Are race relations worse under Obama?: Perhaps, but the president has little to do with it; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/19/15

Larry E. Davis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Are race relations worse under Obama?: Perhaps, but the president has little to do with it:

"Beginning, perhaps, with the beating of Rodney King by white Los Angeles police officers in 1991, the modern-day abuse of black people has become steadily more exposed. This has culminated in the recent police killings of black men in New York, South Carolina and elsewhere that have become known to almost everyone due to the ubiquity of smartphones and social media.

Social media have made racism more audible and more visible. They have enabled acts of racism to be captured and carried instantly to millions of people. Social media are doing exactly what television did in the civil rights era — exposing injustice.

This is a good thing. Exposure can help curb racial bigotry. But social media have the added benefit of allowing millions to participate in that exposure by posting and reposting videos, interviews, news articles and commentary.

Behavior not only reflects attitudes, it can change attitudes. And research suggests that once we cease to engage in a given behavior there is less reason to maintain the thinking that supported it. Hence, by exposing, thereby discouraging, thereby reducing racist behavior, social media may also help to reduce racially biased attitudes."