity. Exploring the racial identity of a white person involves six stages. It begins with the contact stage, where a white person grows up without really thinking there is much racism or discrimination in the American society. They see themselves as the norm and that they arent racist or prejudice in any way. Most white people never move beyond this stage of thinking.

The next stage is the dis-integration stage, where a person experiences an act of racism. For example, they could witness the police harassing an innocent person of color. The person then begins to notice all of the racism, prejudice, and discrimination going on all around them that they never realized was going on their whole lives. At this point, the person either just shrugs it off or they deal with what they have just encountered. Usually the person will have feelings of hurt, anger and guilt. Tatum (1997) explains the thought process: We all like to think that we deserve the good things we have received, and that others, too, get what they deserve. Social psychologists call this tendency a belief in a just world. Racism directly contradicts such a notion, (Tatum 1997). After the person has witnessed this racist action and has decided to face reality, they become an anti-racist, which is the re-integration stage. As an anti-racist, the person sees that most whites are racist, whether active or passive, and they find themselves becoming an outcast. Searching for a place to fit in, the person now reaches the pseudo-independent stage. They begin to wish they werent white because of all the guilt and shame they are facing. So, in order to escape the shame and guilt, they try to become part of the black world or some other world of color, (Abagond 2009). This does not work because people of color cannot relate to what they are going through. As the person enters the emersion/immersion stage, they begin to realize that they can only relate with other anti-racist whites, who have been through the same thing. They have now found a support system that helps them to unlearn their racist ways and cope with their feelings

and emotions. The person now can mix freely with people of other races and see them as individuals and yet still as members of their race. They are still white, but now with a much deeper and more solid understanding of what that means, (Abagond 2009). The person has reached the last and final stage: autonomy. After a white person has completed all the stages of development they are now ready to face the world, doing the best they can to make it a better place for all peoples. Unlike whites, for people of color, their identity usually comes in the form of finding their racial identity. A psychologist named William Cross came up with a model that shows the psychology of Blacks realizing their identity (Tatum, 1997). This model has five stages of development, which include the pre-encounter stage, immersion/emersion, internalization, and internalization-commitment. The first stage is the pre-encounter stage, which is the stage where a persons social significance of ones racial group membership has not yet been realized, and racial identity is not yet under examination (Tatum, 1997). This stage usually happens from birth up until adolescence (Tatum, 1997), which is how I experienced it. Finding My Racial Identity Since I was in kindergarten, I was enrolled in a program called METCO, which stands for the Metropolitan Council for Opportunity (see http://www.doe.mass.edu/metco for more information about METCO). In this program, students from the inner city are bused to the suburbs to diversify the school and to receive a better education. From kindergarten up through

junior high, I attended Weston Public Schools, one of the wealthiest public school systems in Massachusetts. As an elementary student, I got along with children from all races just fine, but as I got a little older, around middle school, I noticed a change. As I looked back at my elementary education, I knew something was different, but I couldnt quite explain what it was. Now, as I think back to that time in my life, I realize that I had transitioned from the pre-encounter stage to what Cross described as the encounter stage. At the encounter stage I came to the awareness of the significance of race, and I began to grapple with what it meant to be a member of a group targeted by racism, as described by Tatum (p.55). Middle school is a typical time for this transition to take place (Tatum, 1997). As middle school came to an end, I knew I need a change of scenery. I decided to withdraw from the METCO program and try to find a school that was more diverse. I ended up going to Boston Latin Academy, a prestigious exam school located in the middle of a Boston neighborhood. It was quite a drastic change for me. Yes, there was diversity, but yet I felt like I had down-graded. Boston Latin Academy, despite being known as a prestigious exam school, had very limited resources, including books, funding, extra-curricular activities, etc. Even the school lunch was hardy edible. So for my first few years I struggled, begging my parents to put me back in METCO. In the end, I decided to stick through it. Even though I was in this new environment, I could still see how race was impacting me in my everyday life. In Weston, all the White students and faculty, and even some of the Blacks

would say that racism didnt exist. I knew this couldnt be true because I would see it on a daily basis. At Boston Latin Academy, I was hearing the same exact thing: that racism was a thing of the past, and that Black people dont progress in society because they choose not to apply themselves. No matter how many times I heard this from everyone, I just knew that this couldnt be the right explanation. I knew there had to be other reasons why blacks and whites were experiencing unequal success in American society. As I graduated from a long four years of high school and went off to college, I began to enter the immersion/emersion stage. This is the stage where one has a strong desire to learn more about ones history and culture, with the support of same race peers, as described by Cross (Tatum, p. 76). My freshman year I took my first African American studies course. I started learning about all things I knew existed all throughout middle and high school. I was unlearning all the internalized stereotypes about my racial group that I had surrounded me my whole life. I wondered why I hadnt learned any of this in my prior education, and I started to notice major flaws within the education system. As I continued to learn new information, I moved in to the fourth stage, which is internalization. I started to develop a sense of security through the knowledge of my history and culture, which gave me a real sense of identity. It helped me to redefine a positive sense of self, based on this affirmation of my racial group identity, (Tatum, p. 76). I was able to develop new relationships with people of all races with a whole new outlook on life. I think that this was a very important step in my life and I think it is crucial for all people of color to reach this stage

