The 98%
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I was at a briefing the other day featuring john powell, Executive Director of the Kirwan Institute. He was talking about race, racism, and racialization. He talked about how as human beings, we have access to about 2% of our cognitive emotions. Which means that most of us are not consciously aware of 98% of the thoughts and emotions running through our mind. 98%.
And, according to john powell, that 98% is where a lot of race-related problems occur in society. All of us have inherited racial stereotypes and beliefs that we may think we don't have, but its very active in that 98%. It's easy for folks to say, "I'm not racist, I have black friends and I let them use my bathroom," because the "racial anxiety," as powell called it, is hidden in the 98% and they are not even aware of it.
The video was used to show how its possible for us to COMPLETELY miss something as crazy as a moon walking bear, because we are trained to focus on something else. In our society, we are told not to talk about race and not to call out racism, because that's an issue of the past, it divides people, we're just a bunch of liberals playing the race card, it makes people feel guilty, angry, threatened, victimized, invisibilized, uncomfortable. So we're focused on the white team (the 2%), meanwhile we have moonwalking bears everywhere that we don't even notice (the 98%).
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Watch.....
The......
Video......
First......
THEN......
Scroll.....
Down.......
Did you see it? Pretty cool?.
I was at a briefing the other day featuring john powell, Executive Director of the Kirwan Institute. He was talking about race, racism, and racialization. He talked about how as human beings, we have access to about 2% of our cognitive emotions. Which means that most of us are not consciously aware of 98% of the thoughts and emotions running through our mind. 98%.
And, according to john powell, that 98% is where a lot of race-related problems occur in society. All of us have inherited racial stereotypes and beliefs that we may think we don't have, but its very active in that 98%. It's easy for folks to say, "I'm not racist, I have black friends and I let them use my bathroom," because the "racial anxiety," as powell called it, is hidden in the 98% and they are not even aware of it.
The video was used to show how its possible for us to COMPLETELY miss something as crazy as a moon walking bear, because we are trained to focus on something else. In our society, we are told not to talk about race and not to call out racism, because that's an issue of the past, it divides people, we're just a bunch of liberals playing the race card, it makes people feel guilty, angry, threatened, victimized, invisibilized, uncomfortable. So we're focused on the white team (the 2%), meanwhile we have moonwalking bears everywhere that we don't even notice (the 98%).
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Comment by Amanda Shauger on November 5, 2009 at 1:03am
- Thanks.
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The mission of The Gathering is to build an Intergenerational, movement, rooted in history, cultures and non-violent direct action to heal communities, build collective strength and generate an environment of hope and opportunity.
Civil rights and social justice organizations have come to understand that collective action on a national basis is required to stop child incarceration and challenge the immoral process which perpetuates an unjust justice system. These groups are working under extremely difficult circumstances and many of them with little or no resources. The Gathering is a national movement that creates a coordinated space to 1) fortify relationships between regional groups, 2) support local endeavors and 3) enhance the ongoing organizing of non-violent direct action training. Central to its mission is strengthening our moral environment.
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"The Gathering" is a project of Tides Center 501c3
Civil rights and social justice organizations have come to understand that collective action on a national basis is required to stop child incarceration and challenge the immoral process which perpetuates an unjust justice system. These groups are working under extremely difficult circumstances and many of them with little or no resources. The Gathering is a national movement that creates a coordinated space to 1) fortify relationships between regional groups, 2) support local endeavors and 3) enhance the ongoing organizing of non-violent direct action training. Central to its mission is strengthening our moral environment.
- “a project of tides center” -
"The Gathering" is a project of Tides Center 501c3
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