Four central frames of Color-Blind Racism:
Abstract liberalismNaturalization’Cultural racismMinimization of racism
Part 1
We have examined several aspects of colorblind racism including how people define race/ethnicity, frames of colorblind racism, the power of language and rhetorical/semantic moves as well as story lines and testimonies.
Review the 4 sample Introductions of an Instructor below. How might we apply the concepts above when using identifiers to tell people who we are? When asked for a short biography, we often use characteristic/identifiers to describe ourselves.
What conclusions might we draw about each Instructor? Remember to apply Bonilla-Silva’s frames and linguistic moves to the fictional biography if appropriate.
Lee
My name is Lee. I will be you instructor for the next eight weeks.
I spent several years working and clocking in/out for eight hours a day as many as seven days a week. Most of those years were in a grocery store where I did everything but working in the butcher department. For fifteen of the years, I also ran a wedding photography business (two jobs to survive). Although I had a B.S., I spent time raising a family and working. I returned to school later in life (my youngest was a junior in high School) and earned an M.A. and Ph.D. while working full time (still had to help support the family). This allows me to empathize with those working and trying to get a degree. I am a testimony that degrees can be earned, lives changed, and hair gets grayer.
Today, I teach at a private liberal arts college as well as online for Saint Leo. I look forward to a successful eight weeks and helping you achieve your goal. I check my courses daily so email (through the course site) is the best way to reach me.
Blair,
My name is Blair. I will be you instructor for the next eight weeks.
I am a 35-year-old of Hispanic heritage and currently live in the Southeast. I am a little concerned about the racial tension in the U.S. I spent several years working as a sales representative in a Chicago neighborhood before pursuing my advanced degrees. I believe everyone has a chance if they will take it. I think we should all leave our past behind and pursue our goals.
I am a strong believer in diversity and have always had African-American friends. Today, I teach at a private liberal arts college as well as online for Saint Leo. I look forward to a successful eight weeks and helping you achieve your goal. I check my courses daily so email (through the course site) is the best way to reach me.
Michael
My name is Michael. I will be you instructor for the next eight weeks.
As an African-American male living in the Northeast, I am deeply concerned with the current views of racism in the United States. Not all people have the same opportunities and chances. However, all of my children have obtained a higher education at a HBCU (I was the first member of my family to graduate from High School) and hope to carry on the tradition with another generation. We should probably forget the past and concentrate on the future or at least my white friends might think so.
Today, I teach at a private HBCU as well as online for Saint Leo. I look forward to a successful eight weeks and helping you achieve your goal. I check my courses daily so email (through the course site) is the best way to reach me.
Horace
My name is Horace. I will be you instructor for the next eight weeks.
I am Southern born and raised and very proud of my heritage. My wife and I have been married for 40 years. We are a very traditional family. I have three children who work at various occupations. Their life chances have not been equal to some of the chances I have had probably due to the changing demographics of our society but I am not sure what happened. I obtained my degrees through hard work and effort but had to do so by attending school part time and working full time. I have several Black and Mexican friends but there are not many Orientals living in our area but most us live in neighborhoods of our own.
Today, I teach at a community college as well as online for Saint Leo. I look forward to a successful eight weeks and helping you achieve your goal. I check my courses daily so email (through the course site) is the best way to reach me.
Terms to understand and use for Module 4: affirmative action, quotas, reverse discrimination, Executive order 11246, New Deal, G. I. Bill, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, White racial framing, story lines, testimonies, Erving Goffman, impression management (positive self-presentation) You should use these terms in Discussions and Quizzes.
Part 2
Answers should reflect the materials found in McClure, Stephanie M. and Cherise A. Harris. 2015. Getting Real about Race: Hoodies, Mascots, Model Minorities, and Other Conversations or the LibGuide at http://slulibrary.saintleo.edu/c.php?g=367982&p=24… .
Why do people tell stories about race that are not consistent with the facts? Hint: the answer is not “because they are misinformed/uneducated/don’t know.” Rather, what are the sociological reasons given (what functions it serves for society) for so many of us to tell racial stories in such similar ways?
Storylines such as “I did not get that job because of a black man” and “Irish, Italians and Jews have made it, why can’t they?” perpetuate the widely held beliefs that the job market is either racially unbiased, at best, or racially biased toward minorities, at worst. What are the alternative realities that the assigned readings present about how race interacts with people’s chances for success, both historically and currently? (Include references to glass ceiling and social capital in your answer).
Give an example of a racial testimony. Why do people tell them? What obstacles do their persistence create in building a multiracial society?
Part 3
Select a film from the attached pre-approved film list ( or email your instructor an alternative film title for approval) and watch the film at least once. Create a brief outline of what frames and storylines you will likely be applying, and to whom, and submit it to the Assignment box.
The movie is Django Unchained
