Undoing Racism in America

Abstract

Racism and ethnic prejudice are major problems in our society. These prob lems are accentuated when a homogeneous white community has little opportunity to engage with culturally diverse others. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a well planned engagement of white students with members of a black community, in a safe and welcoming environment, would significantly reduce racism and prejudice. The success of the experiential approach was assessed through a questionnaire as well as qualitative reports. The finding of this study indicate that positive interactions between black andwhite Americans result in positive attitudes toward one another, reduce ethnocentrism, and increase effective intercultural interactions.

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