Changing Our Race
After all our ancestors and parents did to help fight for social justice and teach us we should not treat others differently, racism and discrimination is still prevalent in 2013. It’s not something we think happens on a daily but it does happen. Even as a Americans we have the we’re better than everyone else mentality. At the University of Akron a race changing booth was made to bring awareness about discrimination. In this booth you have the opportunity to sit down and change your race with imaging software. Instead of imagining you can visually know what you would like as African-American, Caucasian Indian, Japanese, Arabian, or any other race you may think of. Below is the link with comments of some of the students of the university. Do you think this booth would actually bring awareness about discrimination or would it only serve as a temporary purpose. Would anyone give it a second thought or forget about it as soon as the booth was removed or after they left the booth? I think it’s something that would help bring awareness to the surface but I’m not sure its enough to give people something to think about on a daily.
http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2013/02/07/dnt-photo-booth-changes-your-race.wjw.html
University of Akron hosts a kiosk where students can view their digital selves as different races. Affiliate WJW reports.
Posted on February 13, 2013, in Jaleesa Diggins and tagged discrimination, fight, issues, race, racism, social justice, University of Akron. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
We are the Future 
I’m personally on the rocks about this technology and it’s use. It does have that Put-me-in-your-shoes mentality about it, but at the same time could encourage someone to be MORE discriminatory.
I don’t see how this could have an effect on how people act or treat there peers. The concept is good but afterwards whose to say they won’t forget what this project’s meaning was after it’s over. Personally I feel that this kiosk won’t make much of a difference because technically they’re not walking in the shoe’s as that race, or if the where that person.
I’m with Keanu on this. I mean it will affect people’s ideas while they are working with the kiosk, but when they walk away, they will walk back into their old life. Unfortunately, nothing is going to solve the problem of discrimination except time itself. Not only that, but people are always finding other people to discriminate against. When America was started, people discriminated against the Irish and they got over it. It seems like every time a new group is made to be “hate on” they are until someone better comes along. It’s sad, but it’s the truth. I think we need to find a common denominator, and stop this. After wall, aren’t we the future?
I belive that rascism is too deep for this to work. This machine is just far too gimmicky and the true racists will most likely not use it. Racism may be something that will never go away or at least will take an extremely long time to fix.
I’ve always liked what Morgan Freeman said in 60 Minutes interview back in 2005. He said that the way to get rid of racism is to “stop talking about it.” I understand the empathy behind this technology, but talking about racism perpetuates the stigma.
You can’t refute Morgan Freeman; he played God once.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/blackhistory.asp
He’s right. I did.