ruby bridges

[pilvikki]

what an interesting lady and what a life! still, it is so strange to read about something like having happened a mere 56 years ago, not 150... and reading about it, I suppose we have advanced somewhat, yes?

http://www.biography.com/people/ruby-bridges-475426

[Icey]

Yes, I'd heard about Ruby before. As a child, she must've felt very self-conscious going to an all-white school, and having to have marshalls escort her must've been off-putting as well. How could anyone threaten the life of a kid just for having dark skin?

[pilvikki]

well, dark skin has not been popular anywhere 'white', while palefaces used to mostly create curiosity in native populations who'd not yet learned to fear them...

[Icey]

Good way of explaining it, although personally, I call it ignorance.

[yogi]

I don't see racism as being a manifestation of ignorance. If anything it's an instinct or a fear of something that is different. The fear stems from the needs of self-preservation. Unfortunately it's not just a matter of keeping those who are alien or different than us at a distance. The weaker groups have been preyed upon, enslaved, and persecuted by the stronger groups throughout history. It's too simple to claim racism is all about skin color. It's more complicated and involves clashes of cultures, religions, and ethics. There is no perfect role model to which we can all aspire. In the end the strongest group will survive and conquer all the rest.

[Icey]

Well people're people, Yogi. I think the strongest groups of survivors're going to be a mixed bunch, not one particular skin colour or type.

I have to disagree about racism not being a manifestation of ignorance though. Whether it's fear of accepting someone who's different or not, I can't help but see it as ignorance, that being as not understanding or having an awareness of different cultures, skin colours or whatever. Something that's alien to us can always make us wary, but educating ourselves about it can stop a lot of that, and actually integrating with different people's better still.

[pilvikki]

i'm with dennis on this, for the following reason: the fear of the unknown is an instinct and one needs to get over it, one way or another. some people may learn about others and still yet never accept them as equals - or gods forbid, even superior, in some ways.

I have a white default setting. if you mention mary or harry, I automatically assume they're white. this gives the kids endless entertainment as I mistake "duh! obviously black" people for whites, or think singers etc are white.

not likely i'll learn either, lol!

[Icey]

That's interesting, because I think we ALL associate certain names with certain types of people. You don't automatically associate a Mohammed with a white person, do you, and that's because, with it being an Asian name, we're far less likely to call one of our children that, and that particular name's often passed down through their families anyway.

When you say that some people may: "learn about others and still yet never accept them as equals..." I think this's a typical example of showing ignorance.

You can't MAKE a person like someone else, whatever colour or creed they are, but I don't think that a fear of different people's an instinct, so much as not being taught acceptance by parents, so this whole thing of looking down on those who aren't like ourselves gets carried on and perpetuates.

[yogi]

If racism is the product of ignorance, then it would be reasonable to expect racism to be eradicated by a few lessons in school. It doesn't happen that way no matter how well educated you are about the human race. It's intrinsic to our being to protect and preserve who and what we are. Anything or anybody different raises a red flag. Take the immigration problem in Europe as an example of what I'm saying. You can rant on and on about the economic and social dangers, but the bottom line is that the natural reaction of Europeans is to fear and distrust immigrants from the outside. You may not want to call that racism, but that's what it is at the bottom line. It could be xenophobia, but it's still fear and not ignorance.

[pilvikki]

a thorny issue indeed. I was about 11 when the town judge (!) commented - with a shudder - that in a certain number of years we'd all be various shades of brown. all sitting around got quiet, contemplating this and I clearly remember myself having a very unsettled shiver go through me. although I had never even seen a black or brown person darker than a romani! why? why would i find it in any way scary, especially when there were never any negatives vibes sent from my parents?

wait, they're romani now, yes? i grew up with them being "the black ones". and gypsy's outdated.... hard to keep up.

[Icey]

When I first mentioned "ignorance", the word racism never entered my head.

Over here, we have hundreds, if not thousands of mixed-race couples, and no one except the older generation tend to consider the differences. As I've said so many times, people're people, and once you get to know them on a personal basis, this becomes more apparent than ever.

When little ones go to nursery, they all mix in together. Black plays with white or brown, and because the children haven't learnt about racism yet, they all just get along fine. They pick this up from the attitude of parents and older people.

Europeans DON'T fear and distrust immigrants without good reason to Yogi. You'll always get a few people who ARE generally racist, but for most, the fear comes directly from threats from these very same people. They've been allowed to protest, with placards claiming that Brits're the spawn of Satan and should be killed! Do you think WE'D have been allowed to proclaim such vile things about THEM? Not a bit of it, and these protesters've been allowed on their way, laughing and jeering.

We've accepted immigrants from all corners of the world - educated them, housed them, employed them - and mostly, we've all got on well together - but this new lot, with no figures to show how many illegals're already here - have blatantly smirked at the goodwill which's been shown to them, and now, because we just don't have the room or the resources for any more, outsiders frown upon us and like to throw the racist card. This's wrong.