Bias is a throughly human characteristic. It influences our perceptions, decisions, and reactions. We see life through a lense of our beliefs, and sometimes those beliefs are negative. A stereotype not only impacts the holder, but also the reciepient. The Stereotype Threat affects the performance and life of those who are being judged. While I have never personally experienced any racial descrimination, I have experienced the stereotypes that people hold against the American South.

I was born and reeared in the Deep South. I was brought up to be, what I believe at least, a fair-minded and non-descriminatory individual. Growing up I had never encountered stereotypes about me, though I did see plenty of bias towards African Americans. For college, I wanted to leave the South to gain a new perspective. Yet, once there I quickly realized that people already held untrue beliefs about where I came from. People believed that I was a bigot. I met many people who assumed that I was a racist just because I grew up in a certain place. There were several times during class that we would discuss issues of race. I had several people tell me that I was a racist during those discussions. I was terrified that they were right. Even after I was reassured by the profesor that I was not, I continued to fear that I was. I was haunted by the ghosts of my cultural past.

It didn't help that people would make horribly bigoted statements around me. Even growing up in the South, there were many racial epithets that I had never heard allowed. Yet, people felt comfortable being racist around because they assumed that I was. This further entrenched my discomfort, and to this day I am still terrified that I will say something to someday prove those people right. That's Stereotype threat for ya.

Again Soon,
Staunton