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How to Have a Convo on Race without Everyone Running Out of the
Room
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Meet Your TrainersRacial and Economic Justice
Carmen Berkley Civil, Human and Womens Rights Director, AFL-CIO
Tiffany Dena LoftinSenior Civil & Human Rights Program
Coordinator, AFL-CIO
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Racial and Economic Justice
DEBRIEF THE VIDEO Why is talking about race and racism so
challenging in the labor movement?
Why do we need to have discussions about race in the labor
movement?Racial and Economic Justice
Debrief questions: Why is talking about race and racism so
challenging in the labor movement?Why do we need to have
discussions about race in the labor movement?
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ADDRESSING RACISM IN SOCIETY
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MALICIOUS RACISM Racial and Economic Justice
Many see racism as malicious racism. Malicious racism is ugly,
violent and socially destructive. Most people will deny or condemn
this form of racism.
Many see racism as malicious racism. Malicious racism is ugly,
violent and socially destructive. Most people will deny or condemn
this form of racism.
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MALICIOUS RACISM Racial and Economic Justice
Insisting that racism can only take this one form is political
strategy. This allows the right to claim that racism is largely in
the past, and whatever they are saying and doing cannot possibly be
racist because they dont regularly use racial swear words.
Insisting that racism can only take this one form is political
strategy. This allows the right to claim that racism is largely in
the past, and whatever they are saying and doing cannot possibly be
racist because they dont regularly use racial swear words.
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CODED RACISMRacial and Economic Justice
Both of these photos invokes ones rights to own a firearm.
Whites are seen as innocent, hardworking, endangered, and the real
Americans who deserve guns for their protection. People of color
are predatory, lazy, dangerous, and perpetual foreigners.
Undeserving of guns because they are a threat to society.
When you look at these families what do you see? What are the
words that come to mind? 8
CODED RACISMRacial and Economic JusticeCoded racism works by
invoking racial stereotypes. The coded part comes in when people
deploy these stereotypes without expressly mentioning race. They
seem race-neutral, but they incite powerful(often unconscious)
Racial reactions.
When you hear the term welfare queen what do you think?What
about the term anchor baby? 9
ROUTINE RACISM Racial and Economic JusticeFor most of us racism
is routine. This may sound as if racism is no big deal, but the
point is rather that racism is commonsense, forming part of our
everyday understanding of the world, even for people who mean well,
and even for people of color.
Example: All Black people
