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mermcoelho's avatar

This similar to what they tell women to do to avoid male violence. Don’t wear a short skirt. Smile, but don’t make him think you are interested or you’re a tease. Wear makeup and be pleasing, but not too pleasing. It’s your fault for (fill in the blank).

It takes all the responsibility off the perpetrator of the violence and puts it on the victim.

Yang is right that are brains are wired to notice difference; what happens after that is learned behavior. Once a person learns to be a racist, it takes a hell of a lot of self awareness and conscious work to undo it. They have to want to.

Thank you for shining a light here.

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Dionne Dumitru's avatar

I read Roth’s book when I had just moved to St Louis. That’s a city that venerates Lindbergh and is easily the most racist place I’ve ever lived (and I grew up in East Texas, not known for its racial amity). So reading the book felt chilling and frankly frightening. That was then. How much worse it’s become.

Your counsel is spot on. Good article worth republishing.

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