4 ms·

I would view racism as a marketing problem. Some (most? all?) people associate certain races with bad traits. That's the underlying issue, and to a certain degr

I would view racism as a marketing problem. Some (most? all?) people associate certain races with bad traits. That's the underlying issue, and to a certain degree it is also a subconscious thing that people can't easily change, even if they want to. Protests won't make any difference, nor will public statements. Riots only make things worse. The best, and maybe only thing you can do is to show black people in a more positive light. You need marketing. It may sound stupid, but promote that you are a black leader at a startup and do valuable work for society.

testbot123 6y ago
Minorities are not responsible for the racism perpetuated against them. It's not a "marketing problem" that minorities need to solve, it's a racism problem that the perpetrators need to solve.
- tjansen 6y ago
  Don't disagree, but the poster asked what he/she could do. Also, it won't work without the help from minorities.
  - testbot123 6y ago
    Minorities have been trying to prove their worth to the US since the inception of the country (which was built on their backs). It hasn't changed anything. And why isn't it that the non-minorities shouldn't be the ones who are groveling and seeking to be model citizens? Remember that if a white police officer hadn't killed a black man in the street, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. By your logic, shouldn't all white people now be tainted by his actions and forced to acquiesce to cultural standards set by non-whites? If I disparaged your race, would you say the onus is on you to prove me wrong?
    - tjansen 6y ago
      Perception is mostly shaped by frequency. It doesn't matter that much what most people of the minority do. It matters what the others see. To give you an example: if you have little personal contact to a specific minority, and over 50% of the people of that minority you see on TV are either criminals on local news, or musicians and actors playing gangsters, everyone who doesn't have a lot of contact with them in real life is getting scared every time they see someone who fits the profile. It's up to the majority to give the minorities opportunities to present themselves in the best light, but you can't force someone to be not racist. Even those who don't want to be have an unconscious bias. You need frequent positive impressions of that minority to get a good overall impression and avoid that bias. By the way, this is not limited to race, but also for example applies to people with tattoos. If all tattooed people you see are criminals, you are scared by tattooed people as well. It works with every property of people that's easily visible.
      - testbot123 6y ago
        > To give you an example: if you have little personal contact to a specific minority, and over 50% of the people of that minority you see on TV are either criminals on local news, or musicians and actors playing gangsters, everyone who doesn't have a lot of contact with them in real life is getting scared every time they see someone who fits the profile. Yes, I agree that the portrayal of minorities in the mass media in the Western world is incredibly racist. Part of the reason for this is the racism inherent in the US justice system -- you're currently witnessing worldwide protests over it. However, I also see many representations of non-minorities portrayed in negative light -- why is it that only minorities are forced to atone for fictionalized representations of themselves and are not regarded as individuals with their own agency, lives, dreams, hopes, pains, and instead must be lumped into the same group and called to account for the actions of someone that happens to have the same skin color? > By the way, this is not limited to race, but also for example applies to people with tattoos. If all tattooed people you see are criminals, you are scared by tattooed people as well. It works with every property of people that's easily visible. People choose to be tattooed. "Be more visibly obedient to the cultural norms of racists" is not a valid suggestion for addressing systemic racism.
psychometry 6y ago
You don't think black leaders are already doing that, and have been forever? You defeat racism by defeating racists: removing their power to advance their ignorant agendas.
- tjansen 6y ago
  Your are assuming that there is someone in power or large numbers who has/have an agenda of racism. Who is? Have you ever seen any sane person who,for example, disagrees with the notion that Black Lives Matter? Some people may argue that there are other lives that matter as well, but no one seriously disagrees that Black Lives Matter.

testbot123 6y ago

Minorities are not responsible for the racism perpetuated against them. It's not a "marketing problem" that minorities need to solve, it's a racism problem that the perpetrators need to solve.

tjansen 6y ago
Don't disagree, but the poster asked what he/she could do. Also, it won't work without the help from minorities.
- testbot123 6y ago
  Minorities have been trying to prove their worth to the US since the inception of the country (which was built on their backs). It hasn't changed anything. And why isn't it that the non-minorities shouldn't be the ones who are groveling and seeking to be model citizens? Remember that if a white police officer hadn't killed a black man in the street, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. By your logic, shouldn't all white people now be tainted by his actions and forced to acquiesce to cultural standards set by non-whites? If I disparaged your race, would you say the onus is on you to prove me wrong?
  - tjansen 6y ago
    Perception is mostly shaped by frequency. It doesn't matter that much what most people of the minority do. It matters what the others see. To give you an example: if you have little personal contact to a specific minority, and over 50% of the people of that minority you see on TV are either criminals on local news, or musicians and actors playing gangsters, everyone who doesn't have a lot of contact with them in real life is getting scared every time they see someone who fits the profile. It's up to the majority to give the minorities opportunities to present themselves in the best light, but you can't force someone to be not racist. Even those who don't want to be have an unconscious bias. You need frequent positive impressions of that minority to get a good overall impression and avoid that bias. By the way, this is not limited to race, but also for example applies to people with tattoos. If all tattooed people you see are criminals, you are scared by tattooed people as well. It works with every property of people that's easily visible.
    - testbot123 6y ago
      > To give you an example: if you have little personal contact to a specific minority, and over 50% of the people of that minority you see on TV are either criminals on local news, or musicians and actors playing gangsters, everyone who doesn't have a lot of contact with them in real life is getting scared every time they see someone who fits the profile. Yes, I agree that the portrayal of minorities in the mass media in the Western world is incredibly racist. Part of the reason for this is the racism inherent in the US justice system -- you're currently witnessing worldwide protests over it. However, I also see many representations of non-minorities portrayed in negative light -- why is it that only minorities are forced to atone for fictionalized representations of themselves and are not regarded as individuals with their own agency, lives, dreams, hopes, pains, and instead must be lumped into the same group and called to account for the actions of someone that happens to have the same skin color? > By the way, this is not limited to race, but also for example applies to people with tattoos. If all tattooed people you see are criminals, you are scared by tattooed people as well. It works with every property of people that's easily visible. People choose to be tattooed. "Be more visibly obedient to the cultural norms of racists" is not a valid suggestion for addressing systemic racism.

psychometry 6y ago

You don't think black leaders are already doing that, and have been forever? You defeat racism by defeating racists: removing their power to advance their ignorant agendas.

tjansen 6y ago
Your are assuming that there is someone in power or large numbers who has/have an agenda of racism. Who is? Have you ever seen any sane person who,for example, disagrees with the notion that Black Lives Matter? Some people may argue that there are other lives that matter as well, but no one seriously disagrees that Black Lives Matter.