ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the exposure of silent racism renders the "not racist" category meaningless. The silent racism in people's minds would tend to support the white belief that blacks in some way deserve discrimination. The "not racist" category distances well-meaning white people from racism by implication: White people who see themselves as "not racist" are unlikely to see their connection to race or racism. Detachment from racism is not limited to people like Sharon, who came to this study accidentally and who knows very little about racism. Racist comments and jokes that go uninterrupted implicate the listener as well as the actor. The only way to not comply with racism when it occurs is to interrupt it. It is not correct to think that racism only occurs in interactions between whites and blacks or other people of color. Confusion about racism is epitomized by uncertainty and embarrassment and is sometimes related to being apprehensive about being seen as racist.
