Ignoring History, Denying Racism: Mounting Evidence for the Marley Hypothesis and Epistemologies of Ignorance

Abstract

In demonstration of the Marley hypothesis, Nelson, Adams, and Salter showed that differences in critical historical knowledge (i.e., knowledge of past racism) and motivation to protect group esteem predicted present-day racism perceptions among Whites and Blacks attending different, racially homogenous universities. The present Study 1 conceptually replicates these findings among Whites and Blacks attending the same racially diverse university. Consistent with previous findings, Whites (vs. Blacks) displayed less critical historical knowledge, explaining their greater denial of systemic racism. Moreover, stronger racial identity among Whites predicted greater systemic racism denial. A brief Study 2 intervention boosts Whites’ racism perceptions. People who learned the critical history of U.S. housing policy (vs. a control group) acknowledged more systemic racism. The present work interrupts seemingly normal and neutral dominant perspectives, provides mounting evidence for an epistemologies of ignorance framework, and suggests that learning critical history can help propel anti-racist understandings of the present.

Bias awareness predicts color conscious racial socialization methods among White parents

“…Thus, although parents in the current study reported fairly positive attitudes toward Black people, their children may have little knowledge of their parents' attitudes in the absence of explicit conversations about race. Given that color consciousness seems to be associated with reduced bias and increased awareness of racial inequality (Bonam, Vinoadharen, Coleman, & Salter, 2019Nelson et al, 2013, it is important to consider the factors that may promote color conscious parental racial socialization. This work sheds light on the factors associated with color conscious racial socialization in White American families.…”

Testing Hypersensitive Responses: Ethnic Minorities Are Not More Sensitive to Microaggressions, They Just Experience Them More Frequently

“…A large volume of existing research could be applied to this pattern. This includes research on cognitive factors, such as knowledge (vs. ignorance) of historical examples of racism, which has been shown to affect recognition of contemporary racism (Bonam, Das, Coleman, & Salter, 2018). It also includes research on motivational factors, such as collective narcissism, which encourages individuals to deny or downplay wrongs perpetuated by members of their ingroup (Golec de Zavala, Cichocka, Eidelson, & Jayawickreme, 2009).…”

Selves in contact: how integrating perspectives on sociocultural selves and intergroup contact can inform theory and application on reducing inequality

“…In the absence of such knowledge, individuals generally rely on stereotypes of out-group members to guide their intergroup perceptions and expectations (Gudykunst, 1989). Accordingly, a lack of historical knowledge about African-Americans affords the denial of racism among European-Americans (Bonam, Das, Coleman, & Salter, 2017;Nelson, Adams, & Salter, 2013), which is likely one explanation for misconceptions and negative expectations across racial/ethnic lines. That is, it might explain European-Americans' misperception of how they will be viewed during interactions with African-Americans (e.g., Shelton, Richeson, Salvatore, & Trawalter, 2005).…”