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I keep getting told that racism isn’t a thing. That there are very few actual racists. That racism is a thing of a past that people should let go. That “in these times” there isn’t racism.
This morning while driving, I asked my daughter, a White middle-schooler: In your personal life—not on TV or in the news or from me—have you witnessed racism?
Her immediate response: Oh yeah. [Girl’s name]. She used to be racist toward [boy’s name] all the time because he’s Brown…And [boy’s name] said the N word but he’s White…it was in class and he was sitting near me and I heard him say it. His excuse was, his cousin is Black. I was like no, that’s not how it works.
Me: And this is religion, not race, but I remember you also mentioned an anti-Islam discussion in band class?
Her: Yeah, [kids’ names] were talking [negatively] about Muslims. I left. I didn’t want to be around it but I was too tired to get into an argument.
Every name in her examples was different. Not just one singular racist kid/Islamophobe. And this is just what immediately came to her mind during a short car ride.
So here’s what I want to know:
Do you think these kids won’t grow into adults with the same beliefs they’ve held since childhood? If you think they’ll no longer be racist in adulthood, How do you think their racism just disappears if no one calls it out?
And Where did they learn to be racist, if not from racism around them?
That’s what I want you to tell me the most: How could kids spontaneously become racist in a society where racism is not an actual thing? How can children be racist without racism around them? How do children become racists if they are not surrounded by racism?
How.
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