ABC - What Would You Do? - Racism in America

Bike Theft Experiment

In this experiment, actors pretend to steal a bike in broad daylight while hidden cameras record the reactions of passersby. The experiment is conducted twice, once with a white actor and once with a black actor.

White Actor Steals Bike

• Justin Kelly, an actor, pretends to steal a bike in broad daylight.

• Most people stop and stare but do not intervene.

• A few people question the thief but do not take any action.

• Some people plan to call the police later while others are too scared to get involved.

Black Actor Steals Bike

• A young black man named Matlock pretends to steal the same bike.

• Several people confront him and try to stop him from stealing the bike.

• One man even calls 911 to report the theft.

• When confronted by David Rob, one passerby insists that justice is colorblind.

Conclusion

The experiment shows that people are more likely to intervene when they see a black person stealing than when they see a white person stealing. Many people who witnessed the white actor stealing did not take any action, while several people tried to stop the black actor from stealing.

The Impact of Race on Perception

In this section, the video discusses how race affects our perception and actions.

Association of Race with Behavior

• The video explains that people tend to associate crime with Blacks and Whites with being good.

• When given an opening like a lost key explanation, people may respond kindly. Challenging the actor might come off as racist.

Conclusion

• The video suggests that whether we believe it or not, race is affecting what we see, think, and do.

• We all have biases that affect our perception and actions.