Charlie Sloan
Black Psychology Review #1
The Manipulation of Racial Identity
In the video Who Is Black In America, focuses on many aspects of black identity. In the video, racial identity plays a significant role in people of color and mixed. It is part of someone's identity that can affect them and how they see themselves. How can people of color and mixed find their racial identity when they are in a world that manipulates them into believing only the surface of who they are? A part of the video caught my attention. One section in the video showed kids in a classroom, and the teacher was showing them an illustration of a black man and a white man's face. The teacher believed in teaching and exposing kids to the bias and segregated side of life at an early age so they can spot it often when they are older. The kids were around ten and under learning about colorism. There was one kid that said, "I don't want to be dark dark dark" (O'Brien,8:37). When the kid in the video said this, it shows the viewers that kids can recognize what others view them as. The teacher asked him why and the kid replies, "cause it's ugly" (O'Brien,8:42). If kids of color and mixed can be taught at a young age what it is like in some parts of the real world, they may find their racial identity quicker, but it is not always the case. The author, Tim Wise, said, "The irony is who is black is determined not by black people, but who's black is determined by white people. (O'Brien,9:42). White people control many things, and one thing they do control is the categorization of people of color. It has been like this for years and years; it is just not called slavery anymore. If one does not know their racial identity or even their regular personality, they can get influenced by what is around them. Depending on how they grow up affects their identity too. If one has a good understanding of their identity, that can affect many parts. What this video reminded me of was the Dahlgren-Whitehead rainbow. Now the rainbow is complete, but what stands on top of it is race. If one understands their race and racial identity, they know their economic and social abi-lities and more. I will put a picture of the chart on the third page and explain a little more. A good part that I found compelling and what worked was when the mentor asked the kids to go to a group that you identify with; some groups were gay, bi, black, other, and more. The compelling part was no one chose "other." "I went for female because like "other" makes me feel like I'm not a person" (O'Brien,11:53). The main protagonist in this video said this state-ment; I am sure she is not only that feels this way. The word "other" does not have a positive connection or vibe to it. One of color or mixed is forced to go into the "other" category. When I say categories, I mean the race options you see on usual legal forms. The University of Florida states that the new race and ethnicity standards are 1. American Indian or Alaska Native, 2. Asian, 3. Black or African American, 4. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 5. White. These race and ethnicity standard categories can have someone lose their deeper roots and effect their racial identity. What didn't work was the lack of racial identity can be seen in the quarter-point of the movie. They introduce Becky in the video that says she is accepting and proud of being black but says it has been a struggle. Her parents were born in Egypt, but she calls Egypt "Fake Africa." "Most Egyptians don't identify themselves as African American," Soledad O'Brien asks Becky's friend next to her if she is black or not, she says that Becky is not black. "There is a difference between being from Africa and being black." (O'Brien,19:22). Then she says "While we would all love to get to choose how we are and how people see us, what people see you as is stronger than what you identify because you don't always get that chance to explain how you identify. This is a long quote, but I feel like it all had to be said because this can be compared to Becky's response. The viewer can infer that Becky's friend has her identity figured out and what she is working against in the world, compared to Becky who is struggling to get a concrete understanding of her ethnicity and race. She is almost mixing them. Later in the video, we see that during college applications, and they ask her for her race, she clicks white. "So, I can avoid any troubles getting into college" (O'Brien,39:08). Becky is an example of how someone can fear their racial identity. We can also see how manipulative the structure caused by something, or someone only views the general race and ethnicity. When the system doesn't dig into the details, it is creating people of color and mixes not to fit with their ethnicity and race. When it comes to those five race and ethnicity options for college applications, that is only one example of the manipulative way society treats people of color and mixed-race and ethnicity. Racial identity is vital to people of color and mixed-race and ethnicities. It is challenging for people that haven't figured out their own identity yet and get pushed around by the world on who they should be. The world manipulates life decisions for them to funnel down whom they want them to be before they figure out who they are. When one figures out who they are, they realize what they are up against in the real world and how generalized race and ethnicity is. Will this ever stop? We have gone from slavery to Jim Crow Laws to generalized groups to mold the breed of what society wants.
The Social Determinants of Health rainbow by shows the effects of everyday things that can affect an individual. When I say race is at the top, I mean race affects someone's living conditions and work and trickles down from there. Then the core is the age, sex, and con-situational factors. The core of age, sex, and constitutional factors is the main component that racial identity gets effected. The only issue with age, sex, and constitutional factors is that it is one of the last things that gets noticed by an individual, and therefore many people struggle with their racial identity.
