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Will racism die out with the Baby Boomers?

(105 Posts)
Furret Mon 20-Jul-20 16:07:37

Just reflecting that the majority of racists I come across seem to be of my own generation. The young folks I know seem much more open-minded, tolerant, multicultural (I’m struggling to find the exact word).

The exception of course are the Tommy Robinson Mob, but luckily they are in a different league.

So will racism die out, in the UK and the US at least, with demise of the Baby Boomers? Or is it perhaps true that we become less tolerant as we age? Or is it something that will always be with us given our propensity for tribalism?

Lots of questions I know.

Madgran77 Mon 20-Jul-20 17:07:48

Callistemon I think lemongrove is agreeing with you that it has nothing to do with post grad qualifications ...I think she was responding to whitewavemark2 s comment further up thread

lemongrove Mon 20-Jul-20 17:07:14

I dread to think Callistemon?he would have been hung out to dry for sure.

Peardrop50 Mon 20-Jul-20 17:06:22

I hope against hope that every generation is more enlightened.
My father was a racist, I, a baby boomer, am not, my children and grandchildren are not.
Many issues and the appalling treatment of George Floyd more recently has provoked passionate discussion in our family and I am heartened to know that even the youngest of my family have an admirable awareness of the unfairness that is suffered and an eagerness to be part of the change.
I commented that 'we have a long way to go but yes I think things will get better and better with every generation'. The current generation put me in my place with their answer 'change needs to be now'. That's me told and me educated.

Callistemon Mon 20-Jul-20 17:05:34

AGAA4

I agree WW2. When children are educated through school, college and university they will meet many from backgrounds other than their own and as my children and grandchildren have done made friends with them.

Even nursery age children can learn tolerance.

So they don't need post-grad qualifications, then, to learn tolerance?

Callistemon Mon 20-Jul-20 17:04:16

Of course it hasn't lemongrove.
That is rather pompous post, assuming that those without post-grad qualifications are racist!

One hopes students will not be indoctrinated by Dr Gopal at Cambridge University who proclaims that "White Lives Don't Matter".

Imagine what would happen if a white lecturer tweeted the obverse.

AGAA4 Mon 20-Jul-20 17:02:40

I agree WW2. When children are educated through school, college and university they will meet many from backgrounds other than their own and as my children and grandchildren have done made friends with them.

Even nursery age children can learn tolerance.

lemongrove Mon 20-Jul-20 17:00:03

I really don’t think it has anything to do with being educated to degree or post degree level.
My lovely Grandmother didn’t have a racist bone in her body, neither did my Mother, and both left school at aged 14.
My other Grandmother was casually racist all the time.
The truth is that age has nothing to do with being racist, neither does a university degree.
Governments ( round the world) can make laws to protect people from racism but unfortunately you can’t change human behaviour quite as easily.
It should be remembered that all countries in the world show racist behaviour to those who are racially different to
themselves.
I would like to think the world will become a better place but seriously doubt it.

GrandmaMoira Mon 20-Jul-20 16:58:37

There may be less racism in the younger generation but there are definitely still younger racists. The same goes for sexism and homophobia.

sodapop Mon 20-Jul-20 16:58:30

I agree with calendargirl our children and grandchildren live in a much more multi cultural society so hopefully everyone will be more accepting of each other. Sadly there will always be people with extreme views.

smile Callistemon so true.

Smileless2012 Mon 20-Jul-20 16:55:57

There's always been racism, it was there before the baby boomers and I'm sorry to say it will be around when the baby boomers have gonesad.

Whitewavemark2 Mon 20-Jul-20 16:49:22

I like to think that education is one of the keys. If my offspring and their friends are anything to go by, they haven’t a racist bone in their body, they are all educated to post degree level.

Our children were the first generation to benefit from widespread higher education, and with luck this will help towards an acceptance of a pluralistic society. What a lovely thought?.

fiorentina51 Mon 20-Jul-20 16:47:55

I doubt it.

Callistemon Mon 20-Jul-20 16:47:51

The world will be a wonderful place when the "baby boomers" have gone to their eternal rest.

Caring, sharing, tolerant, eternal sunshine with just enough rain everywhere to water the crops, peace and love, spiritualism, flower power will prevail.

Just like the world was for millennia before the "baby boomers" were born.

merlotgran Mon 20-Jul-20 16:39:42

Furret

I’m saying will this group be the last to hold these views.

No, they won't. Prejudice is often passed on in a family.

EllanVannin Mon 20-Jul-20 16:37:26

If it wasn't forced down everyone's throats all the time nobody would bother.

Furret Mon 20-Jul-20 16:34:45

I’m saying will this group be the last to hold these views.

Furret Mon 20-Jul-20 16:33:11

You don’t get it at all Foghorn ..I’m not ascribing racism to one group.

Furret Mon 20-Jul-20 16:32:02

How would you know their ages unless every post mentioned actual age...which would be odd. Even on GN people rarely say their age ?

AGAA4 Mon 20-Jul-20 16:31:45

I think it helps when many young people have friends in the BAME population.

When I was growing up in the 50s there were no people of colour in the area and the older generation were racist.

FoghornLeghorn Mon 20-Jul-20 16:30:41

I detest the way that ‘Baby Boomers’ get the blame for everything wrong in the world. The young have always been idealistic. Many of them change their views as they grow older. Many don’t. You can’t ascribe a certain opinion to any particular generation imo.

BlueBelle Mon 20-Jul-20 16:28:45

Not the boomers in fact I think a lot of us were where it started to improve in this country but there are many racists in the 40,50 s age group I think young people teens early 20 s are more likely to be the ones where is decreases hopefully??

welbeck Mon 20-Jul-20 16:27:20

i don't know.
i was reading on MN about present day experiences of racism, and i was frankly shocked.
most of the posters were in their 30s/40s.
several mentioned words which i thought had died out; one i thought nobody under 50 would even have heard.
unfortunately it came up time and again, often in workplaces, different parts of the country/ jobs.
i had not heard it for over 50 yrs. it rhymes with harkee.

Chewbacca Mon 20-Jul-20 16:23:48

The present younger generation are far more proactive and vocal about societal change than any generations before them and, whilst I don't think that racism will be irradicated completely in the future, I do think it will have become a much fairer and less biased world. Unfortunately, there are still some young people, usually young men, who don't seem to be showing as much enlightenment as others. But on balance, yes, I think that the majority of the younger generation are determined to see equality for all.

Galaxy Mon 20-Jul-20 16:23:03

I dont know. Those men in the far right protests the other day weren't old.

Furret Mon 20-Jul-20 16:19:17

It certainly didn’t start with the Boomers....my own father was a dreadful racist. No I’m talking about a new age.