in life. I think that in order for a race of people to progress, they need to be able to be secure in their own racial identity first. This brings me to the fifth and final stage of development: internalization-commitment. This stage is closely related to the internalization stage, because you use your new sense of self in order to use your knowledge and awareness for the internalization-commitment stage. In this stage the individual has found ways to translate a personal sense of racial identity into ongoing action expressing a sense of commitment to the concerns of Blacks as a group, (Tatum 76). Now, the individual is ready to go out into the world and seek change in order to progress their race and community as a whole. The individual is now anchored in a positive sense of racial identity and is prepared to perceive and transcend race, (Tatum, 76) Some people may get stuck at a certain stage and unfortunately remain there for the rest of their lives. Most people of color do not make it past the encounter stage. Sadly, many black students never get to get to college, alienated from the process of education long before high school graduation. They may never get access to the information that might have led them to expand their definition of what it means to be Black, and in the process, might have helped them to stay in school, (Tatum p. 67). It is important to note, however, that a person does not have to go to college in order to reach the immersion/emersion stage and learn their history and culture. Tatum (1997) provides the example of Malcolm X, who educated himself while in prison. The knowledge he acquired helped him to complete his full developmental cycle. It is essential for all people of color to reach the final developmental stage in finding their identity in order for all of us to help each other progress. It is also important for whites to progress through the

developmental stages and reach the final stage where they can become allies in the fight against racism. These stages, beginning with the encounter stage, are often repeated many times in a persons life. They may react to the cycle in different ways at different times of their lives. Some Blacks may experience the encounter stage, but refuse to recognize it; so they adopt the pre-encounter stage as a way of winning the approval of whites. These people have chosen to be raceless, in a sense that they refuse to believe that there are advantages that come along with a certain race. This view leads to another form of racism called colorblind racism. Colorblind Racism: What it is and How it Works to Maintain Inequality Color blind racism is defined as is racism that acts as if skin color does not matter even when it does, (Abagond 2008). This actually impedes efforts necessary to eliminate racial inequality (Brown, 2003). Only now, have I learned that the reason I kept witnessing and feeling discrimination during my years in primary and secondary school, but never hearing it referred to is due to colorblind racism. Today, America claims to be a colorblind society, where people do not see skin color, but they just see people as human beings. A colorblind racist may say things like, One of my best friends is black, or its not race, it depends on a persons background and they may believe things like, Blacks hold themselves back, not racism and Blacks live in the past. They need to get over it and move on, (Abagond 2008). This colorblind ideology makes it seem like discrimination has disappeared, but it actually has just become institutionalized and harder to

identify (Silva, 2007).

There are four types of colorblind racism and they are as follows:

Abstract Liberalism, Naturalization, Biologization of Culture and Minimization of Racism (Silva, 2007). Abstract liberalism allows whites to use explanations regarding racial issues such as school segregation and housing in an abstract way to justify inequality (Silva, 2007). An example of this is when people say things like minorities ought to be able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, just like everyone else. Naturalization is when people try to justify events that are in reality racially motivated by accepting them as the natural state of affairs. An example of this would be an all white classroom setting being explained by the fact that there just arent any blacks that live in that area; not taking into account the reason there are not blacks living there is due to the economic and social discrimination they experienced historically and continue to currently. The idea of biologization of culture argues that certain practices are just a part of a certain races culture (Silva 2007). For instance, believing there are fewer blacks with higher paying jobs than whites because blacks do not work as hard; when in fact, it is due to discrimination past and present. Lastly, the minimization of racism is the belief that there is no longer discrimination in our society. The belief of a colorblind society helps to maintain white privilege, and, in order to maintain white privilege, there has to be discrimination. The ideology of a colorblind society barricades whites off from Americas racial reality, (Silva, 2007). They come up with ways to naturalize and minimize the effects of racism by claiming that significant cultural differences are

the main reasons why minorities are so far behind. But, the major reason why its so hard for blacks to make it is because of all of the discrimination going on behind closed doors. Discrimination: What it is and How it Works Discrimination can come in three different forms: Individual, organizational and structural. Individual discrimination is more intentional than organizational and structural. Individual discrimination is where a person individually discriminates towards another person, or group of people. An example of this is a real estate agent who chooses not to show minorities homes in white neighborhoods. Sometimes individual racism can be intentional, and other times it may not be, because some prejudices are so ingrained in the minds of people that they dont even notice that they are engaging in this type of behavior. Organizational discrimination is practiced by individuals, and often reinforced by the well-established rules, policies, and practices of an organization, (Rothenberg, 2007). This may include employers hiring applicants on a word of mouth basis, (Rothenberg, 2007). If the workplace is predominately white males, (which so many are) than all the new word-of-mouth applicants are most likely going to be white males. This helps to explain why, in a study, it was found that a white job applicant with a criminal record is more likely to get a job than a black applicant with no criminal record, (Squires 2006). The last type of discrimination is structural. When banks lend loans for housing, a black or Hispanic person with a bad credit history is twice as likely to be turned down for a loan as a white person with a bad credit history, (Pincus 2000). On the surface, this is an example of