In the video Who Is Black In America, focuses on many aspects of black identity. In the video, racial identity plays a significant role in people of color and mixed. It is part of someone's identity that can affect them and how they see themselves. How can people of color and mixed find their racial identity when they are in a world that manipulates them into believing only the surface of who they are? A part of the video caught my attention. One section in the video showed kids in a classroom, and the teacher was showing them an illustration of a black man and a white man's face. The teacher believed in teaching and exposing kids to the bias and segregated side of life at an early age so they can spot it often when they are older. The kids were around ten and under learning about colorism. There was one kid that said, "I don't want to be dark dark dark" (O'Brien,8:37). When the kid in the video said this, it shows the viewers that kids can recognize what others view them as. The teacher asked him why and the kid replies, "cause it's ugly" (O'Brien,8:42). If kids of color and mixed can be taught at a young age what it is like in some parts of the real world, they may find their racial identity quicker, but it is not always the case. The author, Tim Wise, said, "The irony is who is black is determined not by black people, but who's black is determined by white people. (O'Brien,9:42). White people control many things, and one thing they do control is the categorization of people of color. It has been like this for years and years; it is just not called slavery anymore. If one does not know their racial identity or even their regular personality, they can get influenced by what is around them. Depending on how they grow up affects their identity too. If one has a good understanding of their identity, that can affect many parts. What this video reminded me of was the Dahlgren-Whitehead rainbow. Now the rainbow is complete, but what stands on top of it is race. If one understands their race and racial identity, they know their economic and social abi-lities and more. I will put a picture of the chart on the third page and explain a little more. A good part that I found compelling and what worked was when the mentor asked the kids to go to a group that you identify with; some groups were gay, bi, black, other, and more. The compelling part was no one chose "other." "I went for female because like "other" makes me feel like I'm not a person" (O'Brien,11:53). The main protagonist in this video said this state-ment; I am sure she is not only that feels this way. The word "other" does not have a positive connection or vibe to it. One of color or mixed is forced to go into the "other" category. When I say categories, I mean the race options you see on usual legal forms. The University of Florida states that the new race and ethnicity standards are 1. American Indian or Alaska Native, 2. Asian, 3. Black or African American, 4. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 5. White. These race and ethnicity standard categories can have someone lose their deeper roots and effect their racial identity. What didn't work was the lack of racial identity can be seen in the quarter-point of the movie. They introduce Becky in the video that says she is accepting and proud of being black but says it has been a struggle. Her parents were born in Egypt, but she calls Egypt "Fake Africa." "Most Egyptians don't identify themselves as African American," Soledad O'Brien asks Becky's friend next to her if she is black or not, she says that Becky is not black. "There is a difference between being from Africa and being black." (O'Brien,19:22). Then she says "While we would all love to get to choose how we are and how people see us, what people see you as is stronger than what you identify because you don't always get that chance to explain how you identify. This is a long quote, but I feel like it all had to be said because this can be compared to Becky's response. The viewer can infer that Becky's friend has her identity figured out and what she is working against in the world, compared to Becky who is struggling to get a concrete understanding of her ethnicity and race. She is almost mixing them. Later in the video, we see that during college applications, and they ask her for her race, she clicks white. "So, I can avoid any troubles getting into college" (O'Brien,39:08). Becky is an example of how someone can fear their racial identity. We can also see how manipulative the structure caused by something, or someone only views the general race and ethnicity. When the system doesn't dig into the details, it is creating people of color and mixes not to fit with their ethnicity and race. When it comes to those five race and ethnicity options for college applications, that is only one example of the manipulative way society treats people of color and mixed-race and ethnicity. Racial identity is vital to people of color and mixed-race and ethnicities. It is challenging for people that haven't figured out their own identity yet and get pushed around by the world on who they should be. The world manipulates life decisions for them to funnel down whom they want them to be before they figure out who they are. When one figures out who they are, they realize what they are up against in the real world and how generalized race and ethnicity is. Will this ever stop? We have gone from slavery to Jim Crow Laws to generalized groups to mold the breed of what society wants.
The Social Determinants of Health rainbow by shows the effects of everyday things that can affect an individual. When I say race is at the top, I mean race affects someone's living conditions and work and trickles down from there. Then the core is the age, sex, and con-situational factors. The core of age, sex, and constitutional factors is the main component that racial identity gets effected. The only issue with age, sex, and constitutional factors is that it is one of the last things that gets noticed by an individual, and therefore many people struggle with their racial identity.
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