This is a quick little Ted Talk on unconscious bias–I love Helen’s examples! The whole thing made me think about the blue and black (or white and gold) dress. Of which, I still don’t know how to process…
Enjoy!
Tag: diversity awareness
Speak Up! Responding to Everyday Bigotry
Your brother routinely makes anti-Semitic comments. Your neighbor uses the N-word in casual conversation. Your co-worker ribs you about your Italian surname, asking if you’re in the mafia. Your classmate insults something by saying, “That’s so gay.”
And you stand there, in silence, thinking, “What can I say in response to that?” Or you laugh along, uncomfortably. Or, frustrated or angry, you walk away without saying anything, thinking later, “I should have said something.”
People spoke about encounters in stores and restaurants, on streets and in schools. They spoke about family, friends, classmates and co-workers. They spoke about what they did or didn’t say — and what they wished they did or didn’t say.
And no matter the location or relationship, the stories echo each other.
Speak Up! is a book that shares love, insight and pain, but also offers “lost words”, practical solutions and hope for a better tomorrow.
Download your free copy of SPEAK UP!
Another great resource offered by Teaching Tolerance.
Poem: “We are talking about” (biracial)
This will be my last poem from Arnold Adoff’s book “All the Colors of the Race” that I featured a couple of days ago. There are many more great poems in the book–buy it
We are talking about
by Arnold Adoff
We are talking about
the ones who pick their friends
because of how black they act
or
because of how white they can
be.
Sometimes blackness seems too black for me,
and whiteness is too sickly pale;
and I wish every
one were golden from
the
sun.
Golden from the
inside
out.
“Race: Are we so different?” Part 6 – What race would you be somewhere else?
In this activity, you will see how race and ethnicity are reflected in census catagories across the globe. What race would you be somewhere else? What type of affect would it have on you in that country? Very interesting to think about!
We are winding down our 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, Part 4 and Part 5. To learn more about this exhibit visit Understanding Race.
Poem: “On my applications” (biracial)
Here’s another great poem from Arnold Adoff that was in the book All the Colors of the Race
On my applications
by Arnold Adoff
On my applications I can
put:
this girl:
a black,
white,
Christian,
Jewish,
young
woman:
student,
musician,
singer,
dancer,
runner in the middle distance races,
is willing to help you
if you take her as she
is.
“Race: Are we so different?” Part 5 – Does race matter in sports quiz
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.
“Race: Are we so different?” Part 4 – Human variation quiz
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.
“Race: Are we so different?” Part 3 – Who is white quiz
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.”
Your thoughts?
To learn more about the exhibit, visit Understanding Race
Cultural Cookies
Cultural Cookies provide a unique way to share the message, “we’re more alike than different!”
We have taken the fun of fortune cookies and combined them with proverbs around the world to show that all human beings share similar experiences in life, no matter how different our backgrounds.
Proverbs in one culture are frequently similar to proverbs expressed in other cultures. For instance, the French “Qui vole un oeuf vole un boeuf” translates to “He who steals eggs steals cattle,” compared to the American proverb “Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.”
These fun cookies can be used at home to spark discussion, as icebreakers in the office or classroom, an activity during diversity training, or simply on top your desk as a fun way to remind staff or students that people are much more alike than different.
“Your World, My World” Activity
I have been privileged to do some diversity training with families who have adopted transracially. One activity that I have seen agencies use is called “Your World, My World”. I have seen the activity used with beads that in the shades of people.
Instructions:
Give each family a clear plastic cup. Assign a race to each color of bead (i.e. caucasian/white, african/african american/black, asian/yellow, middle eastern/native american/biracial/brown, etc.).
Ask parents to place a bead of the respective color in the cup for:
- Each family member living in your home
- Each sibling that you have and their partner (if applicable)
- Each grandparent
- Each immediate neighbor surrounding your home
- Your dentist
- Your pediatrician
- Your attorney
- Your spiritual leader
- Your mayor
- Your three closest friends (they visit your home, you visit their home)
- The school principal
- Your veterinarian
Look at your cup and get a clear understanding of the world your child will enter. Understand that you have the opportunity and responsibility to surround your child with a diverse array of positive role models.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Talking to Children About 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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