Racism in the Video Skin Deep

With today's society punctuating political correctness and their opinions over anything reveals the truth of what has actually been going on for ages. Major themes in movies from ten years ago all the way from plays 120 years ago show a vast amount of realism that is in our society today still. Movies like Crash by Paul Haggis, shows the very essence of racial profiling within the country's law enforcement agencies. You also have A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen that represented feminism which is a big topic in debates and women's right movements. However the definition of being a feminist may have changed since the 1880’s. These major themes are still prevalent in today's society.

I guess I have not so much learned, but become more aware of racism in America, in the video, we have seem that both gentleman approach life in a similar manner, they went to job interview dressed appropriately, they went to the mall and clothing stores and act similarly, and yet, the African American gentleman was mistreated solely on the fact that his skin color was dark. I have become aware of the struggle that African American children face from a early age, when you have been mistreated on this level your whole life, you will lack the motivation to even try to get a good education, because you will not be treated fairly anyways.

Understanding how to act with regards to certain circumstances and topics in today’s society is an immense moral dilemma. The moral dilemma that comes with action is often subconscious, though. Everyone has an idea of what is right and wrong, and everyone has an opinion on a particular subject due to past experiences and one’s core beliefs, and thus, people often react subconsciously to certain events in society. Essentially, people will act with respect to what they already know. This concept is prominent when dealing with the issue of racism in society. Everyone has their own take and perspective on racism due to their past encounters with it, and because everyone has a different perspective, the topic of racism is a very sensitive subject. Before racism can be dealt with, though, one must understand who they are and what they know, before acting upon it.

This video has many different aspects that was interesting. There were some viewpoints stated within the video that was agreeable and disagreeable. There were also aspects mention in the video that I heard mention before. For example, “Blacks are better at sports”. I think that statement is stereotyping. People bodies and health is different from one another, which cause a person to perform better than the other. Another example that was made in the video that I found interesting was “Asian are better at math”. People learn on different levels and in different ways, therefore everyone can learn the same information. Stereotyping and being bias has been an issue for years and still is sin some cases. The aspects that was talked about in the

Your Pleasure Should Not Be My Pain: The imagery in Mark Wills Don't Laugh at Me It would be nice if we were all accepted just as is, and loved unconditionally. Mark Wills is an American country music singer, and in his video, “Don't Laugh at Me” that is just not the case for some. There are many people in the world who have been or are bullied, judged or laughed at just for being themselves.

“This [racism] is not the product of some deep-seated, evil heart that is cultivated. It comes from the environment, the air all around us,” says Richeson (qtd. in Wan). Assuming and painting over specific traits on someone else’s race is something that we all need to learn to avoid when it comes to socializing with a diverse community. This racism issue has been quite the topic in the

Racism, the discriminatory belief that members of a certain race are superior or inferior to another, creates problems that are more intricate than they are skin-deep. Racial stratification emerges not only throughout individual interaction based on personal bias, but rather emerges within cultures and institutions themselves. Some would be naïve to think that racism merely hurts the feelings of the oppressed. The full extent of racism is wide-reaching, and it impacts matters much more complex than a person’s emotional state.

Through prism performance, poetry, music and art, Race Is The Place, underlie the different ways to look at one of the most social issues in American, which is known as racism. During the film, my heart was aching because racial and racist stereotype was displayed or promoted through the media. It opens my heart and mind of how racism is perpetuated in our society. I find that the way the performers, artist and comedians discussed racial identity made it easier for me to think about racism because each performer, artist and comedian express themselves by speaking the truth of how racism is still an issue in America. What make it easier for me to think about racism and stereotype was the use of poetry, hilarious comic and humor through the

