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Racism

Diversity

From a biological perspective, race can be defined as a group of people who share physical features.

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However, generations of migrations, intermarraiges and adaptations to various environmental settings have produced a mixture of racial make-ups.  There is no such thing as a pure race and race cannot be determined through a blood test.

Unfortunately, misconceptions and negative perceptions associated with race, thrive in today's society.  Try some of these "Implicit Association Tests" to see what associations you have with different racial groups https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/ .

Use this link to visit the home page of the NAACP.

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This link will take you to the Organization for Hispanic Advancement.

This link will take you to a page with a long list of links to various organizations that advocate for the rights of Asian Americans.

This link will take you to a website that lists hundreds of different Native American websites.

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When one race is percieved as less important than another, it isn't only the dominant group in society who believe this myth.  The subordinate group also internalize this message and these thoughts are powerful.  This truth was aptly unearthed in 1947 when Dr.'s Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted a test with African American children.  The children were presented with "black" dolls and "white" dolls and asked a series of questions to determine whether or not the children believed the "white" dolls were inherently better.  The Clarks concluded that "prejudice, discrimination, and segregation" caused black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self-hatred.  These findings were instrumental in legally desegregating schools in America.
 
In 2005, a teenager named Kiri Davis, re-enacted the study.  Watch her short film "A Girl Like Me" http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/a_girl_like_me/

From "Life According to Motown" by Patricia Smith
 
first of all, it's being 9 years old and
feeling like you're not finished, like your
edges are wild, like there's something,
everything, wrong, it's dropping food coloring
in your eyes to make them blue and suffering
their burn in silence. it's popping a bleached
white mophead over the kinls of your hair and
primping in front of mirrors that deny your
reflection.  it's finding a space between your legs,
a disturbance at your chest, and not knowing
what to do with the whistles. it's jumping
double dutch until your legs pop, it's sweat
and vaseline and bullets, it's growing tall and
wearing a lot of white...it's flame and fists
and life according to motown, it's finally
having a man reach out for you
then caving in
around his fingers.

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