Why does white America have such a hard time quitting racism? Why are white people so easily seduced by Republican racist dog whistles disguised as culture war? Why are white people so willing to live in misery and hardship inflicted upon them by the Republican politicians they elect in order to be as racist and misogynistic as they wanna be?
The answer to these seemingly mystifying questions is that the biases of those around you not only influence your behavior and beliefs, but also the way the institutions of the area function. You can take someone like my mother who was fired from her job as a department store clerk in sleepy Appalachian Tennessee small town for having the temerity of offering a delivery driver a hot cup of coffee in the staff lounge on a cold snowy day while his truck was being unloaded. It was 1963 and he was Black. My mother is from very rural western Pennsylvania. She claims it never occurred to her that it could be a problem.
Fast forward twenty years to central Texas where we’ve lived for most of that, and she’s cussing the Mexicans as being lazy thieves that you can’t trust no way no how. What gives? How could she lose her sense of racial equity?
Given the geographical migration that has taken place in the US over the past fifty odd years, you might could think that the racial attitudes were being evened out, but they’re not. We’ll use findings from studies using data from Harvard Implicit Association test to explain.
Data from 1860 Predicts Racism Today
Let’s start with this finding revealed on the essential podcast, Hidden Brain. Amazingly, the effects of the Civil War still linger, almost as if it never really ended. The Deep South still correlates highly with intense racism. Just look at the mishegas coming out fo Mississippi with their giving all of the federal income support moneys to rich white people like Brett Farve and the capitol police getting to do all of the murders to all of the Black people they can find.
In a recent episode on implicit bias, I was struck by a finding that Shankar Vedantam pointed out that used Civil War data on proportions of free and enslaved people in the counties of the Confederacy to illuminate racial attitudes of today. Lincoln, in a move that is still paying big dividends, commissioned a study that produced a county-level map of the Confederacy showing the percent of enslaved people, read that Blacks. He found that the higher the percentage, the harder the county fought to preserve the right of white folks to own and mistreat Black people. And, wouldn’t you know it, it predicts the depth of racism today in those eHarxact same counties even though we have such a large reshuffling of our population so that many of the people who live in those counties aren’t direct decedents of the slave owning traitorous confederates and the direct decedents aren’t the racist bigots that their forebears were wherever it is that they live.
Think about that. It suggests that those racist attitudes hold on in the very infrastructure of the county and get passed from person to person, generation to generation almost like a virus or bad gene. Perfectly non-racist people move to those counties and find themselves with hardening biases.
County Anti-Black Bias Predicts Police Anti-Black Violence
Lest you think this is so much hot gas being blown out of a motivated reasoning ass, the good folks over at the Harvard Implicit Association Test now have decades of data reflecting millions of people from around the globe. Now, with all this data out there, wouldn’t you know it those pesky social scientists have started looking at geographically aggregated data to see if the aggregate of biases of individuals living in a specific place reflect the amount of discrimination in that place.
What do you think they found? Sure ’nuff, they found when a whole bunch of people with implicit anti-Black bias get together in a specific place like a county in the Deep American former Confederacy South, you get high degrees of racial prejudice and bias.
Here’s a fascinating and very sobering finding from a meta-analysis of studies looking at disparities in policing as evidenced by the lethality of traffic stops. I know, we whitey white meats don’t need even think they go together, “proving” that you can find a correlation between any two randomly chosen things no matter how little they actually have to do with each other. However, for everybody else in the country, it makes perfect sense because police murder non-whites. Tessa Charlesworth and Mahzarin Banaji report in their paper on the relationship on socially significant outcomes and their relationship with regional implicit bias:
- Black folks make up from twelve percent of the population, but 23 percent of all the people killed by police, like double what any reasonable person would expect. Of course, racists will say that Black folks are committing all of the crimes, so duh. But, that’s racism for you. It doesn’t stand up to statistical analysis.
- The meta-analysis reveals:
- the greater the implicit antiBlack and pro-White attitudes of a region, and
- the greater the implicit Black-weapon stereotypes in a region
- the greater the likelihood of lethal use of force by police toward Black Americans.
The relationship is much more insidious than police catching Black and white criminals in action and feeling like they are fearing for their lives more often when confronted by a Black criminal than with a white one because Blacks is criminals, of course. It goes to the greater percentage likelihood that Black people in areas with higher implicit bias against Blacks of having a police encounter, meaning that police stop Blacks in far greater numbers than their make up of the population would warrant. The likelihood of being on the receiving end of police violence starts there.
