Stereotypes as an Identity

In order for racism to not exist anymore, stereotypes have to be forgotten. So why is it so difficult to get rid of strongly ingrained racial stereotypes? Often I notice people can strongly believe in these stereotypes, and can often express them too, but people start to adhere to them. It seems to me that stereotypes are false, but are slowly becoming true again because people hear it constantly and start to subconsciously act in identical ways, almost like the 3rd graders who started to perform badly if they felt they were inferior - although the study was carried out in an odd way. I don't believe in stereotypes but hearing them constantly, whether as a joke or as an insult, definitely makes me feel as if adhering to it is the easy way to go.