Originally posted by SHICD

Try a dick from every race

Originally posted by Chemical X.

Surround yourself with diversity. Follow people of different races on social media, expand what you watch and read. Hearing the real-life stories of people you've never interacted with will give them a human face in your mind rather than a stereotyped one.

Examine your opinions and behavior.

Shut up and listen to people of color. Be open to new perspectives and don't get defensive.

Try sympathy. Even if you don't understand what a person of color is explaining, or don't believe it, try to understand why it hurts them emotionally. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine circumstances where you're the only person of your race in a room, or imagine if people were making jokes about your culture. Sometimes there needs to be an emotional understanding before things become political. This ties into the advice about real-life stories-- many people have only dealt with others who were very similar to them. Many people are ignorant about other races and ethnicities. Seriously, the simple act of listening will take you a long way.

Originally posted by Khal

Originally posted by DirtyPony87

These types of defensive, passive aggressive comments certainly aren't helping anyone. Open your minds a little bit!

Originally posted by Tinashebanks

Racism is taught and I think some people mistake that you can't be racist if you're tolerant, which is false. I think people are also racist because they lack something within themselves, in the same ways bullies do. It's really not hard tbh just don't judge people, learn about others & ask questions if you need to.

Originally posted by Reinvention

I guess just think about why you are racist - like if you think there is something wrong with Mexican reasons, think about it - why. Why are their illegal immigrants? Do you really think they were sitting in Mexico one day and then together came up with this genius idea to break into USA and just hop across the border to "steal" American jobs and take things? If so, I think you need to completely re-think the causes and consequences that might have caused someone to do that, and what about their children who were born there?

I think everyone has some racism that has been socially forced into them, due to no country being perfect. For example in New Zealand there's a lot of inequality between people of white European descent and the indigenous Maori, and they do a lot worse in schools, in average incomes, in health and are overrepresented in prisons. And to even think that that's not a direct result of colonialism is 100% a demonstration of your own ignorance and lack of knowledge and understand that Maori and white New Zealanders simply do not have the same opportunities extended to them.

Originally posted by Tinashebanks

Yh this is where you're. A definition of racism by white upper class men, doesn't represent the reality of racism. The original definition ignores the subjugation of PoC its roots in history & the economic/social consequences of it today.

• Racism is systemic. Racism is institutional. Racism is not believing you are better than another for some reason. That's actually prejudice.
• Racism doesn't = racial prejudice
• Racism is prejudice plus power.

Originally posted by cloudinthesky

Stop trying to talk over poc. Your opinion on racism as a white (or white-passing) person is not and will never be any more valid than the opinion of a poc that has experienced racism and/or the effects of racism firsthand.

Instead of shouting over poc that "not all of us are racist" every time someone mentions anything about race, you should be quiet and listen to what they have to say and try to take it in and understand where they are coming from. Then look inward and address it within yourself. If you don't fall into the category of whatever it is they are talking about then just agree with them and move along, while trying to your best to educate your peers.

Also, make efforts to diversify your life. If you only have like 2 black friends, 1 asian friend, and 50 white friends, you're doing something wrong (unless you happen to live in a country where there aren't many poc). Travel to non-European countries. Go on vacation to Africa. Go on vacation to the Caribbean. Go visit some places in Asia. Visit South America, etc. And not just the places that are popular among white people.

And lastly, read and educate yourself. There's a lot you can do just from the comfort of your own home and there are plenty of resources online to help diversify your mind when it comes to other non-white cultures.

Also realize that being silent in the face of oppression is the same as siding with the oppressor.

Originally posted by cloudinthesky

I've never heard any poc ever say that every single white person to ever exist is inherently racist. I know plenty of white people who are not racist, some on this very site even.

Some white people may hold some racist beliefs that have been ingrained in their minds by society (and that obviously needs to be worked on internally), but that does not make them a racist at their core. I find that those same people are usually the ones who will try their hardest to change their ways once they are made aware of it.

And like I said, if you know you aren't racist then what's the problem? Just be quiet and listen instead of trying to talk over and silence poc from speaking their truth. POC being silenced and having their struggles diminished by whites is exactly one of the reasons why racism is still so prevalent.