Abel George, 1/6/21, Pd. 8, Day C

Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

I think a major issue affecting us today in society is institutionalized racism. Institutionalized racism is racism expressed in the practice of social and political institutions, meaning in a way, it is embedded in our society. Institutionalized racism is seen through disparities presented in institutions such as housing, education, and the criminal justice system. By reading online I’ve seen many examples of institutionalized racism in action. For example, racism in housing has been around since the 1930s when the official policy of the HOLC and the FHA identified individuals of color as financial risks regardless of their social class stopping minorities from receiving loans negatively affecting these groups for years. I feel institutionalized racism is a major issue affecting America today and for this reason, we need more discussion on these topics.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Our personal beliefs, assumptions, and experiences can create implicit or unconscious biases. Our preconceived notions shape our outlook on others creating this unconscious bias towards other groups. Growing up in a Christian household seeing people practice different religions for the first time came as a surprise to me. This helps me understand why some people become very narrow-minded over time. When you spend your whole life surrounded by people who share the same ideals as you, you aren't exposed to new ways of thinking leading to these unconscious biases. In a way you are in an echo-chamber hearing the same ideas over and over again You begin to perceive things that are different as bad or incorrect. This is why I feel education is very important in breaking these unconscious biases and creating new ways of thinking.