If you are wondering if you are a racist, you are not the only one. Increased awareness of racial issues means that many of us have had to take a good look within ourselves. Fortunately, reflection of this type is an important stepping stone toward overcoming some of the unconscious biases that we have learned about race. Pay attention to what you do and say, especially in the presence of people of color, to try to identify anything that you may not have realized is racist. Also, scrutinize your beliefs about race to determine what biases you have.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Pay Attention to Your Behavior
Step 1. Identify the blatantly racist behavior in your life
People who openly accept the idea that their race is superior to others should not wonder if they are racist, as they are. Most people have outgrown beliefs of this type, but they still persist. Actively rejects expressly racist behavior, including the following:
- using racial slurs and other hateful or hurtful language
- displaying symbols that could be hurtful to people of color (for example, swastikas, blackface or theatrical makeup to represent a black person, or souvenirs from the U. S. Confederacy)
- believe that people of different races should remain segregated
- defend other people's racist comments and ideology
- assume that all people of a certain race should behave in the same way
- dismissing or ignoring people of color and their contributions
Step 2. See if you participate in racist jokes
Even if it seems like you're just annoying someone to break the ice, your jokes can be hurtful if they perpetuate stereotypes about people of color. Over time, jokes of this type can create a hostile environment that can make people of color uncomfortable and unwelcome.
- Similarly, avoid laughing at racist jokes and encouraging people to tell them. This sends a message that you support what they say.
- If you're ever in doubt about whether something would be offensive, it's probably safer not to say so.
Step 3. See if you often have to defend that you are not a racist
If it seems like other people are always accusing you of saying or doing racist things, chances are good that you need to change something. Don't get defensive and insist that you are not a racist but instead try to be open to hearing constructive criticism so that you can learn and grow.
For example, you are likely to exhibit some racial bias if you often find yourself saying something like "I'm not a racist, but …" or "I have a lot of black friends."
Step 4. See if you feel comfortable saying something when other people are racist
Even if you are not actively acting in a racist way yourself, you can help perpetuate racism by not saying something about it when you see it. While this does not mean that you should stand up to all the racist memes you see on social media, it does mean that you should make your position clear when appropriate.
- For example, if you're in a meeting and someone dismisses the idea of one of your black colleagues, you could say, "I thought Carlos made a very good point right now. Could we get back to him?"
- If people are comfortable saying racist things in your presence, you are not being anti-racist in their presence.
Step 5. Ask if you react differently to people of color
When you go out and bump into someone of another race, do you ever find yourself feeling nervous? If so, you may have internalized the idea that people of color are often dangerous criminals. You should always pay attention to your surroundings to stay safe, but you should not treat people of color as if they are a greater danger to you than anyone else.
- For example, if you feel tense or accelerate when you see a black person walking towards you on the street, this is a subconscious form of racism.
- A more subtle form of racism might be to be overly friendly with people of color to try to be perceived as less racist.
Step 6. Consider whether you are less likely to support business owners who are people of color
While you may not realize it, unconscious biases could lead you to choose businesses run by people who look like you. Also, you may prefer movies, books, and music that were produced by people of your own race.
- By openly supporting businesses run by people of color, you will help create a society where everyone has a fair chance to succeed.
- Reading books, listening to music, and watching movies made by people of color can help open your mind to the reality of their experiences, which can help you shed even more of your unconscious biases.
Step 7. Pay attention to whether you avoid the issue of race altogether
Sometimes it can be easy to say things like "I don't see the color" to end conversations about racism. However, by doing so, you don't actually celebrate the diversity around you, and you may not listen when a person of color tries to tell you something about their experiences.
Rather, you should be open to engaging in productive conversations about breed
Step 8. See if you tend to draw attention to someone else's race
You shouldn't be totally ignorant of the race issue, but you shouldn't be overly focused on it either. By constantly bringing up a person's ethnic background, it will make them feel like the only thing you can see is what sets them apart from you. Instead, try to focus on what you have in common.
- For example, don't say "Can I touch your hair?" Instead, you could say, "Hey, you look great today. I brought coffee for both of you."
