How do you identify a racist individual?

My grandmother used to say - there are two ways you can identify a racist person: 1) a racist person will not make direct eye contact with you, and 2) if you extend your hand, a racist person will look at your hand before shaking it. Of course, this is an infallible method because the person could be shy, lack confidence and/or they could have mysophobia.

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NickiHijab · F Best Comment

That could definitely be the case, although that in itself isn't an indicator, but the nuanced differences in body language and engagement are usually noticiable in everyday interactions that most others wouldn't notice and I wouldn't necessarily say all of them are racist but there's definitely prejudice there.
Like yesterday, I was queuing for self checkout. It was only for card payments. I wasn't aware of this because the woman working there didn't instruct me which check out machine to use, nor did she inform me that its card payments only. Not that, that was an issue.
The issue was the fact she was staring at me until I was done and interacting with everyone else that were waiting behind me, asking how their day was, instructing them which check out to use and that it was card only. The difference in interaction speaks volumes.

So your grandma isn't wrong. There's definitely subtle mannerisms that give away a lot.

LoveTriumphsOverHate · 36-40, M

@NickiHijab I've had that happen to me before as well, commonly in store settings where I was the only black person using the self-checkouts.

HootyTheNightOwl

On that, then... I am a racist. I don't make eye contact very often and I certainly don't shake hands any more now that I don't have the muscle control to prevent men from breaking my bones any more.

Gingerbreadspice · F

I’d look at a hand before shaking it to check it looked clean.

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LoveTriumphsOverHate · 36-40, M

@Gingerbreadspice Do you do this irrespective of a person's race? Or do you pay extra attention to the hands of black people?

LoveTriumphsOverHate · 36-40, M

@Gingerbreadspice Shaking hands is banned? Where? That's a very draconic law. What about kissing and having sex? Is that banned too?

Gingerbreadspice · F

@LoveTriumphsOverHate Yes I do irrespective of race. You wouldn’t eat off a surface that didn’t look clean so why touch something.

Northwest · M

When they make racist statements, especially when they disguise it as "it's just a joke", or they show racism through their actions.

LoveTriumphsOverHate · 36-40, M

@Northwest Yeah, I notice that about racist people. Most of them won't reveal their racism right out but they will first 'test the waters' to see how far they can go.

Ryannnnnn · 31-35, M

You abruptly shout "OHMYGOD THERES A BLACK PERSON IN THE HOUSE!" and if they go "AHHHHH" you say "HA I thought so.."

LoveTriumphsOverHate · 36-40, M

@Ryannnnnn 😂😆 lmbo

SirBenedictTheSecond · 22-25, M

Usually by their actions/beliefs

InOtterWords · F

Those have nothing to do with racism

LoveTriumphsOverHate · 36-40, M

@InOtterWords 🤣

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