Colorless Mutli-Coloredness of Whiteness

Refering to the book White Lies by Maurice Berger and the documentary The Color of Fear, there are discernable typical attitudes of whites towards blacks and other non-white groups. Berger quotes Cornel West, author of the book Race Matters, when he points out that white people typically do not want to believe that racism is still a problem in the United States, “Both (Liberals and Conservatives) fail to see that the presence and predicaments of black people are neither additions to or defections from American life, but rather constitute elements of that life” (20). To contradict this image of denial, Berger recognizes that “people of color are used as plot devices and props, their lives the backdrop to or catalyst for stories about white valor, selflessness, and benevolence” (68). The attitude that black people are usually poor, therefore dishonest, therefore criminals- is so common amongst white people that “No black person is ever unaware of his or her race. Because wh...