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The University of Toledo is currently involved in a
high-stakes hiring decision to replace former president
Lloyd Jacobs. Yet, one finalist, Christopher Howard, could
find the deck stacked against him in his quest to become the
first African American in the history of UT to occupy the
institution’s top post.
Some in the community suggest that Howard’s profile,
published in The Blade’s Sunday, February 15, 2015 edition,
is an instance of cultural racism. It is alleged that the
article, titled With 3 ‘superb’ finalists, UT faces
historic choice, subtly depicts the Harvard and Oxford -
educated ex-U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot/intelligence
officer, to seem a less desirable choice than the other two
candidates, both Caucasian women.
Cultural racism refers to the way that minorities are
portrayed in the mass media through the lens of journalist
preferences and biases. Current research indicates that
these media representations affect the public’s beliefs and
attitudes toward minorities, including stereotypical notions
that blacks are intimidating, hostile or other perceptions
consistent with modern racism. Ultimately, negative content
about African Americans is interpreted in ways that
stigmatizes and handicaps them in high-stake competitions
such as jobs.
“It’s all about what gets talked about and what doesn’t. And
about using emotive language to emphasize something negative
on a specific candidate and downplaying his education,
corporate experience, military service and the fact that he
is the only one of the three who has had actual experience
serving as a college president,” said one cultural expert.
While the firing of a female candidate in her last job was
glossed over in the Blade account, more than half of
Howard’s profile portrayed him as an “intimidating,” hard to
get along with, angry black male. Somewhat astonishingly,
the foundation for these negative assessments was an
accusation from a Facebook page managed by an anonymous
administrator.
“What I find problematic in this piece is how quick the
discussion of Howard’s record turns to issue with his
leadership. Where is the balance? Do you have data if there
are issues with the other candidates? Seldom, a university
president or provost is not criticized by somebody, so why
would the writer dedicate one half of the profile of the
minority candidate to ‘issues’ with his administration? ”
adds Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, chairman and professor of
sociology at Duke University.
While the Civil Rights Movement and ensuing
anti-discrimination legislation, which mandated equal
opportunity, effectively eliminated blatant racism (for the
most part), the movement did not address the
often-unconscious attitudes that characterize contemporary
bias. Yet, it is the same perceptions and attitudes of the
past that continue to hinder contemporary diversity efforts
via implicit attributional bias in the form of stereotypes
and negative content about excluded groups such as African
Americans.
Minority job applicants with comparable skills and
qualifications are often rejected for alleged deficiencies
in ‘soft skills,’ or characterized as possessing an
inappropriate style or demeanor, a socially acceptable proxy
for race and justification for exclusion, say researchers.
Stereotypical depictions of minorities also foster high
levels of anxiety or discomfort among Whites that can shape
interracial interaction and decision-making. Although
unintentional, these negative attributions still undermine
interracial exchanges, “affecting the degree to which
African Americans are seen as desirable choices for
relationships as colleagues, friends, or neighbors.”
Let’s end cultural racism by changing the images of African
American men and women of color in the media to reflect an
unbiased account of their qualifications.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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