We are all products of our genes and our environments.
Among other flaws that we all share, we are all innately racist, wired by evolution to prefer people who resemble us over people who do not. Adding to that genetic burden, most of us grew up in communities, in households, and among people who were covertly, if not overtly, racist. That’s a lot of shit to get over.
The good news is that if we recognize the shit, we can get over it.
The brain cannot be anti-racist, per se, because it never stops spotting differences and sorting people into categories. But it is pro-goal — and if the goal is to make judgments without regard to race, the brain can do that, though it may take a bit of effort and practice.
(David Amodio, The Egalitarian Brain.)
I have in the past hesitated to say, “we are all innately racist,” because inevitably someone will take it out of context to post on Facebook, “OMG Bennett admits being racist.” There are people who envy my law practice, and would love to take m…