Re: Black People
Hi David,
While I do not doubt what you observed, I doubt your explanation for why. Psychologists have identified at least two new phenomon that can explain what you witnessed.
1. Covert Racism. As being outwardly racist has become more and more stigmatized, cover racism has developed. In covert racism, as the name suggests, people do not overtly express their racism. There they do so more covertly, often in simple ways which cannot be considered criminal (e.g. not holding the door for a person of another race).
2. Reverse racism. I know this isn't the exact term for it (I can't remember the psychological name for it) but it is representative of the phenomenon. In reverse racism, a person is so afraid of being labeled a racist, that he or she goes above and beyond being helpful in the way he or she would to a person of his or her own race. For example, a white female shop owner might be extra-considerate to an african american customer to "prove" that she isn't racist.
While both of these phenomenon seem to be reducing the number of racially motivated crimes (acts of discrimination) in the United States, they are not reducing racial stereotyping (negative thoughts about a particular race) or racial prejudice (negative feelings about a particular race).
R. Sherman
Ph. D. Student Personality/Social Psychology
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