Are You Racist? Think Twice Before You Answer
Compiled by the DiversityInc staff
December 13, 2006
Are you racist? You may want to think twice before you answer. While most Americans don't consider themselves biased, an overwhelming majority still see racism as a serious problem in the United States, a new CNN poll finds. Watch CNN's video.
Blacks are more than twice as likely as whites to say racism is a "very serious problem," according to the 1,207-person telephone poll, which did not include Latinos. But most whites—66 percent—consider it a "serious problem," at least.
What else do people say about racism in America? Here are some highlights:
· "I am biased." Blacks and whites are about equally likely to consider themselves based—12 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
· "Most of the people I know are biased." Nearly a third of blacks (31 percent) agree with this statement, compared with 21 percent of whites.
· More than a third (38 percent) of whites think "many/almost all blacks dislike whites," and 40 percent of blacks think "many/almost all whites dislike blacks."
· The vast majority of blacks (87 percent) would "approve if my son or daughter married someone of a different racial/ethnic group." Most whites agree (69 percent).
What do these numbers tell us? Most Americans support interracial relationships, but at the same time, say racism is still a "serious problem" in this country. Why?
Most white Americans have biased feelings they don't even recognize, says University of Connecticut Professor Jack Dovidio, who has studied racism for more than 30 years.
"We've reached a point that racism is like a virus that has mutated into a new form that we don't recognize," Dovidio told CNN. "Contemporary racism is not conscious, and it is not accompanied by dislike, so it gets expressed in indirect, subtle ways."
Remember when John Howard Griffin, a white journalist, tried to find out what it was like to be a black man in the Deep South? In his 1961 novel Black Like Me, Griffin documents his six weeks traveling as a black man—he used chemical treatments to alter his skin color—throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. He writes about the disparaging glares he got for associating with white women and about not being able to find a place to go to the bathroom. Many blacks still don't feel welcome in the Deep South.
What's Next?
The subtle yet pervasive bias revealed by this poll demonstrates continued differences in perceptions that require better channels of communication..For companies seeking to compete in a rapidly changing society, understanding these perceptual differences is a business imperative..Read DiversityInc's upcoming issue on engagement and trust to learn how you can relate to all your employees for optimal business results.
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