Option A week 2- discussion

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Oct 30, 2023

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Option A: Race and Identity Historian Robin Kelley stated, “Race was never just a matter of how you look, it’s about how people assign meaning to how you look” (Herbes-Sommers, 2003). Considering what you learned from the Social Implications of Race (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. video clip, Chapter 3 in your textbook, and your own experiences, answer the following questions: What do you think is meant by the term racial smog? I think that racial smog is a mental state, and our beliefs and views are skewed by what we have been taught regarding race. We have allowed ourselves to adopt certain stereotypes just because that’s usually what’s portrayed in the media. When the actual reality is that we all have the potential to behave a certain way or to think a certain way; no matter the race. Since we have allowed ourselves to believe that there is a difference between races, ultimately, we mentally create one. Yes, different races may have different views, but only because we usually believe what we are taught as children. If you parents teach you that there is a difference amongst races, you will believe that there is. I, personally, have looked at my siblings, and the fact that we grew up in different homes made a huge difference. They see no difference in people. They are two of the most innocent teenagers I’ve ever met because their mother didn’t teach them that there’s a difference. Not that my mother taught me that there was, but she didn’t stress that there isn’t. How do racial categories shape our identities and social status? “The power of social beliefs in racial differences can be so great that people may be dealt with on the basis of the qualities that are culturally attributed to their race rather than the qualities they actually demonstrate as individuals. Stereotypes about differences between racial groups can lead to the assignment of somewhat different social roles to members of the different racial groups” (Crapo, 2013). As the video state, “we attached meanings and assumptions” to different racial categories that lead to inequality all around. African American women are sometimes assumed to have an “attitude”. If someone interviewing an African American woman for a job takes on that same assumption, she may lose out due to an assumption. In contrast, this can go both ways. I know some people who make sure they go out of their way to avoid Caucasian people. The assumption is that they are racist. Of course we know that not all Caucasians or African Americans are racists. So, instead of making an assumption off of the small percentage of people we’ve previously encountered, we have to be open to giving everyone a chance to show us who they are. So often, we will reject what we don’t or can’t fully understand; whether it be a culture, personal opinion or idea. References Crapo, R. H. (2013). Cultural anthropology [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ (Links to an external site.) Herbes-Sommers, C. (Writer, Producer, & Director). (2003). Social implications of race. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video segment]. In L. Adelman (Executive

producer), The Difference Between Us: Race–The Power of an Illusion. San Francisco, CA: California Newsreel. Retrieved from the Films On Demand database.

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