Colorblind Racism & The Social Construction of Race
True or false: calling race a social construction means that racism isn't real.
False! Calling something a social construct is meant to draw attention to its malleability, not frame it (or its consequences) as fake.
In the 1930s, the Home Owner's Loan Corporation divided cities into more and less desirable neighborhoods in a practice known as?
Redlining
True or false: the War on Drugs was launched in response to the crisis caused by crack cocaine in inner-city neighborhoods
False! The War on Drugs was launched in 1982 but the Reagan administration did not hire staff to publicize the emergence of crack cocaine until 1985
True or false: becoming an elite in US society is just a matter of hard work.
False! Elite status is passed down intergenerationally.
According to our readings, what phenomenon is the TikTok ban an example of?
Techno-orientalism
Which federal agency granted favorable mortgages to white families moving to the suburbs across the US?
The FHA (Federal Housing Administration)
True or false: the United States had the highest rate of incarceration in the world in 2010
True! (El Salvador now has the highest rate but the US still imprisons the largest number of people globally)
What is the name of the practice of elites giving away money to justify their privilege and maintain a good reputation?
Philanthropy
What colorblind frame involves saying things like "people just like to be friends with people like them" to explain racial phenomena?
Naturalization
Is residential segregation a result of economic inequality between races in the US? Why or why not?
No, much of the economic inequality between races exists because of residential segregation, not vice versa.
Why does Michelle Alexander call mass incarceration the "new Jim Crow"?
Because mass incarceration creates a racially segregated society similar to Jim Crow laws
What is one way media representations of poor people help maintain economic inequality?
1. The poor are presented primarily as statistics rather than individuals
2. The poor have created their own plight and don't deserve sympathy
3. Mass media rarely represents the poor
True or false: It is legal to include a question about citizenship status on the US census.
False!
Which law ended the practice of federal race-based mortgage lending?
The Fair Housing Act of 1968
Is mass incarceration simply a problem of too many people in prisons and jails? Why or why not?
Mass incarceration extends beyond just the number of people in prisons, creating a racial undercaste that effectively segregates US society
What is one mechanism by which the elite class is reproduced in the US according to Kendall?
1. Geographical segregation into upper class neighborhoods
2. Children's play groups
3. Private education
4. Invitation-only clubs and organizations
5. Dating
What colorblind frame involves saying things like "everyone deserves an equal opportunity but nobody deserves special treatment" to contest racial equity programs?
Abstract liberalism
What is one private mechanism by which the “city within a city” was formed in Grand Rapids?
Real estate agents would not show Black families homes in white neighborhoods
Banks would not grant mortgages to Black families or give them very unfavorable rates
White people rioted over Black families buying homes in their neighborhoods
What other system of imprisonment does Alexander criticize in the preface to the 10th anniversary edition of the New Jim Crow?
Mass deportation
What is poverty?
Poverty is a shortage of money.