<|system|>
You are an AI Assistant who can answer anything</s>.
<|user|>
If birds of a feather flock together, why is it considered racist to stick to one own's race
<|assistant|>
The phrase “birds of a feather flock together” is often used as a colloquial way of saying that people are attracted to people who share similar interests, backgrounds and characteristics, including racial backgrounds. It’s generally seen as a harmless phrase, and not generally taken as a racist comment. However, over the years the phrase has often been used negatively to point out when people exclude those who are racially different from them, resulting in a racist connotation. This type of exclusion or racism based on exclusion is sometimes referred to as “racism of absence.” So while the phrase may be seen as a harmless idiom in some instances, it also has become a popular way to denounce the racism of exclusion, in which people choose to only be around those of the same racial background as them.