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| Sal (Danny Aiello) and Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) in Do the Right Thing (1989) |
Do you think it was fair for them to feel that prejudice? Do you think that suspicions of whites that many minorities feel is no more justified or dangerous than the prejudice many whites have against various minorities? Have you encountered either kind of prejudice?
Many people believe that there is an important difference between racism and prejudice. They argue that individuals may have prejudices against one group or another, but racism is more dangerous because it is institutional. As some put it, "racism equals prejudice plus power." According to this logic, the prejudicial attitudes of the dominant social group are more more dangerous (and rise to the level of "racism" when they are acted on) than the prejudices felt by members of a disempowered minority. Does that analysis make sense to you? Do you agree with it? Do you think it is important to differentiate between the prejudices felt by disempowered groups and the prejudices felt by people who have more power to act on their prejudices?
Movie Recommendation: If this topic interests you, you may want to rent the film Do the Right Thing (1989), directed by Spike Lee.
Many people believe that there is an important difference between racism and prejudice. They argue that individuals may have prejudices against one group or another, but racism is more dangerous because it is institutional. As some put it, "racism equals prejudice plus power." According to this logic, the prejudicial attitudes of the dominant social group are more more dangerous (and rise to the level of "racism" when they are acted on) than the prejudices felt by members of a disempowered minority. Does that analysis make sense to you? Do you agree with it? Do you think it is important to differentiate between the prejudices felt by disempowered groups and the prejudices felt by people who have more power to act on their prejudices?
Movie Recommendation: If this topic interests you, you may want to rent the film Do the Right Thing (1989), directed by Spike Lee.
The Lacks family had good reason to be suspicious of white people who contacted them. If I had been deceived for decades by a certain group of people, I can't say that I would have acted any differently than the Lackses did. Most cultural groups have suspicion or prejudice when it comes to other cultural groups. Part of the animosity amongst groups stems from the fact that each group is different. No two groups are exactly alike, and therefore, they view the world differently giving rise to prejudice. Minorities do not have any more reason to feel prejudice that majorities do. Life is full of differences; people need to learn to acknowledge differences and overcome them instead of amplify them.
ReplyDeleteEmily Davis
The Lacks family definitely had the right to be suspicious of anyone asking about Henrietta's cells. They had been misused and misled so many times that it's just a natural reaction to assume certain people don't have your best interst in mind. I would say all prejudices are dangerous to an extent. I think there's a fine line between prejudice and disrespect, and that's when real problems begin to happen.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Parham
I also believe the Lacks family being suspicious was a good thing, considering many people set out to use them rather then help them. I think racism against any ethnicity is wrong because you aren't judging that person on who they truly are. Racism has to do with what's on the outside, not the inside. I also agree that we tend to veer from things that are different from us or things that don't operate as we want or do. I really like Emily's final sentence too. That guideline would solve many problems.
ReplyDeleteChelsi Norris
If we were to put ourselves into the Lack’s shoes and feel what they went through then I’m sure we would have the same reaction as them. For example how we view the people, responsible for 911, now is automatic fear for what they did. Every race has done some terrible actions to another one and it takes time to get over those events. It’s okay to act skeptical of a group if they have been known for wrong actions in the recent times.
ReplyDeleteThis definition describing racism and prejudice appears that the only difference between them is one group has the power to act on those feelings rather than not because the other one does not have the means to do so. It sounds as if racism is basically prejudiced with the ability to take action so any form of prejudice could be potentially harmful.
-Ashley Huhman
As Ashley said earlier, every race has at one point or another oppressed or attacked another group of people solely because of their race. The thoughts that precede those actions are just as bad as the actions themselves. Whether you call it racism or prejudice, it’s wrong. That being said, it is understandable that the Lacks family would feel some animosity to white people because of their experience with white people in dealing with Henrietta’s story and more importantly, the time they lived in. While no one would argue what the Nazis did to the Jews was okay, could you blame a Nazi youth who grow up under the indoctrination of the Nazi propaganda if he hated the Jews during the 30’s and 40’s? Timing is everything.
ReplyDeleteCaleb Savage
I don't think any prejudices are fair. Each person is their own, and has their own set of values and behaves the way they want, which is different than any other person on the planet. So how is it possible to justify a prejudice when all of us are so different in so many ways?
ReplyDeleteThere is not a great distinction between prejudices felt by disempowered groups and empowered groups. Prejudices felt by empowered groups over disempowered groups are often derived from a feeling of superiority over the disempowered group. With feelings of superiority comes more confidence to act on those feelings or to take advantage of those disempowered groups leading to racism. The prejudices felt by disempowered groups are no less dangerous in views of racism. Disempowered groups have a feeling of inferiority, shame, or helplessness. All these feelings can lead to defensive aggression or the feeling of necessity to act on their feelings which also leads to racism. In this country the line quickly diminishing between empowered and disempowered groups in terms of race. Instead, the lines are being drawn between groups of varying opinions and worldly perspectives leading everyone moving forward disempowered defensiveness when confronted with another group. In regard to the Lacks family, the had every right and reason to feel prejudice toward the white people calling. They obviously knew that the white people, feeling superior, would try to take advantage of them.
ReplyDeleteAllon Gillispie
I think Caleb asks a provocative question: "could you blame a Nazi youth who [grew] up under the indoctrination of the Nazi propaganda if he hated the Jews during the 30’s and 40’s?" What do you say? Are we simply the products of the environment we grow up in? Or can we expect people to realize that it is wrong to hate an entire cultural group?
ReplyDeleteImagine this scenario (and how you would weigh in on it):
ReplyDeleteAfrican-American: The racist attitudes that white people in this country have towards Black people disgusts me.
White person: Whites aren't the only ones in this country who have racist attitudes. Blacks have racist attitudes toward Whites, too. Everybody's racist. Stop putting the blame on others.
You: (What would you say?)