Racism What it looks like today Types of

Racism: What it looks like today

Types of racism ■ ■ ■ Individual Cultural Institutional

Individual Racism Definition This type of racism is usually more hidden, less acceptable, in today’s society. ■ Individual attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviors based on race. Examples: ■ Racial prejudice ■ Belittling ■ Discrimination ■ Bigotry

Cultural Racism Definition This type of racism is almost unconscious and more passive. It can be seen as harmless. ■ The cultural values and standards that disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. Examples: ■ Cultural standard for what a beautiful, person looks like. ■ Determining one dialect of English as standard.

Institutional Racism Definition This type of racism is the most widespread, the most hidden, and in many cases, seen as acceptable, and somewhat necessary by society as a whole. The practices, customs, rules and standards of organizations that unnecessarily disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. They do not always involve differences in treatment. Examples: ■ Educational requirements that are not related to actual job duties ■ Voter suppression laws ■ Redlining

We will see many examples of these 3 types of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird ■ All 3 types still exist in today’s world. It is important to familiarize yourself with them in order to identify and work against them in your own life.

Things to think about: ■ ■ ■ 1. What individual racist ideas do you hold? Why? What systems are in place that keep people of color (this means more than just African Americans in today’s world) out of positions of power? What is the underlying reason for this? In what ways has our society shifted to be more all inclusive in a cultural sense? In what ways has it not?