Are we Equal, but Separate?

By Janis Prince Inniss

My best friend is white. In fact, several of my friends are from racial and ethnic backgrounds that differ from my own. As a black woman in the U.S., these may be unusual truths or may even sound like the old cliche, “Some of my best friends are black.” Now that President Barack Obama is in the White House lots of people having been saying, both publicly and privately that race relations are improving in America. And perhaps they are. However two recent incidents have caused me to think less optimistically about the role of race in our social interactions.

One recent Saturday night I attended two parties. As I was on my way out of the first—a holiday gathering— I was surprised to see a group of about four white couples at the dining table. The other guests, all of whom were black, were mingling in the kitchen, living room, or were on the lanai. This was a fairly large gathering of about fourteen or more couples eating, drinking and chatting throughout this home, while their children played in a game room. Because the sizable home’s layout, I did not realize that this group had formed at the dining table until I passed them on my way out. To be sure, the eight or so whites at that table were in the minority at that party; everyone else was black. And the fact that they were even there as invited guests of my friends the black hosts suggests that some cross race socialization was taking place .

But why was there this segregation at the party? Perhaps there was a good explanation for this group to be off by themselves—they work together and were talking shop or are neighbors discussing their homeowner’s association—I don’t know. And perhaps there was co-mingling after I left.

When I left that party, before I could finish mulling over what I had witnessed, I went to the graduation party of another friend’s son. I was very excited to be attending this graduation of a young man—a young black male—part of the demographic least likely to be among the college educated. This young man had graduated from one of the nation’s top schools. As though continuing an unwritten theme of the evening, however, this was another segregated social event. Except for one or two Latinos, every one of the graduate’s friends at this reception was black!

I was glad to see so many young black men who were in/or graduating from college but how is it possible to attend a predominately white college and make no white friends there? I would ask a similar question about a white graduate with only white friends too. How is it possible to attend even a “majority” school and make no minority friends? Friendships are not regulated and we don’t want them to be. But these incidents remind me that in many cases Americans continue to live segregated lives.

Despite decades of bussing and other integration efforts, many kids ”choose” to hang out with their own race at school. I see evidence of this weekly when I meet with a high school mentee. Everywhere I look, there are bunches of black students together, white students together, and Latino students together. When my step-daughter was in middle school, I saw students waiting for the school bus in the same fashion. I often thought it unrealistic that none of the friends on the TV show of the same name had any interactions with minorities, particularly since that show was set in the highly cosmopolitan city of New York. (Eventually black actress Aisha Tyler made a few appearances as a love interest, finally adding some ”color” to the show.)

Whether or not one has friends or acquaintances who are a different race is not an academic issue. Recent research indicates that even spending relatively short amounts of time with someone of a different race reduces bias and prejudice. The extended-contact effect even ripples out to include your friends. In these research sessions, strangers of differing races are brought together for four hour-long sessions. In these structured interactions, pairs move from simple conversations to those that address more serious matters and eventually to a trust exercise. Some of the people form relationships that move beyond the research environment. People who have been through these exercises instantly score lower on prejudice measures and are less afraid of encounters with people of another race. Research suggests that even low doses of ”exposure” to someone of a different race can impact our attitudes towards that group.

Do you live in an area that is racially and ethnically diverse? How many of your friends or people in your social circle are from a different racial background than your own? Social settings do not have the structure of these research sessions, but in some cases we can build trusting relationships even in a purely social environment. Why might this be important?

Comments

[Jamie]

Very Interesting. A lot of things said in this article, I completely agree with. I have witnessed on several occasions that people of the same race are more likely to go up to eachother and start a conversations versus people of different races. Though it's sad but true, I believe most people just feel more comfortable around their own race at a social gathering with many diverse races. They may be afraid to see what would happen if they began talking to someon of a different race.

[Annie Manning]

I believe the thought that there is still racial segregation, even in todays advanced society is very true. Even though our culture and world has come so far to rid itself any sort of discrimination, I beleive sadly there will always be some form of it lingering around, not matter how much we grow to accept all. There will always be people who won't change their ways and are afraid of getting to know what they don't understand. They are afraid to even take that risk. They want to stay where it's safe and familar.

[imelda bealer]

I believe that we still live in a seprate but equal society. We can not only see them in the many diffrenet communities but also in schools,jobs,play grounds, and businesses. While I was in high school, i would walk through the many different groups like the asians, mexicans, and whites even tho we still shared the same bathrooms and water fountain. People might claim that we are coming together as human beings. But the reality is we will never be able to adjust to another groups culture.

[Tristan Carter]

In today's society I think that we have not reached our goals as one. At times when you meet new people you tend to use what you might think that you know about that person, by using what you know about their race. This stereotyping occurs in our everyday lives. Most people want to stay in their comfort zone because thats were they feel more safe and comfortable. Many of us wouldn't be able to understand another persons culture that's why I think it might take us more time to become a united as one.

[Joe Risi]

Ive always found it humorous, but it seems that many people thought that just because obama has become president that racism would no longer exist overnight. Look people, if we really need to eliminate race problems we must take truly drastic measures to eliminate it. The only way we can do this? We must start in the schools and with our children. Someone high in power (obama perhaps?) must be the one to force this. We must no longer have tests and surveys that ask us race and ethnic questions. We must no longer have scholarships that are only given to certain groups of people (yes that includes women too). Although these things may be perceived as good things for the minorities, it continues to add to racism and segregation of all people. Although this is not what many want to hear, our generation will never see true equality. We can only hope that our children and our children's children will be able to witness it. Yes, we have absolutely come a long way since the 1800s and early 1900s, but unless we take drastic measures in changing our sociological culture we will never reach our goal of true equality for all.

