Getting Real About Race

Stephanie M. McClure is a professor of sociology at Georgia College. She teaches classes on racial stratification, social theory, and the sociology of education. Her research interests are in the area of higher education, with a focus on college student persistence and retention across race, class, and gender, and a special emphasis on postcollege student experiences that increase student social and academic integration. She has published in the Journal of Higher Education, Symbolic Interaction, and The Journal of African American Studies.

• PART I. LAYING THE FOUNDATIONEssay 1: “But My Mother Says It’s Rude to Talk About Race!”: How and Why We Need To Discuss Race in the United States - Cherise A. Harris and Stephanie M. McClureEssay 2: “What is Racism Anyway?”: Understanding the Basics of Racism and Prejudice - Beverly Daniel Tatum Essay 3: “They Should Get Over It!”: The End of Racial Discrimination? - Matthew W. HugheyEssay 4: “Blacks Are Naturally Good Athletes”: The Myth of a Biological Basis for Race - Daniel BuffingtonPART II. DEBUNKING INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDESEssay 5: “If People Stopped Talking about Race, It Wouldn’t Be a Problem Anymore”: Silencing the Myth of a Color-Blind Society - Ted ThornhillEssay 6: “Oprah, Obama, and Cosby Say Blacks Should Just Work Harder, Isn’t That Right?”: The Myth of Meritocracy - Paula IoanideEssay 7: “If Only He Hadn′t Worn the Hoodie…”: Race, Selective Perception, and Stereotype Maintenance - Rashawn RayEssay 8: “Asians Are Doing Great, So That Proves Race Really Doesn’t Matter Anymore”: The Model Minority Myth and the Sociological Reality - Min ZhouEssay 9: “But Muslims Aren’t Like Us!”: Deconstructing Myths About Muslims in America - Jen’nan Ghazal ReadEssay 10: “It’s Just a Mascot!”: The Dark Side of Sports Symbols - D. Stanley Eitzen and Maxine Baca ZinnPART III. INSTITUTIONS, POLICIES, AND LEGACIES OF OPPRESIONFamilyEssay 11: “But What About the Children?”: Understanding Contemporary Attitudes Toward Interracial Dating - Nikki KhannaEssay 12: “Blacks Don’t Value Marriage as Much as Other Groups”: Examining Structural Inequalities in Black Marriage Patterns - Dawne MouzonEducationEssay 13: “Well, That Culture Really Values Education": Culture Versus Structure in Educational Attainment - Emily Meanwell, Hersheda Patel, and Stephanie M. McClureEssay 14: “They Don’t Want to Be Integrated, They Even Have Their Own Greek Organizations”: History, Institutional Context, and “Self-Segregation” - Stephanie M. McClureEssay 15: “I Had a Friend Who Had Worse Scores Than Me and He Got Into a Better College”: The Legal and Social Realities of the College Admissions Process - OiYan PoonPolitics, Social Policy, and the StateEssay 16: “Black People Voted for Obama Just Because He’s Black”: Group Identification and Voting Patterns - Veronica Womack, James Bridgeforth, Bre′Auna BeasleyEssay 17: “We Don’t Have to Listen to Al Sharpton Anymore”: Obama’s Election and Triumphalist Media Narratives of Post-Racial America - Enid LoganEssay 18: “We Need to Take Care of `Real Americans’ First”: Historical and Contemporary Definitions of Citizenship - Kara CebulkoEssay 19: “If Black People Aren’t Criminals, Then Why Are So Many of Them in Prison?”: Confronting Racial Biases in Perceptions of Crime and Criminals - Sara DoudeEssay 20: “Now All the Good Jobs Go to Them!”: Affirmative Action in the Labor Market - Wendy Leo MoorePART IV. RACE IN EVERYDAY INTERACTIONSEssay 21: “Native American/Indian, Asian/Oriental, Latino/Hispanic…Who Cares?”: Language and the Power of Self-Definition - Brad KochEssay 22: “Why Do They Get to Use the N-Word But I Can’t?”: Privilege, Power, and the Politics of Language - Geoff HarknessEssay 23: “I’m Not Racist. Some of My Best Friends Are . . . ”: The Shift From Being a “Friend” to Becoming an Ally - Cherise A. Harris