A founding equality creed makes racism a psychological contradiction for citizens

Evidence

In conclusion, there are several noteworthy features of Allport’s “Inner Conflict” chapter. First, in this chapter Allport confronted directly the paradox of racism in a nation founded on the fundamental principle of equality. He explored how ordinary people grapple with the paradox when they discover it within themselves (Myrdal, 1944). After all, to the extent that “all men [sic] are created equal,” considering some (e.g., Black Americans) less equal (i.e., three-fifths of a man) shouldn’t add up and should provide a challenge to one’s sense of self as reasoned, fair, and just. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2126

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Believing blacks were animal-like masked the contradiction of slavery with equality. — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1167; Founding-era unity rhetoric was a conscious misrepresentation of American diversity — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 146