5 ms·

Class can be a big part of racism--often what appears to be racism is really more about class. There are many people who look down on anyone they perceive to be

Class can be a big part of racism--often what appears to be racism is really more about class. There are many people who look down on anyone they perceive to be "low class", regardless of race, and who will accept people of other races if they perceive them to be "high class". In areas where the lower classes are over-represented by racial minorities, this can look like racism, when classism is much more the culprit.

Spooky23 4y ago
Race often enhances that effect.
- danenania 4y ago
  Agreed.
scarface74 4y ago
I’m in the top 10% of income percentile. But I still got looked at suspiciously as a Black person living in a county that’s 3% Black and as recently as the late 80s was a famous “Sundown town” (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eYKQdPMeJjk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eYKQdPMeJjk) I once took my team to lunch and the waitress asked would we be on one check or separate, I spoke up and said one, started reaching for my wallet and she still handed the check to the older looking White guy that I hired. No matter how much money I have, there will always be assumptions about me. I have seen this a lot more when working for companies in the South than I do now when I travel to customer meetings now that I work for BigTech and I’m leading projects. Thought experiment: if I walk into a convenience store with a visible gun in an open carry state and a “lower class” White person does the same and a policemen happens to be in the store, who do you think will be harassed?
- nickstinemates 4y ago
  > if I walk into a convenience store with a visible gun in an open carry state and a “lower class” White person does the same and a policemen happens to be in the store, who do you think will be harassed? Presumably neither of you since in this straw-man neither party has done anything wrong
  - scarface74 4y ago
    So you think a Black guy has to “do something wrong” to be considered “acting suspiciously”? Just like Ving Rhames, was “suspiciously” living in his own house when SWAT knocked on his door because someone thought he had broken into his own house. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/actor-ving-rhames-said-neighbor-called-911-report-him-large-n895611 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/actor-ving-rhames-said-... This isn’t just a random anecdote https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/may/black-drivers-more-likely-to-be-stopped-by-police.html https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/may/bl...
cycomanic 4y ago
That misses how even being rich does not protect you from significant racism. Just look at the well documeted experiences comparing a white or black person driving an expensive car. The black person is multiple times more likely to get stopped by police.
- danenania 4y ago
  For sure, I completely agree with you there. There is significant racism out there, sadly, regardless of where you look in the socio-economic hierarchy.

Spooky23 4y ago

Race often enhances that effect.

danenania 4y ago
Agreed.

scarface74 4y ago

I’m in the top 10% of income percentile. But I still got looked at suspiciously as a Black person living in a county that’s 3% Black and as recently as the late 80s was a famous “Sundown town” (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eYKQdPMeJjk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eYKQdPMeJjk) I once took my team to lunch and the waitress asked would we be on one check or separate, I spoke up and said one, started reaching for my wallet and she still handed the check to the older looking White guy that I hired. No matter how much money I have, there will always be assumptions about me. I have seen this a lot more when working for companies in the South than I do now when I travel to customer meetings now that I work for BigTech and I’m leading projects. Thought experiment: if I walk into a convenience store with a visible gun in an open carry state and a “lower class” White person does the same and a policemen happens to be in the store, who do you think will be harassed?

nickstinemates 4y ago
> if I walk into a convenience store with a visible gun in an open carry state and a “lower class” White person does the same and a policemen happens to be in the store, who do you think will be harassed? Presumably neither of you since in this straw-man neither party has done anything wrong
- scarface74 4y ago
  So you think a Black guy has to “do something wrong” to be considered “acting suspiciously”? Just like Ving Rhames, was “suspiciously” living in his own house when SWAT knocked on his door because someone thought he had broken into his own house. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/actor-ving-rhames-said-neighbor-called-911-report-him-large-n895611 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/actor-ving-rhames-said-... This isn’t just a random anecdote https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/may/black-drivers-more-likely-to-be-stopped-by-police.html https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2020/may/bl...

cycomanic 4y ago

That misses how even being rich does not protect you from significant racism. Just look at the well documeted experiences comparing a white or black person driving an expensive car. The black person is multiple times more likely to get stopped by police.

danenania 4y ago
For sure, I completely agree with you there. There is significant racism out there, sadly, regardless of where you look in the socio-economic hierarchy.