Will racism die out with the Baby Boomers?

Well, as I've said before, I don't think young people are more enlightened. I think we have raised an intolerant youth who are incapable of seeing anybody's point of view but their own.

Bit of a sweeping statement flopen I disagree and know of many young people who care for others and are trying to make things better in their own way.

Oh yes, you're right about that.
But try holding a different point of view from many of them. Dissent is definitely verboten.

They can't help it. They've been educated to think that their feelings are more important that facts. So, any divergence on belief causes them distress, which makes them angry.
And highly educated young people really do believe that they are always right.

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The main difference that I’ve observed, is that where I would consider myself not racist, my son & dil talk about the importance of being actively anti racist.

They’re both very quick to ‘call out‘ racism as soon as they hear it. I’ve seen both of them challenge racially stereotypical statements, saying that they will not allow their son to grow up thinking it is in anyway acceptable. I would not have had the confidence to do that, I would have told my ds once we’d left that what was said was inappropriate. Is the instant shutting down of it when they hear it going to be the difference?

For what it’s worth they’d also both insist that black people can’t be racist. Prejudice, yes. But the power structure isn’t there to support and exasperate it. The example used was the study that black patients are only half as likely white patients, displaying the same level of pain, to receive pain medication. So even if a white patient is denied pain medication at the hands of a prejudice black healthcare worker, the racist bias that already exists in the hospital means that they’re twice as likely to get the next time they ask.
I don’t necessarily agree, but it certainly was hard to argue that the black patients were disadvantaged from the outset.

Just following on from what others have said really, there are two conflicting stances with some of the younger generation, Whilst on the one hand they are certainly more tolerant and enlightened on racial issues, conversely a retrograde attitude has taken root as to what they won't tolerate and such matters can't even be discussed or debated. Paradoxically some come across at best absurd and at worst draconian. A rocky road often lies ahead where censure is applied in such a way.

......and on the matter of race, not all white people experience privilege, America, who undoubtedly have an awful record as far as race relations are concerned, nevertheless have given the world the pejorative "white trash" to describe their perceived underclass. Whether these are the people who have now morphed into what the educated elite would describe as the "basket of deplorables" one can only guess at, but I guess Hillary Clinton would know the answer to that.

It should be remembered that racism is learned from parents and contemporaries - anyone remember an offensive comment received by a black footballer was found to have been sent by a 12 year old. Education at schools can only do so much if a child goes home and hears racist language and opinions there.

The only way to defeat racism is for everyone to confront it whenever they meet it - it is difficult and if you are elderly you may think twice about whether you are placing yourself in danger, although I have found that racists will often back down when confronted by a little old lady!

I sincerely hope that one day the colour of someone's skin will be an irrelevance

I sincerely hope that one day the colour of someone's skin will be an irrelevance
Yes, I totally agree but I think you'll find that we are out of step on this. Colour blindness is strongly disapproved of today. At least by the wokeratie..

Just a straight answer to the original question, no, I don’t think racism will die out with the baby boomers, because racism is absolutely not the preserve of the baby boomers only. People of all ages, genders, and races are racist unfortunately.

Can I give a plug for Dr Adam Rutherford’s book. How to argue with a racist?

An easy read, short and very interesting and illuminating.

flopen

Oh yes, you're right about that.
But try holding a different point of view from many of them. Dissent is definitely verboten.

I think you are absolutely right.
Just look at what goes on in Universities.....no debate or dissent allowed on certain subjects.
Giving young people a sense of entitlement is one of the worse things parents have done.

Callistemon

Your post makes no sense at all Spangler

My post was tongue-in-cheek
Which you obviously did not understand.

No, you cannot generalise at all, Sparklefizz

You are right, I was much to quick to rise to the bait, I regret that now. In future I shall take care to give contentious subjects a wide berth.

Agree with Flopen on youngsters unwillingness to listen to other points of view, education makes no difference, they feel entitled to do whatever ever comes into their fancy.

It's OK Spangler, we all post things we may regret.
Me included on this thread.

Apologies to Whitewave
But I think I misunderstood what she was trying to say.

maddyone

Just a straight answer to the original question, no, I don’t think racism will die out with the baby boomers, because racism is absolutely not the preserve of the baby boomers only. People of all ages, genders, and races are racist unfortunately.

As I tried to say but not as well.

It has happened over thousands of years, happens in all cultures, races and creeds.

I thought that things were in fact improving, particularly in the USA, since the 1960s but it seems to have got worse again.

Will people please stop thinking that it's only the BBs I'm talking about. I made it quite clear in my OP that my father who was definitely not a BB was a racist.

I am talking about the end of an era. An era that spans centuries. One that nurtured slavery and colonialism.

Does that make it clear.

Or in my follow up post.

I understand that a 12 year old sent racist messages to a footballer. So if that is an example then NO it will not die out . So sad and pointless. We all share this planet so respect is what is needed

Based on some of the comments here, I think some of the baby boomer generation are a little offended at being classed as a generation of racists. I took the distinction of this generation differently, in that they are the last generation who were raised in a society where overt racism was widely accepted as can be seen historically on tv, film and even legislation.
That doesn’t mean that this was a racist generation at all, it just means that this particular era wasn’t as vigilant or educated on shutting down racist sentiment - it was acceptable in the mainstream.
I think as each generation afterwards has arrived there has been a concerted efforts in the mainstream to show a more tolerance and representation.
There are thing that my grandparents would say when I was a child that i would never dream of repeating, and they would have been horrified to have been classed as racist, however in a modern society those same statements are correctly recognised as unacceptable (I would give examples here, but haven’t as I don’t want to offend).
My own children have greater exposure to people of all cultures and as such it’s normalised for them to accept unthinkingly.
My point in this long winded rant is that as society has evolved the standards of acceptable behaviour have done so too. There will always be extremism and discrimination within society, but by stigmatising those who go perpetrate these views as I believe the younger generation now do, it’s a huge step towards equality.

i think we have to ask the people who endure everyday racism, everyday, in all walks of life.
it must be incredibly wearing, and dispiriting.

I think furret that you're better off thinking how you phrase your op's before coming on a criticising posters for getting the wrong end of the stick.

Lolo81

Based on some of the comments here, I think some of the baby boomer generation are a little offended at being classed as a generation of racists. I took the distinction of this generation differently, in that they are the last generation who were raised in a society where overt racism was widely accepted as can be seen historically on tv, film and even legislation.
That doesn’t mean that this was a racist generation at all, it just means that this particular era wasn’t as vigilant or educated on shutting down racist sentiment - it was acceptable in the mainstream.
I think as each generation afterwards has arrived there has been a concerted efforts in the mainstream to show a more tolerance and representation.
There are thing that my grandparents would say when I was a child that i would never dream of repeating, and they would have been horrified to have been classed as racist, however in a modern society those same statements are correctly recognised as unacceptable (I would give examples here, but haven’t as I don’t want to offend).
My own children have greater exposure to people of all cultures and as such it’s normalised for them to accept unthinkingly.
My point in this long winded rant is that as society has evolved the standards of acceptable behaviour have done so too. There will always be extremism and discrimination within society, but by stigmatising those who go perpetrate these views as I believe the younger generation now do, it’s a huge step towards equality.

Exactly my point.