Beverly Daniel Tatum's argument is about racism and what it means to different people. She first defines racism as being separate from prejudice a distinction she says is critical to understanding the argument. Her main point is that racism is not just about individual acts of prejudice or discrimination but also involves societal structures and systems that perpetuate racial inequalities. Tatum contends that recognizing and addressing these systemic aspects of racism is essential for meaningful progress in combating racial injustice. These systems are in place in school systems. She uses an example of one teacher struggling to teach her class about Black authors as she never learned about Black authors in her education. One of her students makes the remark that Black people do not write books. This is an example of racism in the educational system. This filtering out of Black and Brown authors and famous figures leads many students of color to feel isolated and unable to relate to the material; it also leads white students and teachers to be ignorant of these issues. She also introduces what she calls passive racism, and she argues that most white people are passively racist as they whether knowingly or not participate in a racist society that benefits their interest and harms people of color. While many white people will think of racism as an abstract heinous thing only seen in the vilest parts of the world, they are unaware of the systems in place all around them that are actively racist such as grayling or prison institutions. By creating this false image of racism, it is easy to see why so many will think of racism as an issue of the past. Unless it is affecting you or your community personally it is almost impossible to see. This is why she argues that we need to have a clear accurate definition of racism and passive racism if we want to move our educational institutions further.
4:26 for the good stuff
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