Racism

11 a.m., March 22, 2026
Our society condemns racism, a word loaded with negative connotations.

It’s also an uncomfortable word. Over the decades, we have heard of concepts associated with racism: stereotypes, microaggression and privileges. The slow introduction of these words reflect our society’s gradual and uncomfortable acknowledgement of certain facets of racism.

Still, we don’t have the complete picture. What is racism? The presentation is to analyze racism and find the causes. Basically, racism is the intersection of three psychological dynamics of human beings:

discomfort caused by difference
different treatment due to power differences
mistreatment due to problematic human desires
We are going to examine these dynamics in detail, like discomfort leads to avoidance. Unfamiliarity leads to distrust… and many others. It’s about human behaviors. Afterwards, you may understand others better. And you may see yourself differently.

Racism is not an evil that can be killed. It is part of human nature, similar to greed or aggression. It needs to be watched within us; we just need to know where to watch. A strong sense of justice and a caring heart, like we humanists try to develop, can reduce it further.

Please come and find out.

About the presenter:

Emma Pan is a humanist. She has spent a lot of time thinking, observing and analyzing the problems of our society.

She came to the US as an Asian teenager. Even though she ventured into many groups of white people, during the first 3 decades in the U.S., the word “racism” rarely entered her mind. She didn’t know enough about racism.

On the other hand, she was drawn to every single discussion on racism she knew of. She found them unsatisfactory.

After almost five decades living the U.S., she began to see the pattern of racism that nobody talks about. She wants to share her realization with the world.

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