6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

adestefan wrote: post #3

viach wrote: post #2

My english is far from perfect, but there are effectively 7 words, no?

The contraction "I'm" is only one word.

[deleted]

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#6

Post by Kenji » Wed, May 06, 2015, 1:22 PM UTC

I don't think the other people are at fault here. I think it's reasonable to assume that someone with a stereotypically black name is black, just like it's reasonable to assume that a random IT professor is male based on the fact that 90%* actually are. As long as you owe up to your error when you notice it (and e.g. apologize). It's a reasonable optimization that works out more often than not.

The problem only starts when the treatment of the person depends on the category they belong to and if that difference in treatment is not based on reason and evidence.

*example, may not be accurate

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#7

Post by irl_zebra » Wed, May 06, 2015, 1:28 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #6

I don't think the other people are at fault here. I think it's reasonable to assume that someone with a stereotypically black name is black, just like it's reasonable to assume that a random IT professor is male based on the fact that 90%* actually are. As long as you owe up to your error when you notice it (and e.g. apologize). It's a reasonable optimization that works out more often than not. The problem only start…

We all make decisions and assumptions based on our past experiences. It's perfectly natural that if we keep seeing the same input leading to the same output over and over, we begin to associate that input with that output. Sometimes the input doesn't lead to the output, which helps us inform our future actions, but there's nothing inherently wrong with making assumptions and taking actions based on our experiences.

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#8

Post by emodendroket » Wed, May 06, 2015, 1:33 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #6

I don't think the other people are at fault here. I think it's reasonable to assume that someone with a stereotypically black name is black, just like it's reasonable to assume that a random IT professor is male based on the fact that 90%* actually are. As long as you owe up to your error when you notice it (and e.g. apologize). It's a reasonable optimization that works out more often than not. The problem only start…

Yes and no. Surely the people handing his credit card to his black friends after receiving it from him have reason to know better.

Besides that, I think the point is not just that people assume he's black, which would just be a curiosity, but that that assumption shapes their attitudes toward him.

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#9

Post by [deleted] » Wed, May 06, 2015, 1:37 PM UTC

Kenji wrote: post #6

I don't think the other people are at fault here. I think it's reasonable to assume that someone with a stereotypically black name is black, just like it's reasonable to assume that a random IT professor is male based on the fact that 90%* actually are. As long as you owe up to your error when you notice it (and e.g. apologize). It's a reasonable optimization that works out more often than not. The problem only start…

[deleted]

Re: 6 Words: 'My Name Is Jamaal I'm White'

#10

Post by jrells » Wed, May 06, 2015, 1:37 PM UTC

As a white guy with a (very mildly) African American sounding name, I have had similar experiences. When I meet people in person after emailing them they sometimes seem surprised, and some later admit they expected me to be black. The worst example was when I was told by someone renting a room on craigslist that they couldn't rent to me because I was a "security threat", even though I had hardly said anything about myself. It must be tough for those who face that kind of attitude constantly and are unable to escape it.