Racism has been an ongoing social justice issue for decades, and we seem to always fail to make it stop. According to Dummett (as cited in Fernando, 1984), racism is the behaviour and attitude that emerges from our beliefs that certain people are different from us. These differences are mainly based on race, where people come from, physical characteristics, such as colour and hair type or behavioural characteristics, and that people categorized must be treated differently based on their needs, capabilities and rights. Usually there is one dominant and superior group and a few inferior groups (Dummett, as cited in Fernando, 1984). Coates and Morrison (2011) suggests that what we distinguish as real and true may not always be real and that things may not always be as it seems. Coates and Morrison (2011) also states that we live in a racial matrix, where we have this illusion of reality and that differences associated with racial status and hierarchies are perceived as the norm in society and this perception of reality is not easy to get rid of. There are four types of racism; subtle racism, colorism, internalized racism and reverse racism (Nittle, 2016). Racism can be explicit, but it can also be very subtle and covert, which is a huge problem, as most people do not even notice it and they do not realize that it happens on a day-to-day basis (Coates and Morrison, 2011). Racism is not only one problem or concern, as it is brings along a variety of other problems and is compiled

Stereotyping is inevitable, we all do it ad we all experience it, but this does not mean it does not effect us. Stereotypes are all around us. They effect the way we think about ourselves and the way we think about the people around us. Stereotyping leads us to act certain ways and treat people certain ways. At times it can be beneficial to a certain group, but may bring many disadvantages to others. Many times stereotypes limit us and restricting our success in life. In “A Letter to My Nephew,” by James Baldwin, he mints to his nephew that he is limited to a certain future due to his color of skin, and because of this it will also limit his ambition and be expected to settle(Baldwin 1). At times everybody settles with a stereotype or reception because it is to difficult to surpass a stereotype. James Baldwin tells his Nephew that he is not expected to succeed or aspire to excellence, but to “make peace with mediocrity. Later on in the letter Baldwin mentions that its not the white’s fault, for that is all they have ever known (Baldwin 1-2). Many stereotypes have begun with people not being aware of the different groups of people. Stereotypes is a way for our brains to categorize people of similar backgrounds.

This videos raised my awareness of this problem within our society. I believe having this awareness is important because we all make our own misconceptions and have preconceived notions of certain people and ideas. This video really takes a closer look at something that many of us rarely even considered, which is our own bias and cultural influences. I believe this is important to be mindful of and that it can open the eyes of many people in our society. I believe it is very important to keep this concept in mind during this course and in

Unlike David (the white character) in the documentary, I have always possessed a since of pride from where I came from. Both sides of my family are German descent and I think my parents have always encouraged me to take honor in where I come from. Nevertheless, I had never considered for instance, the fact that I may be at a greater disadvantage than my African American friends from school. The other minority participants in that video explained to David how he has never had to worry about just being a human. That element within the documentary really left me wondering and contemplating on how other groups and cultures experience every day life compared to me. Accordingly, the research that I reveiewed for this assignment in particular, was very informative and ebabled me to better explore the challenges and experiences that member of other ethnic backgrounds endure as a result of this nation’s current social

In today's society, people automatically assume the others identity even without knowing them. The ideal world is to have freedom and equality up to the point where others feel welcomed anywhere they go. Racism goes back to the 1900s and still is found today. The majority of people are against racism, but don’t take action to stop it. People with different skin color are perceived differently more than others. People's perspective on others are so expeditious and careless. Everyone’s “point of view” should be taken into account or at least be acknowledged. Judging one's existence can easily affect others. It’s wrong to bring in justice for others when chance is not given as an opportunity. Understanding

“Who will you be? What will you become?”. This quote states that each person is the only one who chooses what to become or who to be and no one else can let that person to be someone they do not want to be. In the short fil Zero, it shows how all people are made of the same matter, but they are not born equal. The differences in numbers and colors between the people in the film was the main reason of a major issue in the society which is racism.

Bias and stereotyping can both be harmful for self-esteem and the developmental process in children. Bias is not only harmful for the target group since it lowers the self-esteem, but the group who feels superiority over the other is also harmed. The feeling of being superior disconnects a person from reality. Too much of self-esteem reduces the appreciation of others and may even slow down progress for the beholder. Stereotyping creates preconceived notions in the minds of children and adults due to which they fail to see others for what they actually are and rather judge them on the basis of information that is misguided and obsolete. Stereotyping results in developing strong perspectives of people who are different and causes prejudice.