Racism Is A Social Problem Essay

1. Why Racism is a Social Problem

Racism is the discrimination based on one’s skin color and has been a problem since the old days of slavery when black Americans were forced to work under very harsh conditions by the whites. Since then, there have been several cases and judicial rulings on racism. Therefore, racism is a social problem and how it affects not only individuals but also the society as a whole. Racism causes discrimination based on the color of people. Thus they may not get the right opportunities in schools, workplace, or health facilities. The lack of these primary needs causes social class distinction. If a person is discriminated at school, he or she may not get good grades; hence, the discriminated person fails to get the

Conflict and tension are the primary factors of social life. When the social life of people is affected, the society becomes part of the problem. Currently, there have been many racial discrimination cases. Most African-Americans are treated as criminals. Some innocent blacks have been killed without trial just because of their color. Therefore, racial discrimination is a social problem that everyone in the society should fight. Everyone in the society should be concerned on how to eliminate this problem, so as to live happily. Social conflicts affect everyone, the innocent and the guilty; thus, it is the role of every person to ensure his or her society lives without racial discrimination.

2. Credible and Non-Credible Sources on Racism

Bobo, Lawrence D. and Cybelle Fox. "Race, Racism, and Discrimination: Bridging Problems, Methods, and Theory in Social Psychological Research." Social Psychology Quarterly 66.4 (2003): 319. Web. 27 July 2016. Bobo journal on racism explains how racism appears as a social-psychological problem, which requires one to understand different theories so as to solve the problem. The journal is a credible source since it is from Harvard University, which is a reliable institution.

"Erase Racism NY." Eraseracismny.org. Web. 27 July

"The Social Construction of Whiteness: Racism by Intent, Racism by Consequence." Crit Social 32.4 (2006): 649-673. Web. 28 July 2016. Guess’ article on racism gives an account of the history of racism, and how sociology has participated in the explanation of racism. The article and the journal are credible source since the author and the university which publishes it are well known.

Jiwani, Yasmin. "Racism and the Media | Stop Racism and Hate Collective." Stopracism.ca. Web. 27 July 2016. The website gives an account on how the media should participate in the fight against racism. Jiwani provides an explanation of why the media's influence can be used to curb racism. It is a non-credible source because the author of the article is not well-known and the website is not a reliable source.

Smith, Mychal D. "Three Ways to Fight Racism in 2014." The Nation. n.p., 2014. Web. 27 July 2016. Smith’s article on this website gives an explanation of three ways that can be used to fight racism in the society. He focuses on politics and the leaders. The website is a non-credible source since the author is not renowned, and it is neither an organizational nor educational website.

"YWCA - Stand against Racism." Standagainstracism.org. Web. 27 July