Oluo claims that Americans can not agree on what the definition of racism really is. She personally defines it as “any prejudice against someone because of their race”, or “any prejudice against someone based on their race, when those views are reinforced by systems of power” (26). The author chooses to use the second definition because she wants people to take into account how racism is carried out in America; often subtly and without some people’s knowledge. Oluo writes that racism, specifically in America, is something that exists to exclude individuals of color from progress and opportunities, so that there is more of those things left over for those that are “deemed superior”(12). The author claims that race has a lot to do with our country’s economic system because people tend to link status and class with race. People have developed a mindset of “you will get more because they exist to get less” (12). This negative way of thinking is what makes certain members of society act like they are better or deserve more than others of different cultures or races. Oluo proposes three basic rules to determine if something is about race; “It is about race if a person of color thinks it’s about race”, “It is about race if it disporportionately or differently affects people color”, and “It is about race if it fits into a broader pattern of events that disproportionately or differently affect people of color”. These rules are very broad and basic because race touches almost every aspect in life.
Oluo’s definition of racism is different than I’ve heard racism defined before. In the past, I have heard racism defined in more simple terms, as just prejudice or discrimination against someone of a different race. Oluo, on the other hand, explores the definition more intensively, and provides insight into how racism directly affects people of color.
Oluo’s definition applies to Ramsey’s video because it displays how people of color have to wonder/worry about if white people in this country are going to treat them differently, or as inferior. The video shows that even the smallest acts of prejudice/racism are acknowledged, and that they can change someone’s mood and make them feel targeted.
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I’ve also heard racism described differently, the definition I’ve always heard is someone using discriminatory language or action towards another person based on the color of their skin. Oluo’s definition of race has made me more aware of how racism can directly affect people of color’s livelihoods or self-esteems by being made to feel less valuable.
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I think that the more subtle version of racism that is backed by people in a position of power because it is harder to challenge them as it can be scary to stand up to those in a position of power.
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