1. Why do people tell stories about race that are not consistent with the facts? Hint: the answer is not “because they are misinformed/uneducated/don’t know.” Rather, what are the sociological reasons given (what functions it serves for society) for so many of us to tell racial stories in such similar ways?
2. Storylines such as “I did not get that job because of a black man” and “Irish, Italians and Jews have made it, why can’t they?” perpetuate the widely held beliefs that the job market is either racially unbiased, at best, or racially biased toward minorities, at worst. What are the alternative realities that the assigned readings present about how race interacts with people’s chances for success, both historically and currently? (Include references to glass ceiling and social capital in your answer).
3. Give an example of a racial testimony. Why do people tell them? What obstacles do their persistence create in building a multiracial society?