Page 312 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

noted over the course of the four Albany Community Conversations. These tensions resulted from

statements made by White men who attended the dialogues on Implicit Bias on separate evenings.

Participant respondents recalled:

“He kept talking about that it would be good when finally everyone was interbred because

nature smiles on the hybrid. And he was talking about children of interracial marriage

always have great teeth and they look better than their parents, and I kept thinking, ‘Where

are you going with this?’ It did make me uncomfortable (chuckles), and he brought it up

each time that he was there.” (P04FW)

“The white guy wanted to make himself feel like he was aware of and knowledgeable about

race and racism. He also spent about five to ten minutes talking about himself. As opposed

to the real concept of what we were talking about. So I didn’t get angry, I just disagreed …

I just wanted him to shut up.” (P10MTRM)

“He made me really uncomfortable with some of his comments. And I mean I really

understood that it was because there was a difference in generation and with age. He grew

up in a different time with different socialization than I had.” (P12FW)

“I was trying really hard to focus on the fact that his views were just as valid and just as

pertinent to the discussion as anyone else’s in the room. But I had to keep coming back to

that. I had to keep reminding myself of that because it just was not sitting well with me. I

mean I even, I remember turning to you and saying this is making me really

uncomfortable.” (P12FW)

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