I saw this in the twitterverse and I have a legitimate question

[irisblue]

{I haven't had a college class on sociology for many years, and when I saw this, it started me down a maze.}

The question, what is the difference between racism and 'symbolic racism?

Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) Tweeted:
In other words, black or brown candidates won’t win the racist voters, even with policies consistent with many of their preferences, because those voters are racist. https://t.co/JV1JkEHJEt

Link to tweet

There are many scholarly articles with this term. I'm really not seeing a difference.

[Kind of Blue]

1. I've never heard of symbolic racism before but

I do remember seeing on the news back when Candidate Obama was running, a reporter following an Obama canvasser in a white neighborhood. The two never really step inside the house. The wife stood at the door and you could hear her husband shout from inside, "We're voting for the N" word. I thought then only because things are dreadful.

I know I saw it but can't find video of it. But did find this and other sources that reported it "Racists for Obama: Plenty of white bigots will vote for Barack Obama on Tuesday. There are some things they fear more than black people."

https://www.salon.com/2008/11/03/racists_for_obama/

[irisblue]

2. My exs family told me a very similiar thing.

I was astounded. Gobsmacked

[Kind of Blue]

3. My cognitive dissonance was so strong

I still don't know where to place that statement.