Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Philip Crowson Wednesday in Rudder Tower Joe Feagin speaks to students about his studies about racism in America. The lecture was hosted by the Liberal Arts Student Council. [Click to enlarge]

"We have been grounded in it, founded in it [racism] for nearly 90 percent of its history. A lot of racism has gone underground, backstage. It is covert, it is hidden. It is no longer of the right in public to do racist joking, racist commentary although it happens frequently, not as frequently than it was 20 years ago," said Joe Feagin, an Ella McFadden professor of sociology, to students who walked through the doors of Rudder 701 Wednesday night.

Feagin said there are two frames of mind: one of the white racist frame and the other of fairness, liberty and justice. When someone undertakes a racist action, Feagin said there are three rules to counter it. First, when people have conflicting emotions, to try and activate the better of the two frames. Second, remind people of their better angels, including their faith. Third, remind people that we are all humans.

During the discussion, a student asked if the future generations were dealing with the racism situation in a better manner because there is an open system to accept people as equal today.

"There is hope for future, possibly because of people like you and me. Start acting against these racist actions. It is time for change...the change is much slower than is advertised in the media. Backstage incidents exist. It is better, but we have a long way to go. It is your future," Feagin said.

In some of the research projects Feagin conducted, he and a fellow colleague collected journals from 626 white students in 28 universities and asked the students to record observations of everyday events where racial issues, images and understanding were used. They found 7,500 blatantly racist accounts undertaken by white friends, acquaintances, relatives and strangers.

"In the white racist frame of mind, to rationalize discriminating against a group of people, you make them into a they or them. They are not like us. We are the good folk and they are the inferior folks. Now we have defined them as inferior, we can discriminate against them," Feagin said.

Continued...

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