TOW #15: "Will Racism End When Old Bigots Die?"

Will Racism End When Old Bigots Die? is an article from NPR that attempts to address the age-old question: just how is racism passed down from generation to generation, and is there any way to prevent the spread of racist beliefs? Is it getting better, or staying the same, as the millennial generation grows into adults? The article was published in NPR's Code Switch section, which deals with the many layers behind racial issues facing America today. Leah Donnella is a regular contributor to this section, and works as a news assistant and blogger.

The article starts off with a vignette of Shelly Fields, a 46-year-old white woman with biracial children. This showcase of Fields' situation is rhetorically effective, as it paints a diverse portrait of America -- one most readers can testify to -- right off the bat, to put things in perspective and also bring evidence from someone in a unique situation as Fields is. The article also accounts for her daughter's perspective, showing both sides of the story.

The use of the famous quotation from Martin Luther King, Jr., "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character", is especially effective in pointing out the recurring theme for many parents who believe their children will grow up in a less racist world. Donnella also cites figures like Thomas Jefferson and Oprah Winfrey to show the prevalence of this argument in both ancient and modern history. This proves to be a recurring theme throughout the article: the belief that parents hold that 'things will get better' for their children.

Public polling data is also utilized effectively in the article, citing surveys done asking readers the question: Will racism fade away when old bigots die? Though the sample size was limited to about 120, a shocking two-thirds said they did not think that the next generation would usher out racism. Nearly the same number went on to say that they thought their answer would differ from their parents and grandparents. The anecdotes provided from families further this evidence, and serve as more 'scientific' proof of the disparity between parents and their children.

The article concluded that although the viewpoints of parents and their children differ extremely, when it comes down to it, many answer similarly when asked about racism and the future. Personal experiences and situations factor heavily into that equation, which is why the use of both anecdotal evidence and more scientific data is rhetorically effective for this article.