Although Overt: Unconscious Racism In American Society Today
Question: Although overt (obvious) racism is becoming increasingly rare in American society today, unconscious racism remains a very a realty. Examine the historical origins of this unconscious racism of which Rosenberg writes and postulate (assume) the realistic possibility of eradication of this unconscious racism.
In the 1960s, there were two drunk driving incidents that were almost identical in all aspects, aside from the race of the driver. One driver was white and the other was black, and the incidents were about a week apart. While the white driver received compassion from the judge and a not so stiff bail treatment, the black driver received the reaction of fear and was given a harsher bail. Civil rights attorney David Kairys pointed out to the court impermissible inequality in treatment, no matter what the intent. …show more content…
In the following decade a new standard had come into place, requiring a case to show evidence of conscious racial intent. But this would often be hard to identify, and then be even harder to prove in court. Alongside but unrelated to this legal progression, non-explicit forms of discrimination against African Americans and other minorities have slowly grown in number and significance. It has become easier to discriminate with no explicit suggestion to race, whether it is on purpose, routinely, or unconsciously. More explicit examples of racism have become less apparent in society today, and we are taught to treat each other equally. People often like to keep stereotypes in relation to a group or race, which aren’t necessarily negative, but often can be. When confronted by or meeting somebody associated with on of those groups, people can tend to act a certain way or
In the 1960s, there were two drunk driving incidents that were almost identical in all aspects, aside from the race of the driver. One driver was white and the other was black, and the incidents were about a week apart. While the white driver received compassion from the judge and a not so stiff bail treatment, the black driver received the reaction of fear and was given a harsher bail. Civil rights attorney David Kairys pointed out to the court impermissible inequality in treatment, no matter what the intent. …show more content…
In the following decade a new standard had come into place, requiring a case to show evidence of conscious racial intent. But this would often be hard to identify, and then be even harder to prove in court. Alongside but unrelated to this legal progression, non-explicit forms of discrimination against African Americans and other minorities have slowly grown in number and significance. It has become easier to discriminate with no explicit suggestion to race, whether it is on purpose, routinely, or unconsciously. More explicit examples of racism have become less apparent in society today, and we are taught to treat each other equally. People often like to keep stereotypes in relation to a group or race, which aren’t necessarily negative, but often can be. When confronted by or meeting somebody associated with on of those groups, people can tend to act a certain way or