January 25, 2008

  • I am really anxious to see how the so-called white vote in the South Carolina primary turns
    out. One of the latest polls has Senator Obama as low as 10% among whites there. (Hillary Clinton and Senator Edwards essentially split most of the rest.) To me, this would be
    a sad state of affairs, if it happens. It would indicate how much latent racism still
    exists in this country, or at least in certain parts of this country. And I would bet a huge chunk of that 90% or so not voting
    for Obama will insist that it wasn't for reasons of race, and that they
    'don't see color.'
    What many well-meaning people don't understand is that while
    people may not be intentionally racist, subtle racial biases can
    still exist without one even being aware of it. In this case, the
    obstinate belief that one is not at all racist actually makes one more
    likely to be subtly unconsciously biased. The only way one can truly be unbiased is to at least acknowledge the possibility of bias, coupled with a strong sense of self-awareness and honesty in confronting one's own biases, however subtle.