Are White People Afraid of Talking to Black People?

Whites, in fear of appearing racist, are likely to avoid contact with Blacks, according to a new study from Northwestern University. The study, titled "The Threat of Appearing Prejudiced and Race-Based Attentional Biases," tested participants using Black and white faces with similar neutral expressions or similar happy expressions and showed that many whites "worry about inadvertently getting in trouble for somehow seeming biased," according to the study. "Think of it as initially turning your attention to something that poses a threat or causes anxiety and then ignoring it because you don't want to deal with it," said Jennifer A. Richeson, associate professor of psychology and African-American studies and faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at Northwestern. "These low-level psychological processes happen dynamically, and our tests indicate that people probably avoided the neutral black faces because they provoke anxiety, not necessarily because of racial animus." Read why people are obsessed with race.

Prison Population Up Despite Decrease in Crime

Crime is down but the number of people going to prison is not, according to a new study by the Washington-based Justice Policy Institute, reports New America Media (NAM). The study, called "Jailing Communities: The Impact of Jail Expansion and Effective Public Safety Strategies," released last week, shows the number of people incarcerated increased, with Blacks being five times more likely to be incarcerated than whites and three times more likely than Latinos. Many of these, however, are awaiting trial. "Twenty percent of the people in this country's jails are not legally guilty. They have not been convicted of anything and yet they are sitting in jail," Amanda Petteruti, one of the authors told NAM. One in 100 Black people are now incarcerated.

Affirmative Action Lands UT Austin in Ironic Court Battle

The University of Texas at Austin is in an ironic legal situation. The university, which did away with affirmative action and instituted a percentage plan, is now in a legal battle because the program is doing too well, reportsInside Higher Ed. Anti-affirmative action group The Project on Fair Representation filed a lawsuit on behalf of Abigail Fisher, who was rejected from UT Austin, alleging she was rejected because of affirmative action. While the case has yet to reach the courts, UT Austin issued a statement, saying: "We will review the complaint, which challenges the university's admissions procedures on Constitutional grounds, with the UT System Office of General Counsel and the Office of the Attorney General. Each year we are very fortunate to receive applications from thousands of very able high school seniors, but as with many universities around the country, we are limited in the number of applicants we can admit. We believe that our undergraduate admissions policies are well administered and in compliance with Supreme Court precedent and all other applicable law."

Olympic Torch Meets U.S. Protestors

The Olympic torch reached North America early this morning but was immediately put into a vehicle and transported to a secret location, reports The New York Times. Yesterday, three people scaled the Golden Gate Bridge and tied the Tibetan flag and two banners to it: "One World One Dream. Free Tibet" and "Free Tibet 08." The torch has met a series of protestors in both Paris and London over the weekend. Many politicians, including U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have called for country leaders to skip the Olympics in protest of the way Tibetans have been treated. See why movie director Steven Spielberg left his post on the Olympics committee as artistic adviser.

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