Add YOUR Stories HERE!
- Jordan Brannam
- Mar 21, 2019
- 1 min read
If you have any stories about times you either held some of these views and why, or about a time you had these stereotypes pushed upon you, tell us about them here!!
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Criminal Stereotyping
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Whenever I encounter people that use race to justify suspicions of criminal activity, I have a hard time finding the right words to encourage them to look beyond the very surface level and to ask them to consider their own positions without making them believe that I'm calling them racist.
To be honest, I have no personal or familial experience with criminals. However, I have observed that many people of color are perceived and portrayed as "suspicious," such as in the Trayvon Martin case. The "rich white stereotype" seems less suspicious. In other cases, poverty and upbringing might entice ostracized or at risk children to make their lives better through illicit activities, such as drugs and gangs. In life, it is necessary to keep an open mind, live and support others, and fight for fair reform and programs.
I don't have any stories directly dealing with this stereotype, however I definitely have held some of these views from time to time and I feel that it is a very important point for people to do their own research into the background of some "criminals" before immediately writing them off as crazy and calling it a day. When people do their own research it leads way for more discussion about this issue.
I find myself easily getting more uncomfortable around people of other races when I feel I'm in a vulnerable position, I don't think it has anything to do with racism in my case as much as it has to do with the fact that humans are naturally just more tribal and fear others who look "different".