For the study, researchers placed three students in a classroom, one white, one black, and one white or Asian. And while two of the students – the black and one white – were in on the scheme, the third believed they were all there waiting for a study to begin.
"Then the black person stands up and says `I forgot my cellphone,' and he walks out of the room. And as he walks out, he gently hits the other white person on the knee," Kawakami said. When the black person left the room, the white person turned to the other person and said something racist – "in some cases extremely racist," she said.
Despite using terms as offensive as "clumsy n----r," the planted bigot faced little or no reprisal from the majority of white subjects.
Personally I'd love to speak out or otherwise do something at this point, but I simply have no clue what to do. The racist would get a glare, sure, but I have no idea what I might say that might be helpful. I've met a number of racists in my life, and nothing that it has every occurred to me to say has ever elicited any reaction in them other than for them to try to convince me that I need to be more racist. I am completely unequipped to deal with this situation. In other more social situations I'd likely either leave or kick them out, but this is a room where we're both waiting for an appointment. We both have a right to be there and I'd be breaking my commitment to the study if I just walked out (I know that sounds like a lame excuse, but (as far as I know) it isn't the study's fault the other person was racist).
So what could I say or do at this point that would be helpful?
If there are any racists reading this, I'd be especially interested in what you might have to say. Anonymous posts are welcome, and as long as you give me information that would help me construct a useful response I won't dis you or allow anyone else to dis you for being a racist in this thread.
2 comments:
I think speaking out against racism, in cases like this, simply means not being silent. Maybe "speaking out against" is the wrong expression.
I think it means overcoming social embarrassment or awkwardness to say something like, "Please don't bring race into it, that has nothing to do with it" or "Please don't include me in your racist remarks" or "I don't appreciate your racism".
One time Allan and I were in a taxi, listening to the driver make one racist remark after the next. The fare came to $18. We handed the driver a $20 bill and kept our hand out for change. He was very surprised, and when he returned our $2, we said, Next time keep your racist remarks to yourself and you might get a tip (or something similar).
Just saying something. Not letting it pass unchallenged because it's awkward.
Does saying things like that actually help? I don't care about social awkwardness in this kind of situation and I don't even care if I redirect the anger to myself, I just can't imagine that the fact that I disapprove would change the mind or behaviour of a person who would publically utter racial slurs in this day and age.
The tip thing is awesome and gives him motivation to at least keep his racism in private away from the customers, but in the waiting room scenario the other person has no motivation to avoid offending me or others like me.
Although I suppose I could adapt Eddie Izzard and say something like "Look, if you're going to do that kind of thing, keep it behind closed doors where other people don't have to see it."
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