Ian Cromwellcrommunist.wordpress.com

October 1st, 2010

What is Race?

What is Racism?

What can we do?

How can skepticism help?

Born here in Vancouver, moved to Vernon

Moved to Ontario at age 10

Undergraduate career at Waterloo, graduate degree at Queen’s

Moved back to Vancouver about 1 year ago

Official launch, February 2010

Race, religion, free speech, humanism

Featured 3 times on Pharyngula

Definition 1: Skin Colour?

◦ Ian’s story

◦ E*****’s story

◦ Azza’s story

Definition 2: Entirely social construction?

◦ Tiger’s story

◦ SLUG’s story

Definition 3: My (working) definition

◦ Race is what happens when how other people see you intersects with how you see yourself

◦ No different from other forms of identity

Ian’s story

Ian’s story A*****’s story

Ian’s story A*****’s story H*****’s story

The attribution of personal traits to an individual, or group of individuals, based on ethnic background.

Merriam-Webster:◦ “a belief that race is the primary determinant of

human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race”

“Whites may have been horrified by the fire hoses and police dogs turned on children,

but they could rest easy knowing that neither they nor anyone they’d ever met would do such a thing. But most racism—indeed, the worst racism—is quaint and banal. There’s nothing sensationalistic about redlining or job discrimination.”

“I’m not trying to be racist but…”

“Race isn’t important to me.”

“I don’t see race.”

“But my best friend is black!”

RACISM IS ENDEMIC TO THE SYSTEM!

Pattern-seeking animals

Race-based inequalities

Option 1: Racism is not a problem anymore

◦ Election of black president, First Nations cabinet ministers, MPs of various backgrounds

◦ Equal voting, housing, employment rights guaranteed by law

◦ Violent racism a thing of the past

Pretending it isn’t there doesn’t make it go away

Not merely isolated incidents◦ Power makeup vs. demographics◦ Education, housing, employment largely

unofficially segregated◦ Racial profiling still alive and well◦ Immigration policy, treatment of First Nations

Grants assent to back-door racism

Option 2: Be colour-blind

◦ Take no notice of, or intentionally ignore racial differences of others

◦ If I treat all people the same, then I cannot be racist

◦ “Race doesn’t matter”

217 UofIllinois students◦ 169 white◦ 48 black

Administered Color-Blindness Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS)

Shown racist imagery taken at parties, asked for comment◦ Responses categorizes as “not bothered”, “not

bothered/ambivalent”, “bothered/ambivalent”, “bothered”

CoBRA mean

White students:-3.23

Black students- 2.77

Colour-blindness only works if:A. Everyone is blindB. There aren’t real racial disparities

“Race doesn’t matter” – to whom?◦ Study of race is like study of religion

Tim Wise: Colour-muteness is more accurate

Ignoring race doesn’t make its effects go away

Option 3: Redraw in-group concepts

◦ Change definition of “us” and “them”

◦ Support programs that substitute race-based definitions for more positive alternatives

22 boys selected, matched for income, age, behaviour, other characteristics

Invited to summer camp in OK Separated into 2 groups

◦ Allowed time for in-group fostering Groups introduced to each other

◦ Immediate segregation and identification of “ours” and “us”

◦ Group names formed in opposition to others

Intense animosity grew between groups as they competed◦ Deteriorating sportsmanship, pranks/raids, name-

calling Strong preference for members of own

group when polled by researchers◦ Those of lowest status expressed strongest

antipathy toward out-group

Mere group contact did not reduce hostility◦ Non-competitive games◦ Eating together◦ Watching movies

Necessary co-operation almost immediately reduced hostility◦ Drinking water problem◦ Selecting a movie◦ Pulling the truck

Self-reported attitude to “out-group” drastically improved after mutual struggle

Not a 100% conclusive result◦ Would attitudes have changed given enough

time?◦ Not completely eliminated

Suggestive that in-group bias diminishes in the presence of mutual collaboration◦ Definition of “white person”◦ Waves of immigration◦ 2010 Winter Olympics

Bring science and evidence to bear◦ Christopher DiCarlo’s “We are all African”

campaign◦ Genetic evidence of equality◦ Examine racial prejudices, effects

Demand rationality in racial discussion◦ Realize that “race” is an ephemeral concept◦ Scientific examination of racial disparity

Humanist goals suit equality

Increase dialogue about race

Reduce stigma about the word ‘racism’

Make claims about race based on evidence, not emotion◦ This needs to happen on both sides

Promote equality, humanism, civil rights