How Do I Respond When Someone Makes a Racist Comment?

A: How to respond when someone makes a racist comment is a complicated question.

Dr. Ella Washington, a professor at Georgetown University, explained an important aspect of confronting racist terminology. When someone says something offensive, it does not mean they are an inherently bad person, Washington notes. The person may not be aware of why their comments were offensive.

The way to handle racist remarks is to not remain silent. Stay calm. If you have an opportunity to pull the person aside at that moment, do so, or address the issue as soon as possible. Let the person know you found the remark offensive and explain why. If the individual is not embarrassed to make offensive statements, you should not be embarrassed to let them know how YOU feel. Keep the conversation relevant to the words spoken and how it affected you and how it could affect others.

If the comment is said in your presence but not directed at you, you can help by resolving to be someone who speaks up for others. Here are some ways to respond from the Oregon Center for Educational Equity:

• • That’s not how we do things here.
  • That’s not funny to me.
  • That sounds racist.
  • That was not necessary.
  • Is the person’s race relevant to your story?
  • I’m sorry, what?
  • I need a moment to process that.
  • Let’s be careful that our words are respectful of everyone.
  • Racial jokes are not okay.
  • That comment makes me uncomfortable.
  • Maybe you don’t realize the impact of your words.

Sometimes the best way to help people understand is to ask them to put themselves in someone else’s place; it may help them realize that their ideas need to be reexamined.

Cynthia M. Douglas is the President of the Grosse Pointes & Harper Woods branch of the NAACP. For more information please visit facebook.com/GPHWNAACP.