institutional discrimination, only when you look deeper and find that the bank lenders actually had a race-neutral manner towards each customer, yet blacks and Hispanics still are less likely to get loans because of their lower incomes can you see structural discrimination at work. The combination of discrimination in employment, housing, and education creates a cycle that just repeats itself, resulting in structural discrimination. Though structural discrimination could be considered unintentional, it has the most negative impact on minorities because it is the hardest identify and stop. The impact of discrimination results in blacks lagging behind whites in virtually every relevant social indicator. For example, blacks are significantly less wealthy than whites. They receive an inferior education than whites do, even when they are in an integrated setting. Blacks dont receive equal treatment in stores and restaurants, and, in addition, they receive impolite and discriminatory treatment in stores and restaurants, (Silva 2007). I think that in order to break down this cycle of discrimination, people in our society need to be educated on all of the discrimination that is going on today. By claiming, and in many cases taking pride in, in the idea that we live in a colorblind society, we are ignoring the racial issues that are still present in everyday life. Whites need to be aware of the ongoing discrimination in our institutions; they need to realize that they are benefiting from white privilege while minorities are disadvantaged because of it. I think that when we as a whole recognize that discrimination is a strong force in maintaining white privilege, we can start to deconstruct our institutions and structures so that they can be fair and equal to all.

Conclusion and Solutions The experiences I had as I moved through elementary school and middle school in the METCO program were not an uncommon occurrence for someone in my position. Tatum (1997), in fact describes a program that was developed in one school where METCO was being run that aimed to give the students of color a support system. In this program the students of color met once a week and discussed any issues that were bothering them and just spent time in a setting where they werent the minority. This program was beneficial to the METCO students and in return there were improvements in academics and social relationships. After my experiences in several schools, I do think that the METCO program is positive in some ways, but the program doesnt really solve the root of the problem: the fact that students dont receive a quality education in urban public schools. The correct solution would be to fix the urban schools so that all students can receive an equal education, rather then only a limited number of motivated students being forced to travel to predominately white suburban areas just to receive a good education. From the time of slavery, to the present, racism has had many destructive and negative effects on the people in our society. Prejudice leads to racism and then when you combine prejudice with power, it leads to discrimination. All of these systems of oppression are hindering us from moving forward and progressing as a whole. In order to break this cycle, we need to educate ourselves and others, and provide positive role models so that our future generations have people to look up to, and to discuss these difficult race-related issues that have been avoided for so long.

Education is the key. The more we educate ourselves and the people in our communities, the more we will see a change. When a person is educated, they are able to recognize cultural and institutional racism and other forms inequality and how to address these issues. We have the responsibility, and the resources available to educate ourselves so that we will not repeat this cycle of oppression with our children. (Tatum, p. 51) Another key solution is providing role models for our youth; they are the future. It is hard for children to grow up and be something that they are not familiar with. For example, if a young black child had never heard of a financial representative, how can they even imagine or try to be one. If young people are exposed to images of African American academic achievement in their early years, they wont have to define school achievement as something for whites only, (Tatum, p.65). In addition, it is hard for young people to grow up and fight racism if they have never met anyone who does. It is important for whites to become role models in the form of allies. An ally is a member of a dominant group in our society who works to dismantle any form of oppression from which she or he receives the benefit, (Rothenberg 2007). We must all work together to become anti-racist. The more role models and leaders we have, the more people we can reach out to and create more change. We need to acknowledge that an important part of interrupting the cycle of oppression is constant re-education, and sharing what we learn with the next generation, (Tatum p. 74). We can all be the change that we hope to see in the future.

References Brown, Michael. Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Color-blind Society. California: University of California Press, 2003. Abagond, Julian. "Colour-blind Racism". Wordpress.com. May 2008 <http://abagond.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/colour-blind-racism/>. Abagond, Julian. Growing-up White. Wordpress.com. August 2009 <http://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/growing-up-white/> Osajima, Keith. Internalized Racism. Race, Class and gender in the United States. New York: Worth Publishers, 2007. Pincus, Fred. Discrimination Comes in Many Forms: Individual, Structural, and Institutional. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice: A General Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2000. Rothenberg, Paula. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: Seventh Edition. New York: Worth Publishers, 2007. Silva, Eduardo. "Color-blind Racism". Race, Class and Gender in the United States. New York: Worth Publishers, 2007. Squires, Gregory. "Reintroducing the Black/White Divide in Racial Discourse". New Politics Winter 2006: pg 40. Tatum, Beverly. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?. New York: BasicBooks, 1997.