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Racial Inclusiveness

When I was in college, it seemed rather trivial to have friends who were non-white. I like that because while skin tone can be meaningless, there are lots of cultural varieties and I find them fascinating. I went to a school where 30% of the students were Japanese and that was a great experience.

But now, I find myself surrounded with mostly white men and some white women.

I read a bit about the atheist community these days and some other people have noticed the white male atheist is the average atheist.

It's tricky to ask, but what groups do a good job of being racially inclusive? Are you racially inclusive, what do you do that works?

I'm not turning away friends for being white and male, but there should be a way to improve my ability to run into diverse people and avoid unintentionally alienating them, right?

Tags: inclusiveness, race

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Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on October 27, 2010 at 3:37pm

I suspect that most atheists are much less biased against skin color or culture than the average theist.

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Permalink Reply by Lindsey S. on October 27, 2010 at 11:48pm

Just talk to them as you would talk to your white friends. People just wanted to be treated like people, not fine china. Sometimes the most insulting people are the ones who go out of their way to be politcally correct.
Personally I've found economic status to be a bigger wall than race: nothing destroys a relationship faster than talking about finances lol.

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Permalink Reply by World Walker on October 28, 2010 at 1:46pm

That's good advice. However, I've got some work to do to simply be in places where there is more diversity. I think I get along fine with anyone. I'm kind of just wondering what interest groups tend to actually be diverse and then I intend to think about why that is.

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Permalink Reply by x Secular X Combatant x on October 29, 2010 at 10:47am

Greydon Square for POTUS

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Permalink Reply by Earther on November 10, 2010 at 4:59pm

The numbers speak for themselves but every individual must speak for themselves. Everyone is different in there abilities to be inclusive for various reasons. I am sure some people are uninclusive by default, meaning, even if they want to include friends from all areas they know if they are bringing their new friend home they know they would be bringing them home to the sharks. Family members who are abusive to human equallity are selfish and ignorant and make it very difficult for you to live a peaceful life. Support groups of anykind can determine how inclusive you are.

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Permalink Reply by World Walker on November 11, 2010 at 8:10am

So. You're suggesting that the more support groups I am in the more inclusive I would be?

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Permalink Reply by Earther on November 11, 2010 at 4:59pm

I was speaking more to your background than what is in your future. If your support group now is less open to inculsiveness than you are less likely to be supportive to inclusive acts or thoughts. If you are surrounded by a supportive group, say family or job, then you are more likely to be supportive to inclusive acts and thoughts. Therefore, if you in the future decide to work towards friends and groups and jobs that are inclusive then you may improve your ability of being inclusive but there are no guarantees. We all have he ability to make changes in our own life but we cannot always inspire others to think like ourselves.

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Permalink Reply by Louis on November 23, 2010 at 10:48pm

Well most of us are coming from countries that are mostly white so it's not so surprising to find whites in the majority, at least here.

In any case I think a better way to think about this is to be racially neutral than racially inclusive (unless of course what you call inclusive I call neutral). I can't compel a person to become an atheist and even if I could, I wouldn't; it's not for me to decide what group a person should associate with. Even then, I care far less about the light absorption of a person's skin than I care about what they know about light absorption.

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on November 23, 2010 at 11:33pm

conversations on race ethnicity and culture

always trying to bring people into the conversation.

I recently read a yahoo news article about crime, St. Louis now taking the current "most crime" prize. I sometimes read comments on news articles - a form of self flagellation since I know I'll be mortified at the stupidity. Even in my jaded state, I was horrified about the racism in the comments.

Apparently Sarah Palin also back to the "Obama is a racist" thing, if you can beleive the news reports.

I live on the wrong coast to know anything about Charlottesville, but here is a link regarding race in Charlottesville(and not the race track)

"Less than a year ago, the City of Charlottesville kicked off the Dialogue on Race, what Acting City Manager Maurice Jones now calls the “largest civic engagement project” in the city in a long time. More than 700 people began the process in January and participated in study circles—comprising residents from different backgrounds and mediated by a consulting firm. The circles met to discuss how to help resolve racial tensions in the city."

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Permalink Reply by evan57 on January 7, 2011 at 4:41am

My whole life I think I have only talked to around 10 people of a race other than white. It's not because I am racist but because there are very few people of different races in my area. In high school I would estimate out of the 1400 kids there at most would be only 50 people of different races. Currently I am in college and there are definitely more people of different races but still a huge majority of whites. I wish I could meet more people of a different race other than white, but my area is just not that diverse.

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Permalink Reply by Kelvin Hilerio on January 8, 2011 at 3:39pm

I guess i'm one of the fortunate ones when it comes to the whole diversity issue. I have gone to a high school for the past couple of years that is hugely diverse, not to mention the school population being over 3,500 students. I am also glad that i can portray a non stereotypical view of an atheist, seeing as how i am a hispanic male. I also dress in baggy clothes and tend to surprise people when i start talking about science and philosophy and defending my atheism.