What first lets Lily know she has some prejudice buried inside herself?

What first lets Lily know she has some prejudice buried inside herself?

• A. Her mother warned her about people from Virginia.
• B. A neighbor told her Black people are lazy.
• C. A teacher implied white people are superior.
• D. She didn't realize black people could be intelligent.

Answer: (D)

Seeing that Black people can be intelligent confronts Lily with a belief she didn’t even know she held. She’s grown up surrounded by messages that lean toward racial stereotypes, so the first moment she recognizes her own prejudice is when she encounters evidence that challenges those stereotypes—specifically, that Black people are capable and smart. This realization makes her aware of the biased assumption she had accepted, marking the moment her own prejudice comes to light. The other options describe prejudiced ideas voiced by others, not Lily’s own moment of self-recognition.

Seeing that Black people can be intelligent confronts Lily with a belief she didn’t even know she held. She’s grown up surrounded by messages that lean toward racial stereotypes, so the first moment she recognizes her own prejudice is when she encounters evidence that challenges those stereotypes—specifically, that Black people are capable and smart. This realization makes her aware of the biased assumption she had accepted, marking the moment her own prejudice comes to light.

The other options describe prejudiced ideas voiced by others, not Lily’s own moment of self-recognition.