- Avoid saying, "Sorry, I can't pronounce your name. Can I just call you 'J'?" Instead, practice saying his name until it works out for you.
- Also, don't say things like, "Hey, I have a black friend from college. They should get to know each other." Just because two people have the same skin color does not automatically mean that they will be friends.
Step 9. Understand how your words and actions could be interpreted
Being anti-racist goes much further than just avoiding overt acts of racism. You need to think about how others might perceive you. Regardless of your intentions, making someone feel less, marginalized, or stereotyped is racist action.
- However, you shouldn't expect people of color to point out all the racist things you do or say. People of color must confront subtle forms of racism at all times and it is not their responsibility to educate everyone with whom they come in contact.
- Don't forget that overcoming racism is a lifelong process and therefore you should continually examine your actions, thoughts, and beliefs about race.
Method 2 of 2: Identify Implicit Biases
Step 1. Recognize that most people have unconscious biases about race
Images and messages from the media, politicians, and even your friends and relatives have undoubtedly shaped your beliefs about race. This applies to everyone. While it doesn't necessarily make you a bad person, if you want to overcome these beliefs, you must first understand that you have them.
- You can have these beliefs even if you have friends of other races or if you support causes like the Black Lives Matter movement.
- For example, you may have internalized the idea that people of color are more likely to be professional criminals or to use drugs. You might even support that position with statistics, but that doesn't address the political and social factors that might influence those statistics, such as the fact that a person of color is more likely to be charged with a crime than a white person. even for the same crime. They also tend to receive harsher sentences for the same crimes.
Step 2. Reflect on how your biases impact your views on race
Other people may be able to point out if you are behaving or speaking in a racist way, but they can't really tell you what you think. The only way to determine if you are racially biased is to ask yourself tough questions, such as the following:
- "Does it surprise me that a person of color has good diction or is particularly intelligent?"
- "Do I make assumptions about a person's interests or athletic ability based on their skin color?"
- "Would I be less likely to hire a person of color, even if they have the same qualifications (or more) as a white person?"
- "Do I care more about being anti-racist or just that other people don't consider me a racist?"
- "Does someone with natural hair seem less refined or professional to me?"
- "Do I feel uncomfortable when I see someone wearing ethnic or religious clothing (for example, a head covering or a tribal print)?"
Step 3. Learn to identify these biases as they arise
It is almost impossible to determine all the biases you have about the breed. Instead, make an effort to evaluate your thoughts about race as you think about them. Question whether you make an assumption about a person based on their race alone. Regardless of whether those assumptions are negative or not, they can still be hurtful.
For example, if you automatically assume that all people of a certain race are good students, this can put a lot of pressure on a student of that race who is struggling in school. You may even have trouble being taken seriously if you ask for help
Step 4. Don't blame people of color for their oppression
When you learn that people of color are struggling, do you automatically wonder what they did wrong? Similarly, do you blame their culture, appearance, or lifestyle? These are subtle forms of racism, so don't forget to challenge these beliefs.
- For example, you may find yourself thinking something like, "I would never give my son such an unusual name. That way he will never be successful in life."
- You may also criticize a person's way of talking, their clothes, or where they live.
Step 5. Be receptive to constructive criticism
If someone points out that you said or did something that seems racist, avoid shutting up or getting defensive. See it instead as a growth opportunity. Because biases like this can take a long time to overcome, it's okay if you can't get it right right away. Just keep trying and learn to look within yourself to make sure you behave in a sensitive and fair way towards people of color.
Don't forget that having unconscious racist biases doesn't automatically make you a bad person, nor does it imply that your conscious anti-racist thoughts "don't count." You are the sum of all your parts, and the fact that you identify areas in which you can grow only implies that you are committed to being part of social change
Advice
- Avoid treating people like chips (that is, including them in something just to give the appearance of diversity). Doing so is condescending and rude.
- Many people in the American South consider Confederate souvenirs to show southern pride, but people of color tend to have a different view, as these symbols also had a strong association with a desire to protect slavery.