Just because you know many black folk doesn't always mean you're not racist.
2007-02-13 01:31:37 · 16 answers · asked by Danielle J 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
:) I totally agree.
2007-02-13 02:51:55 · answer #1 · answered by venom! 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Bacchus.
But I wanted to clarify the difference between racism and prejudice. You can be prejudiced, without being rascist. Racism is the belief that your race is superior to another. Prejudice is judging someone based on a characteristic. Usually a physical characteristic like age, gender, race, disability but can be something else like religion or nationality. So if you think all blondes are dumb, that is a prejudice.
You can have a prejudice (we all have them to some degree, consciously or unconsciously) with out acting on it. For example, I might pre-judge american southerners bc of all the negative stereotypes in the media (hillbillies, slow, racist). If I have this prejudice, all I can do is work on it and remind myself it is irrational. Sometimes people cant help having a prejudice bc it has been ingrained since childhood. But what you can help is how you treat people. I would never be mean or rude to a Southerner just bc he is a southerner. Rather, I would get to someone as an individual and decide based on his personality.
That being said, just because you have black friend doesnt mean you arent prejudiced.I had a friend in high school whose mom was prejudiced against black people. The mom's best friend was black. How, you ask? Well (according to my friend) her mother considered her best friend to be one of the "good" black people. in other words, she considered her black friend to be the exception to the rule. I'm guessing the friend didnt know this.
2007-02-13 02:05:10 · answer #2 · answered by Rissipop 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Neither does it mean that you are, and it would seem to be a strong indicator that you aren't.
It is not as if someone who is racist would have black friends (unless he is a racist black person).
Racism is misunderstood. For a start when people say racism they usually mean colour prejudice. There are many black races, many white races, many yellow races etc... Also people are often accused of being racist when they are simply cautious of people not like themself. Fear of the different is a basic human instinct. Colour is a very visible, very obvious difference. The solution to this is not in law or education but in making it commonplace for people of different colours to be around each other.
2007-02-13 01:35:23 · answer #3 · answered by Dharma Nature 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they say that when they feel they are on the defensive and have to say something other than "no, I am not a racist". They say they know many black people as a way of demonstrating that they are not racist. Granted, its a lame way of doing it but some people feel a need to go beyond a simple denial. Myself, I dont feel a need to prove to anyone whats in my mind or how I feel about any particular group of people.
2007-02-13 01:40:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the best way for them to describe how they feel and not be attacked. Calling somebody a racist is a inflammatory and prejudicial comment. Nobody is allowed to say anything about the black community with out being called a racist. It is peoples way of saying. "Hey, I am not racist, but I do see a problem and I don't want to be labeled because I have the courage to say it out loud."
B
2007-02-13 01:36:18 · answer #5 · answered by Bacchus 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The main people who claim to know a few black people are the most racist people I know. They think that just because they're "friends" (probably on a "hi" "bye" basis) with a few blacks they think that justifies them saying hateful and stereotypical things about blacks in general.
It's quite funny, actually, how frightened people are to be labeled racist in today's society.
Say what you have to say. Stop using your "black friends" as a scapegoat.
2007-02-13 05:24:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Maybe because they are really not on the surface. Nobody wants to be known as a racist. But deep down inside Many people are.
2007-02-13 01:36:56 · answer #7 · answered by mora fan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
And it doesn't mean you are either. Some people think because they may see and interact with people of color they aren't racist.
They might not be either however if they have a opinion that is viewed to be politically incorrect they are labeled a racist. I think a true racist is a combination of viewpoints and actions. It's way to easy to label people.
2007-02-13 01:43:43 · answer #8 · answered by David B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they don't want to be labeled as a "Racist". When they are around their racist friends they can behave how they really think.
I feel that racist are becoming a minority.
Slowly but surely the world is changing.
Love thy brother.
2007-02-13 01:42:15 · answer #9 · answered by Michael S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your right.. but it actually works both ways too. Would it be better if I said my niece is half black and my other niece is hispanic and black. or my wife is half filipino and white.. Maybe where you live there are more racial problems.. but we never bring the issue up until I read it here in Yahoo answers.
2007-02-13 01:37:08 · answer #10 · answered by xjaz1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
where can I find more people who think like you?
you are absolutely correct.
Still, I think some white people think that having relationships (or acquaintances) with black people is the same as having good race relations.
2007-02-13 16:06:42 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