Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”
It’s still Black History Month. Going on the theory that Black History Month should help people learn, not just about Black History, but also about aspects of white racism which may well never have occurred to them. Now, I could write about this until the cows come home, but I’m just a white broad. I would rather let people of color speak for themselves. So I’ve looked up a bunch of videos, four of which I’m embedding, and the rest linking to. None of them is over five minutes, and most considerably less, so I could embed more without monopolizing your day (or month). But I figure that, if I link some instead, the sidebars on the YouTube sites may lead you to other videos which, depending on your own experiences, may turn out to be even more educational. Sneaky, amirite?
I’ll start with this video on things white people do and say without (probably) intending to be racist in the least, but which need to stop. (At least one also needs to stop for disabled people, but that’s another story.)
Next, here are links to two videos addressing children and racism. The first will teach you how racist centuries-old nursery rhymes can be. The second is sort of an antidote to that – some books to lift up black children and black imagination.
This next video is about the misconceptions which lay people, medical students, and even certified doctors have about the physiological differences between patients with different skin colors I alluded to some of this in a comment Thursday, but it goes deeper than that.
And the next link will take you to a short video on actual, as opposed to imaginary, genetic differences. Note that at least some of these difference are not just between black and white, but between black and black. One trait is characteristic of West Africans – another of some Kenyans (which lies on the east coast.)
Here is a video summarizing a study on who has to wait longer just to cross a street. You can probably guess the answer – though maybe not the care that was taken to match up every factor BUT skin color, or the number of trials the math is based on.
Here are two links to videos addressing the relationships between people of color and business. The first points out some markets which, based on the usage of the products by people of color, black entrepreneurs ought to dominate. The second shares something you may never have even thought about – which highly successful corporations today were built in some measure upon slavery.
Now let’s take a deep dive into the darkness inside white people, with a study on how the percentage of black people overrepresented in prisons affects the willingness of white people to fight for criminal justice reform.
OK, that’s as deep as I can handle today. I will share one video about ten of the most racist movies of all time – I doubt they’ll surprise you – the only thing that surprised me was that six others 
preceded “Birth of a Nation,” which says something about the importance of LISTENING to people who are most affected, because someone less affected may not see things the same way. Finally, I link to a video that is actually about history: the history of “the Moors” and their occupation of chunks of Europe, and exactly how that occupation benefited Europe and, by extension, all white people today.
Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, please help us learn, for the sake of our own consciences, and also to help us better educate others, what reality really, really is like.
The Furies and I will be back.
Cross posted to Care2 HERE.
13 Responses to “Everyday Erinyes #157”
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OMG those medical poll stats are damn scary, as the road stats are too!!
“The majority of Americans hold some level of subconscious bias, just by growing up in this culture”!!!?
Argghhhhh 3 strikes law too harsh for white prisoners but OK for blacks!!!
And the movies… SHOCKING, i know!!!
i fear many Australians have similar racist attitudes towards our Indigenous black citizens AND migrants/asylum seekers, in Australia!!!
When will humanity rise above this cr*p! ☮️ ❤️ ?✨?
I’ve read these books, but also, for me, recognizing the overall importance of being aware that they are, in context, racist videos/books. I read GwTW at age 13, and it disturbed me. I read ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ at age 45, and it disturbed me. I w/pass this info on as well. Some are hidden, as others are blatant, which….sadly, still continues today.
ABS: WoW! Very telling…to say the least. This also applies to ‘subconscious’ bias…watching the rest of the series..
This is an excellent post to bring forth the awareness we all need in learning from the past…but also, today,…in the times that we are living in.
My heart rule of saying something to someone is…”if you don’t like it as the words come from your lips, others listening to you won’t either. It’s better to be silent, and listen.” ~ pb ~
Quite amazing. The biologically related ignorance is especially surprising, but why should it be when there are still people who think that Jews have horns, or did until quite recently.
I was surprised to see Jensen in there, he of the screed known as Jansenism, that blacks are genetically inferior!
Sorry, “Jensenism.”
Jansenism is a thing, but it’s pretty much a Catholic thing. It’s sort of like, imagine if a Catholic were a Calvinist too.
Very disconcerting WRT the YouTube on Lay, M-1s & Residents.
The good news is there was a significant drop in Residents biases compared to M-1s – so they learned something.
I always watch YT videos at the YT site rather than in the posting. Not only can I vote Up/Down – but I like reading some of the Comments.
There was one in that video by a racist “White Lightning” that said (closely paraphrasing) “Blacks have more pain, and they deserve to have more pain.”
I reported it, so it got removed for review. I hope it stays removed.
Oh, wow. Thanks for reporting it. I too hope it stays removed.
It came back today – so I reported it again. But I think it’s a loosing cause.
Good one, JD!
12 Things: I fully agree with the caveat that hate speech based in race is equally vile from members of any race.
The books seem as good as the rhymes were bad.
The myths surprise me. I knew none are true.
Interesting differences.
I think crossing the street seems even worse for people in a wheelchair.
Criminal injustice is often unfair to everyone, but especially to minorities.
The Birth of a Nation was horrid enough.
Kudos for the ton of work this has to take!
“I think crossing the street seems even worse for people in a wheelchair.” – I’ll bet you’re right.I only cross the street in a wheelchair when I’m on jury duty and the parking lot jurors is placed so that it requires it, but then I’m with a ton of diverse people, so there’s really no telling. (and it certainly doesn’t happen often enough to generalize anyway.)
Birth of a Nation was so obviously horrid because the intentions were evil. I think it’s harder for white people to see how horrid the ones were whose intentions were better (like Song of the South.) (BTW, it it still OK to sing “Zippidee-doo-dah,” ya think?)
I guess it was a lot of work, but I started well in advance (knowing I’d be out of town) and spread it out, so it really didn’t feel too onerous.
It sure does here. I have been stuck waiting halfway across with traffic moving in front and behind more than once. Scary!
I think it’s that the movie is propaganda. The black guy is a former slave who prefers plantation life to freedom. I don’t think the song is racist, removed from it’s context.
it was superb!
Aaaaw! Thabks!
Great job, Joanne.Very educational indeed.The hardest thing to accept is that we ALL have our prejudices which effect our way of thinking, no matter how much we fight them. But that is no excuse either, fight them we must.