These findings are so strong and so pervasive that it is unsurprising that a white Kansas City police officer is suing the department for racist practices. He alleges that they were explicitly instructed to do the following:
- A police captain ordered them to only answer calls in predominately white neighborhoods and ignore calls in predominately Black neighborhoods because white folks “are actually paying for the police.”
- They were explicitly told to target CoC of color and racially inflammatory language was consistently used.
- Ticket quotas were demanded and to meet them, they were encouraged to seek out PoC because they were more likely to have multiple infractions.
- A captain with the force told him to “approach every car with the mindset to be ready to kill everybody in the car.”
But, it is only a few bad apples in our police departments doing all the civil rights violations and murders to all of the Black citizens.
We’ve long known that the situation we find ourself in counts for about 75% of our behavior. We evolved to fit into the groups we identify with. We unconsciously adopt the views of those around us. We hunt for clues to those views whether those are in statues of traitorous racist slave-owning Confederate officers or tirades against Critical Race Theory at school board meetings, they have an effect on the attitudes that everyone who is exposed to them. And, just like the changes in racial attitudes my mother exhibited over her lifetime, we will all change unless we actively, consciously fight against it.
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Categories: Social Psychology
The Psy of Life 
Reblogged this on cabbagesandkings524 and commented:
Calico Jack – Social context and aggregate bias and racism
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I’m thinking that your mom got a really, really strong message from the infrastructure when she got fired for being non-racist for just one moment. She was told that she had to “get her mind right” on the subject, to never make that mistake again, or else. By the time she was talking about the Mexicans in Texas, the confusion from the cognitive dissonance out of that message had been resolved. And, I’ll bet that she never noticed that her bias had changed. We also have a deep need to see ourselves as consistent, as always having been how we are now. The exception to that is any sort of conversion experience, a dramatic awakening or rebirth event. Then we are allowed to believe we have changed, even though our really hard wired primal beliefs and biases have only been reinterpreted and contextualized. As Bateson pointed out, there is no meaning without context. The findings on aggregate bias speak loudly to that point.
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Howdy Bob!
It’s funny how those messages just creep into your soul. That one in the department store was explicit, but others are much less so. The subtle messaging of just seeing statues of Confederate heroes affects white people as much as Blacks as with hearing the n-word and racist jokes and commentary. I think that is one of the most significant and under appreciated contributions of the HIA test: the aggregation of attitude matters by influencing individuals and the way institutions function in that community.
It also reaffirms the notion that we need to explicitly call out racist and racially insensitive remarks and cultural icons. Perhaps the extreme reaction to “wokeism” by the right is because it works.
Huzzah!
Jack
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I agree. If “wokeism” didn’t work, it wouldn’t scare the them so much.
There is some good news this morning, that Wisconsin voters flipped their Supreme Court to a Democrat majority.
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I don’t think I’ve seen any more heartening news than that since the 2020 election. Wisconsin’s obscenely gerrymandered districts won’t survive the court challenge that is sure to come since the partisan Republican majority has been broken and SCOTUS may not wade into state-level political decisions unless SCOTUS gives up any and all pretense of being non-partisan.
Jack
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Wisconsin is good news for sure. It is an interesting state, one that elected (at different times, but close) a Socialist governor, Robert La Follette, and Joe McCarthy.
What SCOTUS will do is an open question. They do seem likely to dodge the “Independent Legislature” question since the NC Supreme Court got shifted to a GOP majority and is likely to let gerrymandered maps stand.
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Howdy Bob!
The independent legislature question is one best left unanswered as long as it is possible that there is a court who would agree with the doctrine. Here’s hoping that Biden or his Dem successor gets another pick or two for SCOTUS and they continue their rapid rate of judicial nominations and approvals.
Like I said, though, for every successful election of a liberal supreme court justice, there is Wisconsin legislature to impeach them or a Tennessee legislature tossing young Black representatives for no good reason other than racial oppression.
Jack
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The WI legislature has shown mutterings about having an impeachathon. They are that frightened, and that deaf to the messages from the electorate especially on the subject of abortion, with gerrymandering running a close second, and guns somewhere after them. As somebody wrote in an opinion piece, they aren’t pretending anymore.
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Howdy Bob!
The WI lege is sounding pretty out of touch with reality, which might include the false belief that they are beyond the reach of the voters and can’t be held accountable. Here’s hoping it bites them in the butt one day soon.
With legislatures denying members committee assignments, expelling members, and, now, talking about impeaching judges, it politicized these types of decisions and leaves the Dems open to the both sidesism of our lazy for-profit political press. Hopefully, the voters — or at least some of the voters — are willing to punish members of the Tennessee and Wisconsin legislatures. It is the only way for this fascist movement to be stopped.
