Talking point 6

The videos assigned to us this week were definitely interesting, I think I will try to find a copy of the book to read, but I think that it just reinforced some of the things we have already read about in this class rather than bringing up new issues. I definitely recognized some themes in the videos that we have seen before, such as "obliviousness" and the power that white people have in this country. Before taking this class, I honestly felt that race issues were not a problem in this country anymore, and now I realize that my feeling this way I was part of the problem. Obama is definitely a great role model for young people of color, it just offers another example to them of excellence in their race, but it definitely would be nice for them to have a wider range of role models in their everyday life, such as teachers, doctors, police officers, etc. I think it's sad that some people would use Obama to say that the problem is solved, when race is still definitely an issue when it comes to education, employment, the criminal justice system, and many other places. The statistics quoted by Wise on the video shocked me. I couldn't believe how many white americans still hold on to these negative stereotypes about black people. And if that many people admitted to these feelings, it makes you wonder how many more believe these stereotypes without admitting it.