2021 Equity Challenge Day 5: How Do We Learn About Race?

This week, we have examined concepts like bias, privilege and racism. Where do these ideas come from? How are they perpetuated? From a young age, children can become keenly aware of the differences between the people around them. How they make sense of these differences is shaped by family, friends, community, schools and media, among other influences and experiences. This process, called socialization, develops our values, beliefs, behaviors and even norms that play out in society. Socialization is a lifelong process but is critical during childhood.

Racial and ethnic socialization is the process through which children learn different attitudes and behaviors about racial groups. According to RESilience Initiative, this process has influence on “children’s racial identity and self-concept, beliefs about the way the world works, and repertoire of strategies and skills for coping with and navigating racism and inter- and intra-racial relationships and interactions.”

For adults, the media often plays an outsized role in our ongoing process of socialization. The news, television, movies, books and music we consume shape our understanding of race and ethnicity through representations of different people and cultures. Throughout history, media in all forms has played a vital role in raising public awareness on instances of racism, discrimination and bias. Racial and ethnic socialization is important for us to understand because it informs our beliefs, conversations, and actions about race and racism.