Patel

Priya Patel

Adam Padgett

ENGL 102

01/31/2017

You Dont Want to Be a Racist Do You?

When we look at ourselves in the mirror do we ever think I see a racist.? No one thinks

of themselves as a racist. We may see others as racist though, but never those who are nice and Comment [m1]: Expand on this and explain what you mean
or use different word choice
mean well. Racism is a topic we have been taught since childhood as something evil. It is viewed

that those who state their hatred towards a certain race bluntly is racist. We think of Trump

currently or in the past we think of the KKK but, what about the everyday person who genuinely

means no harm. Are racist tendencies apparent even in an everyday common person without

them realizing it?

Within the article, The Good, Racist People, you can see that Coatess central claim is Comment [m2]: Maybe go into some depth about what
this article is about, and explain what the author is talking
about
that even those who seem to have well intentions can be racist. Do they not also have some

racism inside of their minds? When you think about it, you do it every day and we do not see

people that are nice to be racist (Coates). However, because of this we fail to see that dangerous

effect that can be. Due to a nice person or someone who is globally know well we dont see it as

bad nor good, we let it pass because they are a good person. In the article, Forest Whitaker,

Oscar winning actor, was a regular customer of the neighborhood deli and not only did he love it

but his whole family did (Coates). His wife would have friendly conversations with the whoever

was working at checkout (Coates). However, one day he was walking out and a man approached

him and falsely accused him of shoplifting (Coates). By this experience, Coates is trying to show

how people feel that if they follow all the laws and are nice to others they do not believe to be
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prejudice (Coates). This source is credible in the sense that they used the interviews as a source

themselves. In this article there is some bias that we do not know the perspective of the

employee, who stopped Whitaker. As well as the situation itself, it was a little vague. This

information could have helped with analyzing the situation and the claim.

The second source being titled, Racism: Nice People Do It Too, has a central claim of

that many people in America have this fixed belief that people who have bad lifestyle qualities

are racist, and that to say others are racist is insulting to others (Bouie). The prime evidence in

this article is the example of Bull Connor, helped out in civil rights position. From this example

you see that only certain people are viewed as racist and the rest are somehow one hundred

percent pure of no prejudices (Bouie). This made everyone in America not understand the true

meaning behind racism (Bouie). The major value is that everyone is blinded about the topic until Comment [m3]: Really good point here, expand on it
because I think it is very true, and people probably dont
realize this as much as they need to.
something large happens. Then when it gets contained for a bit we act like racism is over

(Bouie). The authors examples are biased towards political and historical people which can sort

of hurt the author. The claim of present America thinking racism is over yet using past examples Comment [m4]: Expand on what you mean by past
examples. Maybe use some past examples that you think
are very prevalent and talk about them more in depth.
only makes it hard for the reader to understand how there is a bridge between the two.

The third source is titled, Its Time To Call Out Nice Racists And Their White Fragility.

This articles major claim is that its not the stereotypical racists you think of, that are all the

racists possible in this world (DeGallerie). Her view is that we live in world where everyone is

constantly joking about stereotypes. This also contributes the those who are nice racists Comment [m5]: Explain what you mean when you say nice
racists, or expand on the thought
(DeGallerie). Her main evidence is that racism and a nice person can go hand and hand. You

dont have to bluntly show it in a evil way to be racists. Wearing a white hood and joking about

races are on different levels of extremes but in the end they both fall under racism (DeGallerie).
Her article may be biased in the way that she doesnt have a lot of hard facts, but more feelings.
Comment [m6]: Since this article contains more
information about feelings instead of hard facts, it might not
be the best source to use for a research paper. Try and stay
clear of papers that contain bias/ feelings in them.
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This can lead the reader to believe her based on their beliefs, but if they expect facts then the

reader may not fully believe them.

Here are three inquiry questions that came to mind after reading the three sources above.

Is the definition of a racist we perceive to be today, just a way of covering up the racism that is Comment [m7]: Personally, I like the first question you
propose here, and I think you will be able to find a lot of
good information on it and it would make for an interesting
actually going on in present day? Are even the good hearted people racists in some way, without topic for writing on.

realizing it? Why racial jokes/stereotyping not considered racism but now and days considered a

joke?

Some agreements I found in the sources were that we tend to overlook the jokes we make

and say them without realizing that we are stereotyping. Those jokes soon become statements of

truth and blind people that they are spreading racism. Some disagreements would be that not

only are whites racist. Every race should be treated fairly and equally and then truly racism

would be eradicated. These different perspective of each and every article will influence my own

perspective in that you dont really think of someone with good manners and a good education to

be racist, even a little. Sometimes we forget that the exterior is only and illusion and it controls

how we perceive others to be. In order to write this paper, I need to know more statistical

research on how the mind can be racist, even if you are the nicest person. Using research on that

will help with persuading the readers.

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Works Cited

Bouie, Jamelle. "Racism: Nice People Do It Too." The American Prospect. N.p., 15 July

2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

Coates, Ta-nehisi. "The Good, Racist People." The New York Times. The New York

Times, 06 Mar. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.

DeGallerie, Christy. "It's Time To Call Out 'Nice Racists' And Their White Fragility." The

Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Sept. 2016. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.