I definitely think that history has had a huge effect on race in our society today! The one quote I felt that really stood out and says it all was that of Terri Yellowhammer, the child welfare advocate in the video about Native American children being taken from their families. She said, "Whiteness is the standard for success and everything else is judged by that standard." I feel like that quote can be applied to so many situations across history in which race was used as a way to deny rights and manipulate people and communities. These understandings underlie our society, even when we don't realize it, leading to racism, bias, and mistreatment. When "white" is the standard, it implies, as was stated in another video, that there's something "wrong" with a person or group who does not meet that standard as opposed to something being inherently wrong with the system as a whole.
In addition, I feel that FEAR has had a huge impact on views of race in our country. Practices such as unfair immigration policies, the Japanese internment camps during WWII and redlining are examples of this fear and how it can end up playing out and continuing on in society. The redlining that occurred years ago is now having an effect on people living in Flint, Michigan and having to deal with unsafe drinking water. The "civilization" of Native Americans and racism that caused it is still resulting in stereotypes and prejudice today as Native families are viewed as unsafe and unfit for children. It will take an overhauling of many different systems in place to bring an end to these ingrained patterns and beliefs.