Huzzah!
Jack
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Those who feel invulnerable almost always overplay their hand, and the more corrupt they are the more they think they must. I think there is significant reason to hope in the GOP’s apparent determination to make abortion the dominant issue in the next election. That one is already leaving teeth marks on their collective butt.
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Howdy Bob!
I don’t see the GOP moderating their stance on abortion or guns — two of the issues that are not affected by follow-the-leader politics. And, both are likely to drive the squishy middle away from them. It might even cost them gerrymandered seats.
Also, their culture war on trans folks and drag queens is likely to backfire because of white privilege: the default is a white trans person or white drag queen, which isn’t very threatening to most white people.
Huzzah!
Jack
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Yes, their response to any opposition is to go farther. That just narrows their base to the most radical and enraged.
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Howdy Bob!
It also shows their hubris. We’ve talked about this before. They are trapped in a no-win situation of their own making. They cannot break with the base because they won’t get the base’s votes to win the primary. They surely won’t get liberal votes, and they won’t win the remaining independent vote by a wide enough margin to win as an independent. Where else can they go?
They know further pandering to the base through abortion laws will only drive votes against them. They are in quite a pickle. At least, it isn’t as bad as the one it’s put Fox News in.
It’s the same trap that caught Fox News and Dominion isn’t letting them off that hook. Dominion is demanding a trial because they know they’ve (a) proven that the slander was done knowingly and (b) all they want is for a judgement in punitive damages. I’m surprised some wiseacre of a conservative, read that psychopath, hasn’t sued Fox News and Republican Party for misleading them.
Huzzah!
Jack
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I recall seeing a mention on one of the sites a few days ago that some big GOP donors were at least threatening to sue FOX, not for deceiving them, but for something like damaging the brand. And, as is being pointed out in a number of places about the abortion pill situation, the anti-abortion radicals have succeeded in pissing off Big Pharma, which could have serious financial consequences for the party.
Of course, then there are the lawyers for both Fox and Trump who keep screwing around and pissing off judges, mostly by lying to them or about them, which is always a bad move.
Yes, hubris, the driving sin in all great tragedies, is pandemic in the GOP and the right wing generally,
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Howdy Bob!
I like that it is the shareholders suing Fox for not doing their corporate duty and protecting the bottomline. In short, they’re saying, Fox shoulda known better than to leave themselves open to libel suits. Given the bend of Republicans towards corporate welfare and appreciation of profit, it is an argument that is likely to resonate with many judges… and juries should it get that far. The beautiful irony is that should the suit go forward, it and the Dominion suit and the settlement with Majed Khalil (Venezuelan businessperson caught up with the conspiracy nonsense) will likely bankrupt them.
A classic example of overreach and the destructive properties of groupthink and cognitive dissonance.
Couldn’t be happening to a nicer bunch of folks. Of course, the Murdoch’s have protected their fortune so they are unlikely to be harmed by the suit. I don’t think anyone has named any of the Fox personalities defendants, which is too bad because they should have their money at stake in all of this.
Huzzah!
Jack
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If, as seems very likely, Dominion wins, the individual liars will be vulnerable to suits. Whether anybody will go after them remains to be seen. And, similar suits against News Max and other media actors that have maintained the lies will look more likely to succeed. The verdict in Dominion v. Fox won’t be an end but a beginning.
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Hopefully, it will be the end of Fox.
I’m just surprised that some self-serving psychopath type hasn’t hit upon the brilliant idea of suing them for mental anguish and other damages. If Dominion is successful, it makes it far more likely someone will. Perhaps even a class action suit brought on behalf of MAGA.
Jack
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Well, legal standing to sue depends on demonstrable harm. The scale and variety of harms done by the lies does include the MAGAS as well as those who have been attacked and threatened because of the lies. The possibilities for ambitious ambulance chasers are sure to be noticed.
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Howdy Bob!
When you think of the possible harm caused to the rank and file MAGA person, it is staggering. How many friendships, families, marriages were broken up? How many jobs lost? How many votes not cast? How much mental anguish and pain was caused by fretting over a rigged election system and certainty of the “crimes” being committed by the deep state? I don’t know if any of that counts for standing, but there is a lot of damage on a deeply personal level out there as a result of this.
With any luck some “Better Call Saul” type will see their opportunity to cash in and start a class action suit.
Huzzah!
Jack
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The challenge for that lawyer trying to put together such a class action claim would convincing enough MAGAs that they have been harmed more than helped, and also quantifying the damages in dollars. For example, what is the price of having been through multiple rounds of medical expenses, not to mention loss of earnings or death of a family wage earner, because you were lied to about the COVID vaccine? Pain and suffering are hard to monetize. Medical bills and lost wages are easy.
