15193, The rest of my response Posted by Nettrice, Thu May-10-01 12:04 PM
Previously, I posted about the origins of race (mostly for myself) but since the idea of race has become so institutionalized and ingrained in people minds I have been thinking about how race is defined by language, culture, social norms and standards in contemporary times.
Through my close relationships with people of different races I became more aware of how people of different races interacted. Often I can tell when a person on the phone is Black. It's the voice. As a experiment, I sometimes change my voice to fool co-workers (they confuse me for a white woman). I code-switch, meaning I adjust my behavior to whatever group I am with. Code-switching is a complex skill. It is a device to recontextualize how a person communicates with others, especially of different races. It goes beyond what people say to each other and often can happen when people write like on these boards.
Some people can code-switch and others can't. I think it has something to do with sensitivity and awareness of language, culture, social norms and standards-- of race. When I am with family & friends, especially Black people, I communicate differently. I speak, laugh and gesture differently. When I am around certain groups I communicate differently. The same goes for when I write (language). I am aware of context but I am always myself. No matter what situation I am in I am always aware of my identity or who I am.
I wonder if white people are as aware of Black "codes" as Black people are of white "codes". Black people have been socialized to integrate, assimilate, and imitate, so some of us are more aware of what white/European is in context. In a blind world, it is still possible to define race because of "codes".
"Know thyself"
"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you". So we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?" -- Hebrews 13:5,6
"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path" --Morpheus in "The Matrix"
"It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"- Dumbledore to Harry Potter "Chamber of Secrets"
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