HS #29 2017.12.5
Racism, Prejudice and
other Generalizations
I recently heard a news story explaining that affluent
African Americans might be subjected to more racism than those with less
means. To illustrate the point, they
told of an African American lawyer/retired colonel who moved into a gated
community in Virginia. When met by the neighbors, he was repeatedly asked if he
was a former professional athlete. He responded straight-faced that he was a
pimp.
This brief account brings up many issues, but I’d like to
concentrate on just one.
One component of intelligence is the ability to make
generalizations. We all do it - humans and other intelligent animals. Dogs get excited when their owners jingle their
car keys or go to a certain drawer. They have learned that such actions are often
followed by a walk or treat. Psychologists call is conditioning.
A child bitten by a snarling dog needs instruction in how to
generalize. Ideally, they are taught that not all dogs are dangerous, but
snarling ones should be avoided. If not
instructed, they will likely learn the lesson eventually from their own
experience. It was Ben Franklin who
said, “Experience is a teacher; fools will learn from no other.”
I am acutely aware of our tendency to generalize each time I
ride my bike to work – at the Holland DU campus. I cross 16th
Street, US 31, Waverly Avenue, and the exits of several parking lots. As any Holland
bicyclist or pedestrian will attest, it’s dangerous to pass from the right in
front of a stopped car that is turning to the right. Why? Because Holland
drivers encounter few pedestrians, so many look only for cars coming from their
left. If the way from the left is clear, off they go.
Several points follow. First of all, we all make generalizations -
constantly – and most of them are unconscious and generally correct. Every time
you sit in a chair you are generalizing from past experience that it will not
collapse. Making these generalizations
is crucial to learning and living.
Second, our generalizations are sometimes faulty since they
are based on limited experience and we have selective memories, and, of course,
the world changes. Moreover, we
sometimes just form the wrong conclusions. My father liked to say, “All Indians
walk in single file - at least the one I saw did.”
Third, we form prejudices precisely because of our ability
to generalize. “Prejudice” means a
pre-judging, and we pre-judge new acquaintances and situations by generalizing
from past experiences.
Fourth, it seems to me (now I’m generalizing from MY experience)
that although prejudices can be wrong and dangerous, they are not formed with
malicious intent. Instead, intent has nothing to do with it. As with other generalizations, prejudices are
formed passively from our own experiences or unconsciously picked up from
others.
Thus, I disagree with the lyrics that Oscar Hammerstein
penned to a South Pacific song about prejudice, “they have to be carefully
taught [to hate].” Nope. Nothing careful
about it – it’s too bad that it doesn’t take that much effort.
I remember as a child that when we traveled to Grand Rapids
on family vacations from the rural Midwest, mom instructed us to lock our car
doors as we passed through certain sections of the city. Looking out the
window, I saw black people. So without
anything being explicitly stated, a prejudice was unintentionally passed on to
me.
As I’ve grown, I’ve learned that some of the prejudices I
formed and picked up as a child were incorrect. Generalizing from those
mistakes, I expect that some prejudices I presently hold are also wrong.
(Notice the irony – I may change current prejudices precisely because of my
ability to generalize.) Thus I remain
open to changing my mind.
But altering one’s generalizations requires more than
keeping an open mind. It requires learning from new experiences. And this most
effectively happens when we are free to inquire and reflect, and to ask
probing, honest questions. But asking candid questions, even when done with
good intentions, often offends.
So kudos for those
who risk being derided as simple, naïve, or misinformed by taking chances and
being vulnerable. And those who are offended by naive questions, toughen
up! How else will we come to realize
that some of our prejudices are wrong? Therefore, I commend those gated
Virginians who asked honest questions with an openness to learn, and I hope
that the African American lawyer starts giving honest replies.
