Just because this is the modern world doesn't mean we're up to date.

In Tatum's article Ddefining Racism it specified that racism still exists in this country. I've seen it many times living in the south of a America where not everyone is up to date on this love everyone kinda thing. I thought the peace movements happened in the seventies? Racism has been such a common thing through American history that it is now taken as a given. Racism isn't the pointless hate of the white man against the "minority" populations. All of the minority populations have been taught that racism is a main trait of common white society. Racism exists still, but not to the extent that most of the population is hate mongering fools. How would you like to be called a hate mongering fool?

In White Privilege by Peggy Macintosh it is defined that reaping the benefits of being white (or male). There is a list of all the little feelings that you can attain by growing up around all of your people. There are many facts of racial oppression that any human can negatively affect the rest of the population. A white man can go and get a job that could have went to a needing black man. Then Tatum's notes on using racism as a prejudice can be used for the benefit of the black man. The black man can use the reasoning that the employer was racist, and that was the reason the white man was hired over the black man. So the employer, not wanting to be black listed as a bigot or racist, must hire or put out in some form.

We must come to appreciate the fact that racism and prejudice can be used in any number of ways. Whether those ways are positive or negative for you're own personal benefit.