Its Time for White People to Start Owning Their Racial Biases

(First posted June 20, 2020)

Recent events have forced me to redefine how I view racism as a white person in America. As a society, we understand oppression in regards to slavery, white supremacy, segregation, and blatant injustice. Racism takes many forms, especially in contemporary society. It's easy to look at American history, a time where overt racism was socially acceptable, and compare it to modern society to say, "This isn't a problem anymore." It's easy to dismiss our own racial biases and tendencies when racism is associated with slavery, the KKK, and the belief that people of color are inferior.

After completing a course that studies race and ethnicity, I've realized our society must redefine racism.We must redefine what it means to be racist because it presents itself in different ways through generational teachings. In 2020, it's not socially acceptable to tolerate overt racism or intentional acts of harm based on one's skin color. Although society has the capacity to understand such injustices as wrong, racism exists in ways tailored to modern society. Just because someone doesn't use the N-word or support white supremacy doesn't limit them from possessing racist biases or tendencies. Modern racism isn't motivated by hate or spite, and being racist doesn't mean someone is necessarily a corrupt person.

There is not a single white person who isn't racist to a certain degree; it's inevitable and inescapable. We are a product of our society, and because our society is biased, so are we. This doesn't mean white people are evil bigots, but it means we must educate ourselves and engage in difficult conversations. This conversation doesn't need to be defensive; it's not a matter of politics. It doesn't matter how conservative or liberal one may be; nobody is free from inhibiting racial biases, including myself.
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To articulate my points, I want to share a little bit about myself:

• I was raised by liberal parents in Los Angeles, surrounded by diversity

• I was taught never to judge anyone based on their appearance

• I have educated myself on American history, modern injustices, systematic and institutional racism, and how I function as a white person with privilege

• I make an effort to educate my peers and spread awareness on social media

• I have a passion for activism and plan to advocate for women in marginalized communities in my future career

• I genuinely believe that we are all humans, and racism is disgusting and unprecedented

I am a liberal feminist who enjoys educating myself on modern injustices, but I still possess racial biases and tendencies. I used to think that I wasn't racist, but that only allowed me to avoid and deflect a crucial conversation from happening about systemic racism. Additionally, when we continue to place generations on how racism presents itself, it creates a defensive conversation. I get it, nobody wants to be accused of intentional acts of hate and oppression. Like I said earlier, modern racism isn't always motivated by spite or cruelty. If we can't redefine racism, people will continue to minimize reality. As white people, we have a responsibility to own our privilege and deeply instilled biases. We have to take responsibility for our ignorance and role in American society. This has nothing to do with politics. Nobody is exempt from racism.

To demonstrate my points, I want to walk through the facts about generational racist teachings. Younger generations have shown to be increasingly progressive, and modern society is becoming more accepting of different races, cultures, religions, and sexualities. However, Generation Z, for example, lives in a world of mass media and hyper-communication. Modern racism is very passive and exists heavily through mass media, popular culture, and means of entertainment. Despite the progressive views of America's youth, we still live in a system that prioritizes whiteness.

I grew up watching movies that exhibit passive racism that subtly nurtures systemic racism and white superiority. Children like myself grew up being inevitable and unavoidably exposed to biases on the silver screen:

• The beautiful, popular role is typically someone white, skinny

• The protagonist or hero is typically someone white, oftentimes male

• People of color are often limited to the role of the antagonist or villain

• People of color are often limited to supporting roles

• White people primarily control the narrative

​The media is a prime example of exposing the public to messages that reiterate whiteness as innate or normal. Seemingly harmless movies about a princess serve to normalize and inject racist biases into public knowledge. The silver screen influences what the public believes as truth, which is why this digital era brings new obstacles to combatting and understanding racism. Racist ideologies are injected into Hollywood and mass media, nurturing deeply instilled biases that allow white privilege and advantages to thrive. It doesn't matter what I was raised to believe; I am a product of a society that conceals, rationalizes, and justifies racism, the invisibility of whiteness, and assumptions based on race.

Although I was raised to celebrate diversity, I grew up being exposed to biased generalizations daily. It's incredibly destructive that Hollywood continuously casts people of color based on toxic stereotypes. For example, black people often play the role of the criminal, the token black friend, the maid, or the outsider. Mass media and production teach and normalize racial biases and prejudice, Black narratives, experiences, and representations are uncommon in this industry dominated by white people.

Growing up, I was (and still am) obsessed with all things Disney. As a white person, I never contemplated how these movies prioritize whiteness and thrive on stereotypes. I have lived my entire life being exposed to messages that associate whiteness with beauty, royalty, heroism, and bravery. It was incredibly heartbreaking when I took a moment to consider how underrepresented minorities are in Hollywood. In my class on race and ethnicity, I had many classmates, all diverse in gender, race, culture, and religion, expressing how the entertainment industry has affected their self-esteem. A classmate of mine, who is black and female, said that the entertainment industry is incredibly damaging to her self-worth. She explained that being underrepresented and stereotyped in film has made her feel like an outsider. Normalized media messages have prevented her from seeing herself as worthy, intelligent, heroic, beautiful, or valued in society.

As a white person, I've lived a life of ignorance and privilege. I exist in a society that conceals and deflects conversations about white privilege, systematic racism, and deeply instilled biased. When white people start acknowledging and owning their deep-rooted prejudices, I believe substantial change can occur.

The message behind this post was motivated by a short video by Robin DiAngelo. I will attach the link, and I highly recommend readers to watch.