Class Video: "Why are people racist? | What's Behind Prejudice? Episode 1 | BBC Ideas"

Video link: Why are people racist? | What's Behind Prejudice? Episode 1 | BBC Ideas


I've never really understood how people can be racist. I'm lucky enough to have been raised by two parents who taught me not to discriminate and that racism is wrong. When I hear someone say something racist or watch them do something racist, how genuinely wonder how they can have the audacity to say such a thing, how they don't feel any remorse upon committing such an act.

I deeply admire the way Onyeka Nubia was able to explain his argument in such a polite and civilized manner. I know that when I get into discussions about racism (and any sort of bigotry, really) I tend to get really heated and it makes me come off as less credible. I really liked what he said about not punishing people for their racist views. Often we get really angry at people who are racist when they share their ideas (although this brings up the argument regarding freedom of speech but not freedom from the consequences of what you say) when we should really be educating them on why their ideas are harmful. Like Nubia said, we shouldn't punish people for their views and ideas but rather change their views and ideas.

One of the points that Nubia brought up that I found really interesting was his comment on prejudice, his example being that he is a person that can see so he has privilege over people who can't see and he might have some sort of underlying prejudice toward them. I think the message he was trying to convey is that we're all inherently prejudiced in some way. What matters is how we acknowledge that prejudice and how we choose to act on it.

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