Symbolic racism

Symbolic racism is when people hold negative beliefs and attitudes towards a particular group of people, but express it in a less obvious or direct way. It's like when you want to say something mean about someone, but you don't want to get in trouble for it, so you say it in a sneaky way.

For example, imagine if you started a new school and there was a boy in your class who had a different skin color than you. You might not realize it, but you could be treating him unfairly without even knowing it. Maybe you don't want to sit next to him at lunch or play with him at recess. You might not say anything mean to him directly, but your actions show that you don't want to be his friend just because of the way he looks.

In some cases, people who hold symbolic racist beliefs might not even realize that they are being prejudiced. They might claim that they are treating everyone equally, but their actions say otherwise. It's important to recognize and challenge these beliefs and behaviors, and to treat everyone with kindness and respect, no matter what they look like.