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Howdy Bob!
Many of the insurrectionists who have gone to jail for years long stints used the defense that they had been duped by Trump. I bet a class action case could be cobbled together from them. And, there are enough opportunists out there would be happy to jump upon that bandwagon if it looked like there was a big payday at the end.
Huzzah!
Jack
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A lot of them may be wondering, “Where’s Saul when I need him?” Part of the question would be whom to sue, Trump himself, Fox, Rudi and crew? Still, they are a well definable class, and growing.
Interestingly, the judge in the Dominion case gave the parties a day to try to settle, but only a day. I don’t think he expected much. My guess is that Dominion said “Hell No!, We’re going for the kill.”, or had conditions, like maybe public confessions on air by the likes of Tucker, flat out telling the MAGAs, “We lied to you. None of it was true.”. Dominion certainly would want more than mere money.
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Howdy Bob!
I have to say that I am very disappointed in the Dominion settlement, but, also, with myself. Like a lot of people, I came to believe that Dominion would behave differently than a for-profit company would. Of course, they followed the money. The risk of the outcome of a trial was too great. Better to settle for half the amount than risk getting less by some fluke of jury deliberations. I get it.
It really does beg for the class action suit by any citizen who can lay claim to harm done by the Fox News promotion of lies about the election. We’ll see.
Huzzah!
Jack
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The settlement clearly shows that neither side was willing to roll the dice on a jury verdict, or the vagaries of the appellate courts. Still, the terms don’t include burying the evidence and the judge’s summary judgements stand and will not be appealed. The Fox lawyers will be looking to settle the other voting machine company’s suit. What they can do to settle the one from the share holders is a mystery, but would almost have to include management and personnel changes. So, this is not the end of Fox’s troubles.
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Yeah, I get that. I was just duped again by the hype in the social media sphere, led to think that Dominion’s case was so strong they would go for the kill like Thiel did Gawker, but that was the difference between a wealthy individual on a vendetta and a company just trying to make a profit and provide a professional service. I shoulda known better, but, alas and alack, I feel victim to the same bias, heuristics, and tendencies that I warn against.
I had heard one of the Dominion lawyers say in a post settlement news conference that one of their goals was not to settle until all of the damning evidence had become public. For them, that was fulfilling their civic duty: getting the email and text exchanges of the misgivings and doubts of the hosts, Murdoch admitting that the Fox parent company could’ve put a stop to Fox News airing lies, but didn’t making them liable for damages, and recordings of guests stating that they didn’t have proof. Making all of that part of the public record is a service. Giving Dominion such a huge financial boost is a service, if one presumes they’ll use part of their settlement to help improve their voting systems making the more secure and accurate.
I find it hard to resolve my feelings that we, as a country, have been so damaged by all of this, and that there is no legal mechanism for making us whole by holding the perpetrators accountable.
Huzzah!
Jack
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The old saying about the wheels of justice grinding slowly is true and a source of endless frustration when we just want the system to smite the bad guys.
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Howdy Bob!
In general it is good that we can’t just smite the bad guys as soon as we are “sure” they are guilty. Evidence and court trials are, in general, places were actual guilt, innocence, and accountability are fairly accurately doled out, in spite, of the number of people freed on DNA evidence and the mounds of evidence of corrupt DAs.
Dominion did what was right for Dominion. As you’ve said, there are other cased coming. Hopefully, we’ll be able to hash this out and end up with a better information environment, but I’m not optimistic. Social media and the Internet make it all too easy for the information ecosystem to become polluted with mis and dysinformation.
Huzzah!
Jack
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In regard to the mis and dysinformation flood, this article is relevant about vivid imagining and confusion with reality. https://neurosciencenews.com/reality-illusion-brain-23075/
It’s not encouraging.
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Howdy Bob!
You might be interested in listening to the #SistersInLaw latest podcast. Their first segment is on the lawsuits Fox is facing. At the moment there are three: Dominion, Smartmatic, and the shareholder suit. There could be more coming, especially if Dominion wins, which they will, and given that Fox was just caught withholding evidence, signaling legal malfeasance and consciousness of guilt, has pissed the judge off, opening the lawyers up to penalties, and probably will anger a jury, too, paving the way for a big punitive judgement.
https://www.politicon.com/podcasts/outfoxxed/
Huzzah!
Jack
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I’ll check it out. Thanks
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Correction on the comment about the GOPers suing Fox: It was Fox investors, big shareholders suing for Fox getting sued for big bucks.
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