Being that I am white, middle-class, and Christian, I
experienced little in the way of bias or prejudice toward me. The further into this class I get, the more I
realize that this has probably had somewhat of an adverse effect on my views of
diversity. I have always been taught to
love all people, and have considered myself open-minded. These are things I still find myself
struggling with.
One memory I have of prejudice I remember VERY
clearly from my childhood is actually from the TV show Family Matters. This show was great about breaking
stereotypes and talking about tough issues like racism. In the episode I remember, Theo got a ticket
from a white cop for failure to signal.
He told his father (Carl) that he felt discriminated against because the
cop made him get out of the car and lie on the ground – not normal protocol for
such a tiny infraction - and Carl did not believe him. Later in the episode, the truth comes out. Carl, who is also a cop, later finds the “bad
cop” and confronts him. The clip really
says more than I can possibly explain.
Please watch it.
I first saw this episode when I was less than 10 years
old. I can remember the way it made me
feel, even from that long ago. I felt
ashamed of white people that would act like that. I also remember promising myself that I would
never act like that. The “Bad Cop”
diminished Theo’s sense of equity and was really out of line. He used his position of power to exercise his
racism. Sadly, I know things like this
happen every day, even if I don’t see them.
What a clear example of microaggression! Thank you for sharing this clip, as it really does speak for itself. Like you, I have grown up with a lot of internalized privilege and have had limited direct experiences with discrimination. However, this course has made me realize how much it occurs on a daily basis in all aspects of society. It has also made me realize the hidden biases I have, and how I have reflected them through microaggressions. However, I have also realized how I can change my beliefs, attitudes, and behavior in order to be more respectful of diversity. Thanks again for sharing!
ReplyDeleteRene- I remember watching that episode years back as well. Even as a young girl, I remember thinking about how there really were people like the "bad cop" all around us. What makes it even more disturbing is how those in authoritative positions sometimes use that to their advantage when dealing with minorities and so forth.
ReplyDeleteIt nice that these types of programs have been shown to make us more aware of these issues and to let others know, this is unacceptable behavior and should not be allowed.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Donna