by Kelly Evans
In module two, there were plenty of interesting topics that would make great reflections. However, the topic I found most interesting and deemed it necessary to share the information in my reflection paper for this week is a question that was asked during the Rooks video. Nowilde Rooks, expounded briefly on the question, “If you stop taking about race, will racism disappear?” I felt this question was thought- provoking.
I learned at an early age that there are several topics of conversation to avoid if your goal is to alleviate heavy debate in daily dialogue. Those topics of conversation are race, religion and politics. However, my decision to not participate in speaking about those topics in professional and educational environments did not make the reality of the topics disappear. When listening to Rooks in her video speak about race, racism and prejudice in regards to AAAS programs, it brought back those memories I endured when keeping quiet about those topics. I found that no matter how much I did not speak about race, it constantly surrounded me.
In the Rooks C-Span video, Rooks made a statement about racism by using the film Crash as a reference. She states, “Why need a language and understanding when talking about race….” She went on to say, “There is no racism in this film. There is a whole lot of prejudice.” She mentioned that the film is one of her favorites. I can agree with Rooks on these statements. Often times there is a language and understanding needed when talking about race because many individuals are not aware of the effects of their racist or prejudice actions on other individuals. Therefore there must be a vehicle for communicating this information so that people are able to understand that racism still exists. Unfortunately, that language is not always received in a positive manner. The film Crash does in fact include a lot of prejudice messages. These messages showed that everyone has an opinion and a feeling about others, whether it is a spoken or an unspoken language, it exists. But it also portrayed how it all meets in the middle and at times, you may cross paths again. I feel that Rooks’ lecture in comparison to her book is a great explanation on why it is necessary to have a language of communication through AAAS programs. Some reasons are to gain an in-depth understanding of AAAS, its history, its impact in society and how it can help students with future endeavors.
I agree race, politics, religion are taboo subjects that heavily impact our daily lives.
ReplyDeleteRacism, will never disappear.People who hold hatred for people of color or other ethnicity will simply get better at hiding their feelings. Racism is a state mind that is a heart felt emotion that can not be changed over time.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in a town that was so racially divided in North Carolina, I do not feel that stop talking about race will make racism disapper. Race was developed and accepted so long ago that noone knows anything but color. Thinking that in one day that you can say there is no race and it will disappear I dont believe it will happen. I feel that racsim is hatred for ones color and has been in existence for so long that i dont know if it will ever disapper. I never thought being born in the 80's and growing up in this day in age that I would see so much racism. I thought that was in my parents time and that it had disappeared. However, I was much younger and nieve thinking it would go away. Being older and a bit wiser I realized it will never go away. People are always going to hate others race becaues in some cases this is what was embedded in them and this is all they know. However, in some cases it is just ignorance. Especially since America is becoming a melting pot racism is not just white and black anymore; however, of all races.
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