I viewed the documentary, Shenandoah, which explores a 2008 ethnic hate crime in a rural Pennsylvania coal-mining town. Four high school football players were accused in the beating death of Mexican immigrant, Luis Ramirez. Despite the fact that there was no question that these four teenagers killed another human being, the town rallied behind them and they were ultimately acquitted of the murder. The documentary clearly showed that racism is a problem in the community as the white police force played an active role in covering up the crime. And while the people of the town openly acknowledged the existence of racism, they simultaneously deny the reality of its practical implications. This story of racism through the lens of small-town mentality illustrates how economic uncertainty and racism, both a symptom and product of fear, collide to form a breeding ground for escalating racial tensions in America. Shenandoah is a blue-collar coal-mining town built on the backs of
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Eduardo Bonilla-Silva has proposed that a new racial ideology has arisen since the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, which he’s termed “color-blind racism”. He posits that racism is now, “subtle, institutional, and apparently nonracial” (93). Color-blind racism was apparent in this documentary as townspeople consistently spoke out of both sides of their mouths. While many had admitted to the predominance of a racist culture, they were insistent that the murder of Ramirez was an isolated incident and not a hate crime. The mother of one of the accused talked about what a good boy he was, who was friends with a “colored boy” who “slept on their furniture, ate off their plates, and vacationed with them”. I would argue that this statement is highly racist although it was clear this mother did not see herself as
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva has proposed that a new racial ideology has arisen since the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, which he’s termed “color-blind racism”. He posits that racism is now, “subtle, institutional, and apparently nonracial” (93). Color-blind racism was apparent in this documentary as townspeople consistently spoke out of both sides of their mouths. While many had admitted to the predominance of a racist culture, they were insistent that the murder of Ramirez was an isolated incident and not a hate crime. The mother of one of the accused talked about what a good boy he was, who was friends with a “colored boy” who “slept on their furniture, ate off their plates, and vacationed with them”. I would argue that this statement is highly racist although it was clear this mother did not see herself as