My first thoughts were those regarding the issue of hypertension among African Americans in the United States and how it has been a common site for race-based practices in the field of medicine. Once seen as a health problem directly related to the race of this group in our population, it is now correlated with the major societal stresses, particularly socioeconomic status, that African Americans face on a daily basis due to living in a society with a history of racism. Fairly recent studies have shown that the low economic status and unhealthy lifestyle habits that accompany it are more to blame than any genetic component. Fighting the problem of hypertension in the U.S. can be more effective now that professionals in the field can target at-risk individuals with more accuracy. This particular scenario seems to combine issues of stereotype and institutional racism.
Although it is a major leap for humankind to begin breaking ties with racial viewpoints, we are now faced with the threat of ending up too far in the other direction. A new element is stepping into the picture of race relations that is sometimes referred to as "color-blind racism". I was surprised to find this concept omitted from our textbook and find it particularly interesting. This label describes when a person classifies everyone as equal and completely disregards any form of racial characteristics. At first thought this doesn't seem like a negative perspective to have, but the issue arises on a more personal level. Identity is the means by which we relate to the world around us, project ourselves to others, and most importantly, form opinions about ourselves. I think it is the most unique mode of expression that humans possess and color-blind racism completely tosses out a piece of that. Despite the fact that a large portion of people have had their connection to their own race tainted by the racist and discriminatory tendencies of others, a person's race is still a part of how they identify themselves in the world, both individually and in a group.
When color-blind racism steps into the picture this self-identifier is completely removed and people are left with a sort of hole. It is undoubtedly a positive thing when people in our society can make the transition to a non-racist mindset, but totally wiping out the race concept seems to cause problems as well. The solution lies in a safe balance between the two. I think the ideal stance is to primarily acknowledge the characteristics and elements of a racial identification that the individuals within that group set for themselves and correlate their race with, while still being skeptical of stereotypes and ideas of inequality and hierarchy. This means that the main qualities connected to different race groups are positive ones that the members feel they project and are proud of. It is definitely important to still acknowledge the problems that tend to occur within racial groups, but to look at them with a critical eye and to assess the possible social causes for these issues. This is no doubt a difficult mindset to adopt when examining what we are currently working with in terms of race relations, but I believe that this mentality is the way in which people in the 21st century should approach the issue of race.
Amanda
