PT Racial Equity Challenge
Day 17: Responding to Everyday Bigotry
Have you ever been in a position where someone tells an off color joke or shows their bigotry or biases? What do you do? How do you respond? According to the Cambridge dictionary, bigotry is “the fact of having and expressing strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life.” Racist jokes reinforce negative stereotypes about marginalized people. Most of us have been in an uncomfortable situation involving race where we know what is happening is wrong, but we do not know how to stop it or respond. Empower yourself now by thinking of what you would do and learn about potential responses below.
Step 1: Watch
4+ Minutes
Step 2: Read
15+ Minutes
Speak Up: Responding to Everyday Bigotry
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Speak Up: Responding to Everyday Bigotry
The Southern Poverty Law Center gathered hundreds of stories of everyday bigotry from people across the United States. They told their stories through e-mail, personal interviews and at roundtable discussions in four cities. People spoke about encounters in stores and restaurants, on streets and in schools. No matter the location or relationship, the stories echo each other.
Use the Table of Contents to Learn what you can do.
Reflection
Are you Prepared to interrupt racial joke? When is something truly funny and where do we draw the line? Who gets to decide whether a joke is funny?
Think of a time you encountered an uncomfortable situation. How did you respond then? How would you respond differently today?