The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men

The Science of Why Cops Shoot Young Black Men:

"You’re not, like, a total racist bastard," David Amodio tells me. He pauses. "Today." I’m sitting in the soft-spoken cognitive neuroscientist’s spotless office nestled within New York University’s psychology department, but it feels like I’m at the doctor’s, getting a dreaded diagnosis. via Pocket

What if Whites Were the Minority?

What if Whites Were the Minority?:

In the responses to my “When Whites Just Don’t Get It” series, I’ve been struck by the lack of empathy some whites show for members of minority groups. So imagine if the world were reversed. Then “the talk” might go like this: “Nope. That’d be easy. via Pocket

Chris Rock: 'If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.'

Chris Rock: 'If poor people knew how rich rich people are, there would be riots in the streets.':

Writing for New York magazine, Frank Rich interviews Chris Rock. If you read the whole thing, your estimation of Rock as a social critic and political analyst will rise, and, of course, he’s kinda funny too, but edgy funny. Here are a few highlights: Rock Replies: “Oh, people don’t even know. via Pocket

White America's scary delusion: Why its sense of black humanity is so skewed

White America's scary delusion: Why its sense of black humanity is so skewed:

Many white folks aren’t violent. But here’s how ignorance and lack of empathy make life so unsafe for black people The failure of a St. Louis county grand jury to indict Darren Wilson, the former police officer who killed Michael Brown, created a maelstrom of protests last week. via Pocket

Is Everyone a Little Bit Racist?

Is Everyone a Little Bit Racist?:

Let’s start with what we don’t know: the precise circumstances under which a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., shot dead an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown. via Pocket