Perspectives on Attitudes towards Race and Racial Disenfranchisement

This series of films are a self-curated guide aimed at stimulating reflection and discussion on our individual perspectives on attitudes towards race and racial disenfranchisement, particularly at the nexus of black-white relationships in the USA. The films are centralized on the notion of "otherness" and the meaning of equity in a racially diverse society fraught with a history of racial tension. In navigating towards tangible solutions for progressing towards a more equitably just society, we kindly ask you to reflect on the following questions while watching the films:

  1. What are my thoughts of “the other”?
  2. How do my views align or deviate from the views being expressed in the films?

We hope you find these films to be insightful and engaging conversation starters in helping you to reflect on your own individual attitudes towards the notion of race.

Film 1

Has the American Dream Been Achieved at the Expense of the American Negro?  Has the American Dream Been Achieved at the Expense of the American Negro - YouTube

This film is a 1965 debate between authors, James Baldwin and William Buckley at the University of Cambridge at the height of the civil rights movement.


Film 2

Black murder is normal. Black murder is normal | Michael Smith | TEDxJacksonville - YouTube

This presentation by Pastor Michael Smith is an exposé on stark contrasts in our perceptions of accepted (normalized) cultural behavior.


Film 3

Jane Elliott’s Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Anti-Racism Exercise. Jane Elliott's "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" Anti-Racism Exercise | The Oprah Winfrey Show | OWN - YouTube

This presentation on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1992 engages a captive studio audience in exploring the notion that racism is a learned activity.