Question 1

In his 1830 lectures, the leading German philosopher G. W.F. Hegel spoke about the "Negro" as "natural man in his wild and untamed nature" and argued that there is "nothing remotely humanized in the Negro's character."

Accepted Answer

In his lectures, Hegel did indeed characterize African individuals in extremely derogatory and dehumanizing terms, reflecting the Eurocentric and racist attitudes prevalent among many European intellectuals of his time.

Question 2

In the nineteenth century, the leading French anatomist Paul Broca broke new ground in understanding how the brain works, yet he was also a leading racist thinker.

Accepted Answer

Paul Broca, while pioneering in the field of neuroanatomy and brain function, also held and propagated racist theories, particularly in the context of craniometry, to argue for the superiority of certain races over others.

Question 3

The Dred Scott decision revealed that all black Americans, whether slave or technically "free," were inferior racialized beings with no rights, and white supremacy was asserted to be part of the law of the land.

Accepted Answer

The Dred Scott v. Sandford decision in 1857 declared that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. The Supreme Court also ruled that Congress lacked power to ban slavery in the U.S. territories, which effectively made the political status of slavery a national issue and further entrenched the notion of black inferiority and white supremacy in the law.

Question 4

Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln had argued that the physical difference between racial groups was insurmountable.

Accepted Answer

Lincoln, in his earlier years, expressed views that acknowledged racial differences and believed in the superiority of the white race, though his views evolved over time.

Question 5

Abraham Lincoln, soon called the "Great Emancipator," had made his white- supremacist views very clear, views later cited by southern officials in their 1960s struggle to protect legal segregation.

Accepted Answer

Abraham Lincoln was a white supremacist who believed that blacks were inferior to whites. He made his views clear in a number of speeches and writings, including his famous "House Divided" speech of 1858.

Question 6

Nowadays, Abraham Lincoln's racist views are overlooked, even by white-supremacist groups.

Accepted Answer

Abraham Lincoln is often celebrated for his role in abolishing slavery and his views on equality, which contrasts with the ideologies of white-supremacist groups. While historical figures' views are complex and should be understood in their historical context, Lincoln's legacy is primarily associated with efforts to end slavery, not support it.

Question 7

In his extraordinarily influential writings, the English scientist Charles Darwin applied the important evolutionary idea of "natural selection" ONLY to animal development, NOT to the development of human "races."

Accepted Answer

Darwin applied the concept of natural selection not only to animal development but also to humans in his later works, notably in "The Descent of Man" (1871), where he discussed the evolution of humans and the implications of natural selection on human races.

Question 8

President Theodore Roosevelt opposed scientific racism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of President Theodore Roosevelt opposed scientific racism....

Question 9

In the twenty-first century fewer than two dozen corporations control much of the U.S. mainstream media.

Accepted Answer

This is because of media consolidation, where a small number of companies own and control a large percentage of the mass media outlets, leading to fewer corporations having significant influence over what is published and broadcasted in the U.S. mainstream media.

Question 10

Television viewing has an important effect on white viewers' negative stereotypes of U.S. Latinos, especially when these viewers feel that they had learned important information about Latinos from watching television.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that television can significantly influence viewers' perceptions and stereotypes, particularly when viewers believe they are gaining important insights into different cultures or communities from the content they watch. This effect is notable in the context of white viewers' perceptions of U.S. Latinos, where television portrayals often reinforce negative stereotypes.

Question 11

By the 1940s and 1950s African American protests against Jim Crow segregation were growing and having a very negative impact on the U.S. image abroad.

Accepted Answer

During the 1940s and 1950s, African American protests against Jim Crow segregation indeed garnered international attention, highlighting the contradiction between the United States' professed values of democracy and freedom and its practice of racial discrimination. This discrepancy was particularly problematic during the Cold War era, as the U.S. sought to promote itself as a leader of the free world against the backdrop of its own internal racial injustices, thereby affecting its image abroad.

Question 12

W.E.B. Du Bois forwarded the theory of interest convergence, arguing that white people will support racial justice only when they believe there is something in it for them, when there is a "convergence" between their interests and racial justice.

