Goals

Point out places at Bellarmine and in the United States where prejudice and racism exist.

Differentiate between prejudice and racism Differentiate between overt and covert

racism Define institutional racism Be able to argue for or against the existence

of institutional racism in the United States

Questions: answer yes, no or uncertain

Do you like cats? Do you like raw oysters? Do you like classical music? Would you like to live in Europe? Do you like to Waltz? Should Welfare recipients do more to

find a job?

Questions: answer yes, no or uncertain

Have you ever owned a cat for more than a month?

Have you ever eaten raw oysters? Have you ever attended a symphony or

listened to a complete recording of one? Have you ever been to Europe? Do you know how to Waltz? Do you personally know anyone on

Welfare?

Prejudice

In your notebooks….. Name a time in which you were prejudiced

against another student at Bellarmine. Name a time in which another student was

prejudiced against you. What are some common prejudices present

here at Bellarmine? How does prejudice differ from racism?

Prejudice vs. Racism

The focus of prejudice is on the people who have prejudices. These prejudices can often hurt other

people. The focus of racism is on the people

being hurt by racism.

Racism: Overt vs. Covert

Part of the makeup of an organization, a community, or a society

Overt racism Conscious, premeditated, intentional

harming of another race Covert racism

Direct harm not intended

Racism: Overt vs. Covert

Overt: German Jews were forced into urban ghettos, tightly-packed, confined areas in eastern European cities.

Covert: Prior to World War II, Nazis published material that presented “scientific proof” that Jews were racially inferior to Germans.

Racism: Overt vs. Covert

Overt: In the 19th century, British cartoons portrayed Irish people as closely resembling monkeys in order to support discriminatory practices against them.

Covert: Generally held belief that Irish were less sophisticated than British

Big Martin Connolly

Racism: Overt vs. Covert

Overt: Slavery in the United States

Covert: Before the US Civil War, some supporters of slavery argues that Africans enslaved and brought to the US were “fortunate” to be introduced to Christianity and civilization.

Racism

In notebooks…. When have you experienced overt racism? When have you experienced covert racism?

Do you think there is institutional racism in our country? Or just individuals who are racist?

Racism

Do white children and Native American children generally have the same educational opportunities?

Are members of various races represented among both the wealthiest and poorest segments of society?

Can people accused of crime receive a fair and equal trial regardless of their races?

Race and Poverty in the US

Forty-three percent of working families with at least one minority parent were low income,

Nearly twice the proportion of white working families (22 percent).

In 2010, 15.1% of Americans lived in poverty (46.2 million people). 9.9% of non-Hispanic whites 27.4% of Blacks 26.6% of Hispanics

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Poverty Rate

Wealthiest people in the US

Bill Gates Larry Ellison

Warren Buffet

The Walton Family

The Koch Brothers

George Soros

Sheldon Adelson

Crack vs. Cocaine

Cocaine comes from coca paste, which comes from the coca plant.

Crack comes from cooking cocaine with baking powder.

Crack is much less expensive and is more prevalent in poorer communities.

Crack has a short, intense high Cocaine has a slower, less-intense

high when snorted, but the high is more intense when injected.

Racism and the Justice System A conviction of the sale of 500 g of

powdered cocaine triggers a 5 year minimum mandatory sentence

The same sentence for a sale of crack? 5 grams. Conviction of possession of 5 grams of

crack carries with it a minimum of 5 years

Conviction of possession of 5 grams of cocaine carries with it a maximum of 1 year, and most 1st time offenders will get off with probation.

Racism and the Justice System Approx. 2/3 of crack users are

either white or Hispanic. 93% of convicted crack

offenders are black.

Racism and the Justice System http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikuV1DMzehk

African Americans comprise 37% of those arrested for drug offenses, but only 12.6% of the population.

In 2005, Drug Czar and Former Secretary of Education said “You could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down."

Are black people naturally or culturally a more criminal people? Or is there some other explanation?

Race and Justice

Race and Justice

White and African-Americans use drugs at approximately the same rate

Yet African-Americans are incarcerated for drug use at 10x the rate of whites.

Why?