It’s no secret that racism still exists today. Still, the facts are shocking to hear. In 2010, a Mississippi middle school ruled that only white children could run for president in their student government elections. Of the total 12 positions the school offered, eight were designated for white students and four for black students. The electoral positions excluded other races completely. This absurd racial criterion was listed alongside requirements of students having a B average, a good attendance record and strong moral character.
It gets worse. Earlier this year, a Cheerios commercial created so much controversy that its comments section on YouTube had to be shut down. A whirlwind of hateful and racist comments dominated the YouTube clip simply because the commercial featured an interracial couple.
Both events resulted in an uprising. Many Mississippi parents protested against the school board and some removed their children from the school entirely. As a result, the school eventually revoked their prejudicial guidelines. Additionally, despite the influx of vile statements the commercial received, General Mills refused to take their advertisement off the television. As a result, countless people praised the company for doing the right thing despite the racial backlash.
Both instances were eventually called out for their derogatory and deprecating messages, but it is crucial to recognize their occurrence in the first place. Racism is still prominent in the 21st century and it requires both recognition and action.
Many of us experience small but influential acts of racism and prejudice within our everyday interactions. Many hateful comments are expressed through jokes or sayings and are therefore easier to abuse. Additionally, technology has allowed people to voice even more cruel comments without apprehension.
As in the case of the Cheerios commercial, the large number of harsh comments came from the fact that more people will outwardly discriminate through written word rather than in person or by mouth. Racial jokes, technology and idioms often become overlooked in society and allow even the most timid of people to outwardly express racism. These outlets for racism are used frequently on college campuses and among young people.
How do we respond to these acts? It is first important to recognize the importance of whether we respond or not. Anytime we ignore a racist remark (or add to it) we are, in a sense, promoting and supporting prejudice. By not speaking up, we give others the impression that we agree with or are impartial to their prejudiced comments. It is important to address the inappropriate and inaccurate comments we hear, whether they are discrete or obvious racial remarks. It is often hard to speak out against prejudice, especially in social college settings where we are constantly among peers. As college students, we can influence change with even a small acknowledgement of the racial comment.
The simplest way to address these remarks is to state that the comment makes you uncomfortable. This method of confrontation is useful because it puts the focus on you without directly calling someone out by criticizing their speech. In some cases, such as when dealing with racist comments from family members or close friends, we as advocates may want to further this statement by explaining the inaccurate and hurtful message the speech conveys. While additionally effective, this method does not work in all situations, especially when we hear the remark from peers, teachers, or managers whom we may not feel comfortable addressing in such a manner.
In these instances, simply stating that you are uncomfortable around such language will cause cognitive dissonance in the speaker. People like to see themselves in a certain way, and a confrontation from someone else that expresses discomfort from their speech will often cause distress or dissonance. As a result, many of these speakers will feel uneasy about their words and consider your reaction before making future similar remarks.
Whether we choose to state our feelings about the harmful message or to simply state that we are uncomfortable from it, it is important to remain civil in our confrontations. Although racist comments evoke anger when we hear them, responding with anger will only cause the speaker to become defensive. This hinders our chance to educate the speaker or create cognitive dissonance within them.
Recognizing the prevalence of modern day racism and learning how to confront it allows us to begin advocating for equality among all races. Responding to racism does not have to feature a dramatic confrontation- -we can inspire change through one remark.