Part I starts off by defining racism in a different form than we see it in typical dictionaries. The section i found interesting is when Tatum explains that all whites benefit from racism. The point I would like to touch on is when she says that they do not benefit equally where it is factors such as socioeconomic status,gender,age, religious affiliation, sexual orientation etc. This reminds me of a situation in high school where two students i knew were talking and the colored student asked the white student for money to borrow and the white student responded saying he didn’t have any. The colored student then responded by saying what do you mean you dont have any money? , white people are suppose to have a lot of money. The white student responded back in a joking manner by saying what do you mean, we live in the same neighborhood. I think it is perceptions like these which can be very dangerous. Although it ended as a joke, situations such as these are very serious. It just proves that factors such as this does affect this benefit. I feel as if whites are often placed at a disadvantage in society because so much is expected of them, such as being well educated, having a lot of money, living in rich communities etc.
Another point made by Tatum was that not all people of color are equally targeted by racism where light skin blacks are treated differently than darker skinned blacks (pg 13). I find this very interested because this semester i watched a documentary in my organizational behavior class which discussed color-ism and perceptions. I am not 100% about the title of the documentary but here is the link to some of the commentary on the documentary http://abcnews.go.com/2020/GiveMeABreak/story?id=548303&page=3. I just found it shocking the way actress Wendy Raquel Robinson was offered more prestigious and sophisticated rolls in movies than her peers (who were darker skinned) who often get the “crack head” roles in movies. They also explain how studies show people see lighter skin blacks as more educated than darker skinned blacks. I just find it crazy how these perceptions are seen today.
Are there effective ways we can stop racism in society at a younger age ? We can see signs of stereotypes and racism in children but how can we tackle these problems at young age whether it is at home taught by the parents or on educational television then developing more in elementary-high schools.
My last question is how can media limit these perceptions of light skin blacks being seen in a more favorable light than darker skin blacks ? It is indeed the media that is shaping these perceptions. In the documentary i seen, there were studies that showed people in general see lighter skin blacks as more educated than darker skinned blacks but it is now reflected in the media with the roles of television characters and this makes it seem as if it is OK to assume these beliefs.