Accepted Answer

The theory of interest convergence was developed by Derrick Bell, a critical race theorist, not W.E.B. Du Bois. Bell argued that white people will support racial justice only when they see a benefit for themselves.

Question 13

With the demise of legal segregation from the 1950s to the 1970s, the dominant version of the white racial frame was altered in certain significant ways, especially by softening some racist imagery.

Accepted Answer

The white racial frame, which encompasses the broad and persisting patterns of racial ideas, stereotypes, emotions, and inclinations to discriminate against non-whites, did undergo significant changes with the civil rights movements and the end of legal segregation. This period saw a softening of overtly racist imagery and language in mainstream discourse, reflecting a shift in societal norms and attitudes towards race and racism.

Question 14

Since the 1960s, white conservative organizations have worked tirelessly in pressing Congress, the courts, and the private sector to weaken or eliminate antidiscrimination programs such as affirmative action.

Accepted Answer

Since the 1960s, various white conservative groups and organizations have indeed been active in efforts to challenge, weaken, or outright eliminate affirmative action and other antidiscrimination programs through lobbying Congress, legal challenges in the courts, and influencing public opinion and policy in the private sector. These efforts are part of broader debates and conflicts over civil rights, equality, and the role of government in addressing historical and systemic inequalities.

Question 15

In the decades from the 1970s to the present, numerous conservative, mostly white, judges have ruled that group-remedy programs for racial discrimination violate the U.S. Constitution, which they assert only recognizes the rights of individuals, not groups.

Accepted Answer

This statement reflects a trend in U.S. judicial decisions where conservative judges, emphasizing an individualistic interpretation of the Constitution, have frequently ruled against group-remedy programs (such as affirmative action) on the grounds that the Constitution does not recognize the rights of groups, only individuals. This perspective aligns with a broader conservative legal philosophy that prioritizes individual rights and liberties, often leading to skepticism or opposition to policies perceived as benefiting specific groups at the expense of individual rights.

Question 16

City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., 488 U.S. 469 was a Supreme Court case that held that the city of Richmond's minority set-aside program, which gave preference to minority business enterprises in the awarding of municipal contracts, was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause.

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court in City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co. ruled that Richmond's minority set-aside program, which required prime contractors to subcontract at least 30% of the dollar amount of the contract to minority businesses, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it lacked a compelling interest and was not narrowly tailored to remedy the effects of past discrimination.

Question 17

Occasionally, the U.S. Supreme Court has pursued aggressive and comprehensive enforcement of civil rights laws in numerous major areas, including housing and employment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Occasionally, the U.S. Supreme Court has pursued...

Question 18

In 2007, a Nobel prize winner in science argued that "IQ" test data indicate that black people are less intelligent than whites.

Accepted Answer

In 2007, James Watson, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist known for co-discovering the structure of DNA, made controversial remarks suggesting that IQ test data indicated black people were less intelligent than whites, which sparked widespread criticism and led to several of his scheduled lectures being canceled.

Question 19

In a 2017 book, Is Science Racist? the biological anthropologist Jonathan Marks noted that there is too much toleration for racist framing in science: "If you espouse racist ideas in science, that's not quite so bad. People might look at you a little askance, but as a racist you can coexist in science alongside them."

Accepted Answer

Jonathan Marks, in his book "Is Science Racist?", indeed critiques the scientific community for tolerating racist ideas and frames, suggesting that individuals can hold and express such views without facing significant backlash or exclusion from the community.

Question 20

A recent study showed that the level of public anti-black views in a state - and especially in white Republican-controlled states - was related to state legislators' efforts to force recipients of public assistance to undergo drug testing.

Accepted Answer

Research has found a correlation between the prevalence of public anti-black sentiments in a state, particularly those with white Republican leadership, and legislative efforts to mandate drug testing for public assistance recipients. This suggests that racial prejudices can influence policy decisions, especially in areas concerning welfare and social support systems.

Quiz 3: The White Racial Frame- a Social Force