This quiz made me think of the movie “White Men Can’t Jump”. While I haven’t seen it in a LONG time, I remember the gist of it. White boys shocks everyone because he can play ball. Is it a stereotype that race plays a factor in how good of an athlete you are? Test your knowledege.
Surprised by anything?
We will continue to look at a couple more highlights from the exhibit “Race: Are we so different?”. If you have missed any, you can catch up here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. To learn more about this exhibit visit Understanding Race.
Can scientists determine a person’s race by looking at their DNA?
Can experiencing racism lead to serious health consequences?
These are 2 of the 10 questions on the Human Variation Quiz. Run over and take it, I’ll wait…
How’d you do? Were you surprised by any of the answers? Tell us!
Stay tuned as we continue to look at a few more highlights from the exhibit “Race: Are we so different?”. If you missed our previous highlights, check them out: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. To learn more about this great exhibit visit Understanding Race.
This is a continuation of our look at the “Race: Are we so different?” exhibit highlights. If you are just joining us, you might also want to check out Part 1 and Part 2.
Today I’m linking to the Who is White? quiz. Take it and see what you think. In her own words, this is why Vernellia Randall, Professor of Law, University of Dayton Law School, developed it:
I created this survey to help show that we make judgments not only about who is white but also about what countries are white (or predominantly white), and to call attention to some of the questions this raises.
For example, when someone is not considered white is a citizen of a country that is considered white, that person is often perceived as a foreigner. For instance, even though the families of many Japanese Americans have been in the U.S. much longer than the families of European Americans, they are often viewed as outsiders.
Our opinions about who is white and who is not can affect how we relate to one another. Race matters because discrimination based on perceived racial grouping continues to exist.”
Okay, so I have never been a fan of Dr. Laura Schlessinger (aka Dr. Laura). But, yesterday she made sure that I never will be.
Today she issued an apology and “hopes Jade will call back” so she can give her the help she needs (really?). I hope Dr. Laura gets the help SHE needs and spends some time examining her remarks and beliefs.
Jade, if you’re out there, here’s the answer you were looking for on dealing with friends and family who make racist remarks:
Communication is key. If you never share your feelings, they will never know they are offending you. Begin by believing the best in the person and stating so. “I’m sure you never intended to be hurtful, however…”
Anticipate and rehearse. Take some time and prepare possible responses beforehand. This is good to do with your children too.
DARE – Here’s a great acronym to remember how to handle the situation.
Duplicate the offending statement (repeat verbatim): “When you said…”
Articulate how the statement made you feel: “I felt…”
Request a change in behavior: “I need for you to not make those types of statements in my presence anymore because…”
Explain consequences if the behavior is repeated: “If you continue to make these types of negative statements…”
Follow through! If you say that you will leave if “x” happens again, then follow through and leave the next time. And the next. And the next. If it is a friend, I would limit how many “next times” there will be before letting the friendship end. However, with family, I would prove to be the “bigger” person.
As for your husband, I would continue to keep the lines of communication open with him as well. I’m only guessing that he ignores the situations because he doesn’t know how to handle them either. Maybe the two of you could sit down and discuss some “anticipated responses” together. Don’t let race come between the two of you, let it be something that brings you together!
There is a traveling exhib that was developed by the American Anthropological Association, titled “Race: Are we so different?”. The exhibit examines racial issues through history, science, and experiences. This is a wonderful exhibit that offers a wealth of information. I thought it would be fun to highlight a few of my favorite parts of the exhibit over my next several posts.
A couple days ago my 15 year old daughter called me in to watch a new back to school commercial from Target. “Listen to the song in the commercial!”, she said. She recognized one of her favorite childhood songs, “Free to be You and Me”. If you aren’t familiar with the song, I have included the song above. These songs used to be on Sesame Street when I was a kid and are still very relevant today–your kids will LOVE them! What I love most about the songs are they are positive, encouraging and free of sterotypes based on gender, class and race. The cd is on Amazon for just $7.98 (5 star review) and all of the songs are available for preview. This cd would be a great gift to keep on-hand for both boys and girls! Some of our favorite songs have been, “Boy Meets Girl” (below), “Parents are People”, “It’s Alright to Cry” and “William Wants a Doll”. What are yours?
Today is a very special anniversary for my family. Forty-three years ago today, Mildred and Richard Loving won the Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, allowing interracial couples to marry.
Illegal to marry in Virginia, the Loving’s drove to Washington DC to take their vows. Upon return to Virginia, they were arrested and sentenced to one year in prison for violation of the Virginia Racial Integrity Act of 1924 that criminalized marriage between whites and non-whites. Their sentence was suspended for 25 years on the condition they agreed to leave the state.
The Lovings appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, Loving v. Virginia, was decided unanimously in the Lovings’ favor on June 12, 1967. The Court overturned their convictions.
The couple never wanted to be famous, just happy. They went on to have three children.
Richard Loving died at age 41 in 1975, when a drunken driver struck their car. Mildred Loving died of pneumonia on May 2, 2008, in Milford, Virginia, at age 68. Her daughter, Peggy, said, “I want [people] to remember her as being strong and brave, yet humble—and believ[ing] in love.” The final sentence in Mildred Loving’s obituary in the New York Times read, “A modest homemaker, Loving never thought she had done anything extraordinary. ‘It wasn’t my doing,’ Loving told the Associated Press in a 2007 interview. ‘It was God’s work.’
On a personal note, I, too, think it was God’s work. His signature is in their last name!
Father in a multiracial family, Desmond Williams, puts pen (pencil) to paper and creates a soon-to-be-published graphic novel The Painted Man: What My Young Son Taught Me About Race. The collection is a “coming of race” memoir that finds a dad confronted by racially charged questions posed directly by his young son and the people with whom they come into contact.
This book can be used as a conversation starter, a self-reflection inducer, or simply a window into an experience that might not reflect your own.
BTW, I found it interesting that Williams is from Brooklyn, NY. I would have thought “they” were much more versed in this thing we call “race”.
At what age should you start talking to your children about race?
Birgitte Vittrup of the Children’s Research Lab at the University of Texas tried to answer that question in her 2006 study. A recent article in Newsweek focused on the results of her study — See Baby Discriminate. Kids as young as 6 months judge other based on skin color. What’s a parent to do? [btw, I hated the title of the article–it begged for a small readership].
While the study was extensive, and I didn’t agree with much of it, it showed that the majority of [white] families simply could not bring themselves to discuss race with their 5-7 year olds. “We don’t want to have these conversations with our child. We don’t want to point out skin color.”
According to Vittrup, hardly any of these white parents had ever talked to their children directly about race. They might have asserted vague principles—like “Everybody’s equal” or “God made all of us” or “Under the skin, we’re all the same”—but they’d almost never called attention to racial differences. They wanted their children to grow up “colorblind”.
The article also mentioned that in homes of people of color, race is discussed much more openly. I can attest to that in our home. I know from a very early age, we have been careful that our children don’t buy what the media sells (i.e. beauty = blond hair + blue eyes + white skin). It is very much apart of our lives on a daily basis. I personally think efforts are misguided if children are raised to be “colorblind”. Color is the very first thing people see and our society and history dictate the inability to be such.
I’m curious to hear what other families have to say, how do you talk to your children about race? at what age do you begin?
MultiracialFamily.net 
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