Racism In Society

In the past decade, racism has changed along with how society has changed. For example, in today’s society, it is rare to see a store, restaurant or anyone who just will not serve anyone because they are black; however, it can still happen. In society today, world racism is taken and given in a different way. When the Internet came into play during the 21st century and social media following not far after, the characteristics of racism changed. Author Emily Fekete writes in her article Race and (Online) Sites Consumption, “Geographers have noted the increasing role of the Internet and social media in everyday life (Zook and Graham 2007; Elwood 2011; Kitchin and Dodge 2011; Stephens 2013)”. Not only has social media increased, but in doing this,
social media has greatly changed the way racism is seen today. People all around the world have used social media to give or display their opinions on race. Recently the spark of race concerns and opinions has increased this past year, with the use of social media becoming more and more popular every day. People are using social media to display racism in wrong and hurtful ways; however, it is also being used as a way to spread the awareness of race, and hopefully stop it from growing. The use of social media has also been used to help teach students and others about race, both from the past and in the present time. With the use of many different social media sites, the way racism is seen and given has completely changed.
According to a survey by Thinktank Demos over 10,000 racist based tweets (on the social network Twitter) are sent every day.
These tweets consists of vulgar and offensive slurs towards all races. A study by Demos found that there are six different ways to tweet race-bound slurs: Any type of negative stereotype; a casual use of the slurs; trying to directly target abuse of any kind; appropriated meaning, saying something to benefit oneself and not others around them; non-derogatory or lessening the value of others; and lastly offline action or in other words writing an insult that goes on and continues in the real world not just through social media (1). These are just six of the main types of slurs and vulgar tweets many people have posted on Twitter alone. However, according to most people, over 70% proclaim that these tweets mean nothing and are being used in a non-derogatory fashion (Demos, 1). Even so, some of the words and text that many people tweet can always be seen as filthy and crude. A few of the top words are; p***y which is used in 4% of all tweets (an average of 410 a day); p**I used in 11% of tweets (average of 1,170 a day); and the number one word being, white-boy which is used in almost half of tweets posted, 48.9% (average of 4,890 a day) (2). These numbers are only increasing as social media itself increases. The Anti-Social Media estimates “around 50-70% of tweets were used to express in group solidary with ‘re-claimed’ slurs used within ethnic groups.”
(2) Meaning, most of the race-based tweets that are sent out every day are not meant to be harmful to others, but instead be used as a way to communicate with other races. Some people might see these slurs as wrong doing and hateful, but in reality they are being used by many people as a way to communicate with other races all around.
With the new aspects of social media swelling more and more every day, the numerous ways to connect with people from all over the world has become increasingly easier. Right now someone from California, who has access to a computer, can go to ‘YouTube’ and watch a video that was posted in Australia. The way of communicating is vastly growing and will only keep growing. With this happening people from all over can express and state their opinions and beliefs. A group of African-American students from the University of California, Los Angeles took this opportunity by posting a video on YouTube with the context of their reflections on how the black community is viewable in colleges all around. The videos main focus comes from the words of Sy Stokes the leader of the group who declared, “Hitting triples when they were already born on third base.” (Leonard, David, 2). In other words the white community has it better than most blacks, they do not have to work as hard to get to where they want to. In doing this, these students hoped the university would see and realize the lack of diversity and possible change that fact. Their hopes got answered as the video went viral getting well over two million views in a matter of weeks. Soon after universities all around the country took a stand for the black community and changed the way they were seen on campuses. Not only did the higher powers of university’s change, but also students took a stand. The University of Michigan was one of the biggest names. Many students took to Twitter stating their beliefs followed by the hashtag #BBUM (Being Black at Michigan). This then sparked all around the country. According the professor in the department of American Culture at U of M, Scott Kurahige explains that “social media has become a way to puncture the silence and hypocrisy of the ‘postracial’ order.” (Leonard, 4). Many students go to social media to “document and disrupt existing narratives about post-raciality or diversity, to demand accountability.” (Leonard, 3). In doing this, posting what they perceive and believe, it challenges racism to fade away, and it pushes campuses to a more moral crossroad of diversity. These students do not want to hear statements like, “You sound black…” but instead hear ones like, “You sound smart.” Rinku Sen, an author-activist writes, “Diversity is a start, a good start even, but it cannot be our end goal, the end goal has to be shared power, responsibility and reward –in short, equity.” (Leonard, 4). The use of social media can erase the aspects of racism from the past creating a bright future.
Recent surveys by the Pew Research Center states that 72% of adults who use the internet, also participate in some form of social media, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
(Nakagawa, Arzubiega, 1). Because of this many people of all ages are aware of videos and statuses that go viral. So when a ‘racist video’ is posted to a social media site, it can become extensively popular in a matter of hours. Many teachers and professors use this as a learning tool, to teach their students about the different aspects of race both formal and informal. With technology widely increasing different learning tools are starting to be being used. YouTube, is a great way to show informative videos about race both helpful and even violent. In showing these videos teachers can explain the truth and wider aspects of racism and how it is still alive and well in today’s world. Another tool of social media teachers can use, is to teach in the way of commenting and liking a post. This might seem simple and even useless; however, in using this tool, teachers can see and read what their students think and believe about the video: if it was informative; if it made them think; if they want to do something to change it. Also showing the students the many comments that are posted can show how many people from different races all over the world think and believe. They can also use social sites like YouTube to look back in time and see and read about racial literacy. What does this mean? Basically, it means that
“anyone who is racial literacy is encompassed in the way which they can learn to negotiate and understand race in relation to Whiteness, gender, etc.” (Nakagawa, Arzubiega, 3). There are six main aspects of race literacy according to F. W. Twine author of A White side of Black Britain. Twine states: “racism is a contemporary problem; race and racism are mediated by class, gender and the symbolic value of Whiteness; the cultural and symbolic value of Whiteness; racial identity is learned; racial grammar and vocabulary; and lastly, how to interpret racial codes…” (Nakagawa, Arzubiega, 3). With the ways of different social media sites, any one person can learn about the past of race, the present time of it, and even the future and what is to come of race.
The way race is seen in today’s world has vastly changed from ten years ago. It is much easier to make racial slurs and comments without having to deal with the consciences. It has become much easier to have a voice and state what you think and believe. And it has become even easier to learn about the different aspects of race both good and bad. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream” speech can become an actual reality because of the new ways of social media in today’s world. Can social media stop racism all together? More than likely no, but it is a start to something greater. A start to something that can end racism for good.