[maridith zalba]

This article was very interesting and informing. It is true that some people such as white people may be friends with black people, but when invited to a party, they are still segregated out. It is just the common norms for people to hang around people of their same race even if they are surrounded by other races. It is also true that if you are around other races even for just little bits of time, you will be more comfortable around others. I personally, have a handful of friends from other races and I probably wouldn't be the same person I am today if it wasn't for those friends. The people who are very prejudice that I know need to see the good side of other races. I try very hard to make them realize that they are good people, too. Everyone needs to mingle and be friends with everyone. The things about the TV show "Friends" is true. There was only one incident where a black woman came on the show to be a love interest of one of the actors. For the rest of the show, they were all white and lived in a white community. I think TV shows need to promote more interracial relationships, so the society especially children will think it is an okay thing to do and believe it is a norm.

[Dalma Arreola]

I thought this was a very reflective article of what i would see going to both Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos High School. I would see all the white people hang out with all the whites, all the asians with other asians, all the blacks with other, blacks and all the Latinos with other Latinos.That did not mean that they would not communicate with eachother but those were just the primary people they would hang out with. Its interisting because in Santa Barbara High School i also saw that social groups were not only seperated by race but also by class since you get people from Montecito which is a very wealthy place, going to that school and you get people from the Eastside of Santa Barbara who are among the poorest in Sanata Baarbara.The classrooms were also very segregated i would go into the regular college prep classes and would see that the majority of people were people of color and in all the advance placement classses there were mainly white priviledged students in there. I am Mexican American, and i personally do not have many close friends that are of a different ethnic background than me. I do however talk to a variety of different races enough that i feel have dismantled a lot of stereotypes that might have had but a lot of those people i met inc college. My close friends that are of the same ethnic backgrond usually have same experiences as me and have the same goals and would attend similar classes. I think that is what seperates most people and i think that the different will seperate until there is a commonality in goals, education and experiences between them until then they will seperate with people they feel more comfortable in.

[Elvis B]

It is matter of socialization and values that were/are instilled in subsequent and present generations. Racial segregation or racial preference is, in my opinion, a social construct that is steep in the history of our past. I am sure that if research is conducted in the form of a social upbringing experiment of various ethnic groups in a community not exposed to the harsh realities of past racial unrests, that we would see a culimination of instill values that will not breed segregation and racial disharmony as we know it today.

I believe that the colour of skin and race would not dominate such groups raised to see people as people and not the complexities of inferiorty or supramcy.

In the minds of many ethic groups there exist an unconscious or conscious thought of the 'better than' mentality. Its subtlety is manifested in surreptitious or hush tones but the actions are clearly depicted in our non verbal cues and our mannerisms.

Who we are today and the manner in which we behave is clearly a case of social upbringing and learnt behaviour. Hence our continued segregative behaviour when amongst people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds is a consequence of this.

[cdimatteo]

People put too much emphasis on race as they do on physical appearance, weight, religious choice, etc...not trying to generalize racism by any means...it is a real problem and real people suffer because of it. I'm just using basic examples. From personal experience (mine alone), I believe that many of the individuals that are(consider themselves to be) racist really don't have a problem with the race of another, but a problem within themselves. Individual counseling is an option and an opportunity to express yourself to an impartial, experienced professional.

[Alexandra Bagley-Johnson]

The purpose and position of Janice Inniss’ article is crystal clear throughout and it had exactly the effect on me which I think she intended for it to have. The article left me thinking of my sociological interactions and realizing how few people I surround myself with, who are of other races. Her counter claim to the common belief that Obama’s election alone is some huge step in racial relations in the United States made me stop and really consider this. While is is a big step for our country, it does not necessarily correlate with the race relations of Americans on an individual level. I began thinking as Inniss says that she did, of how children, from early elementary school age, begin separating themselves from one another according to race and how this then becomes the norm; the comfortable, familiar thing to do. I think that the author meant for her article to make readers realize how and if they, themselves, separate themselves from other races, however, I don’t think she proposed a clear and effective solution. She vaguely states that the more exposure we have, the more our society will benefit in regard to racial relations, but she never really breaks it down to a manageable sized task. The issue addressed in the article is a very significant one, and as history has shown, its a human tendency and therefore, not something to be easily fixed, or changed overnight. I believe, however, that Inniss may have had a stronger and more effective conclusion had she given some examples of how to begin breaking outside the norm.

[Thomas Ugarte]

This article was not only interesting, but also very informing. We do in fact still live in a separate but equal society. People have the issue of not wanting to try or experience something different and because of this, difficulty is raised when encountering a situation with someone of another race. I believe this is one problem with people around the world today, they have a set of bias opinions and ultimately this interferes with their ability to accept people from different races. I completely agree with Innes’ idea “that even low doses of ‘exposure’ to someone of a different race can impact our attitudes towards that group.”(Innes, 2009) It happens too often that people make judgments of others without truly getting to understand and know them. Living in a world of technological determinism, it is inevitable that the media plays a big role in corrupting us human beings, with in many cases inaccurate information that makes us believe that people from different races are threatening. It would seem that in present day life, we are becoming more and more equal and human beings are coming closer due to how fast we can communicate with each other and how much travel there is. But we need to change some aspects of our culture in order to truly reach equality. We need to see everybody as another human being, regardless of their color or beliefs. If we reach out to others and are willing to experience new interactions with people of different races we ultimately will realize that everyone is equal.

[White Dining Table]

We really do live in a unique society, good to read someone who starts a conversation about it