Automatic Racism

In class we did an activity in which someone did a computer activity to show there automatic reactions and distinctions that are made between "blacks and whites".It was crazy to see that automatically there was an unconscious preference of "whites," to "blacks". As we read further we learned that this preference even consists amongst "blacks." A study at the University of Washington furthered the evidence to this....it is possible to be racist without knowing it! Americans stereotypes and prejudices operate unconsciously! This seems as though it happens because of the culture we grow up in....how can we be completely unprejudiced, assuming we cannot just change American culture and views overnight?

Race

The concept that your race changes as you fly to another country is so strange! In America our veiws of race are so integrated into how we think it is almost incomprehesible to view it from others perspectives. For example the fact that in Brazil there are over a dozen racial categories based upon the shade of skin...although they're more individualized in there categories and it is not as clear cut as black and white it's still not acceptable. So....what is accpetable? Why would we possibley need to categorize race as we do? If there is no need to categorize, how do we stop?