Quote:
Originally Posted by DownInFlames
Aren’t positive stereotypes considered racist?
I can admit I’m probably wrong here, semantically. Let’s just hope the guy got home and threw out the shirt.
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Like literally everything, context is important. A positive stereotype based on something valid, like "a Black person knows more about the Black experience than a White person" is in no way racist. That's how you SHOULD be thinking. The conversation around Black Lives Matter is directly related to that.
A positive stereotype like "Asians are good at math" or "Gays are fashionable" are not valid, because your race or sexuality is not connected to your ability to learn algebra or make jeans and a t-shirt look like a million bucks. They have negative implications, because you're then setting a standard which someone shouldn't have to live up to just because of how they're born, and you're also making the negative implication that other races aren't as good at math, or that straight people can't choose the right pair of jeans to save their life.
My point is just to use context and use "racism" carefully, or you're going to end up in a scenario where it has no power and no meaning at all. If you're not talking to your Black friends or neighbours about Black issues because it might be "racist" to ask, you've lost the plot entirely.