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What causes racism
What causes racism
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Systemic racism by definition is a complex array of anti-black practices, the unjustly gained political-economic power of whites, the continuing economic and other resource inequalities along racial lines, and the white racist ideologies and attitudes created to maintain and rationalize white privilege and power. Systemic here means that the core racism realities are manifested in each of society’s major parts each major part of U.S society, the economy , politics, education, religion, the family, reflects the fundamental reality of systemic racism. Basically the theory of systemic racism is to interpret the rationalized character, structure, and development of this society. Today, as in the past, systemic racism encompasses a broad range of white racist dimensions: the racist ideology, attitudes, emotions, habits, actions, …show more content…
and institutions of whites in this society. Thus, systemic racism is far more than a matter of racial prejudice and individual bigotry. U.S. citizens were overwhelmingly or exclusively for whites. Indeed, prior to the end of slavery in 1865, African Americans were not regarded by most whites, including the Supreme Court, as citizens. In modern times, whites are typically included in demographic comparisons of racial ethnic groups’ socioeconomic status and are often noted as the more advantaged group, especially in comparisons with black Americans and Latinos, yet rarely are whites seen as currently the central propagators and agents in a persisting system of racial discrimination and other racial oppression. Systemic Racism is real, an example of this is that in 2010 Black Americans made up 13% of the population but had only 2.7% of the wealth. The median net worth for a white family was $134,000 but the median net worth for a Hispanic family was $14,000 and for a Black family $11,000. Another example is the unemployment. Black unemployment is always about twice as high as white unemployment. If you have a white sounding name is 50% more likely to get a callback than with a Black sounding name. Evidence telling that this still happens now days is the undeserved impoverishment and enrichment, alienating racist relations, the costs and burdens of racism the role that white elites play and the rationalization of racial oppression by races ideology. The patterns of undeserved impoverishment and enrichment, means that whites have been enriched by labor of blacks.
Alienating racist relations, is where whites are in positions of power and routinely discriminate against, dehumanized, and exploits black people who are marginalized also by the racist nature of institutions like education, media, and law, among others. The costs and burdens of racism are disproportionately born by black people, including shorter life spans, limited income and wealth potential, impacted family structure as a result of mass incarceration of black people, limited access to educational resources and political participation, and the emotionally community of living with less. The role that white elites play is perpetuating a racist social system via politics, law, educational institutions, the economy, and via racist representations and underrepresentation of people of color in mass media. The rationalization of racial oppression by races ideology is a key way in which systemic races operates and is central to its reproductions. Racist ideology thinks that whites are superior to people of color for biological
reasons. In conclusion, the systemic racism theory presented by Feagin is a complex array of anti-black practices, the unjustly gained political-economic power of whites, the continuing economic and other resource inequalities along racial lines, and the white racist ideologies and attitudes created to maintain and rationalize white privilege and power. The statistics serve us as evidence for this fact. In 2010 Black Americans made up 13% of the population but had only 2.7% of the wealth. The median net worth for a white family was $134,000 but the median net worth for a Hispanic family was $14,000 and for a Black family $11,000. In addition, we can tell that black unemployment is always about twice as high as white unemployment. If you have a white sounding name is 50% more likely to get a callback than with a Black sounding name.
In the level of institutionalized racism, it is what all community organizers strive to overcome. This form of racism entails the power and access to materials that everyone should be able to obtain. When there is racism involved, there is a level of differentiation in the access that each race is entitled to. For example, Blacks have less access to nutritional food and health care when the live in an urban residential area. These inequities are the result of an institutionalized difference between racial groups and it may lead to health disparities. Dr. Jones believes that the root of association between socioeconomic status and race in the United States is in direct correlation to this form of racism.
Many minority groups describe racism and other forms of discrimination as being more than just prejudiced towards people based on certain characteristics. Prejudice plays a large role in what is considered to be racism, but it also consists of having a dominant position in society and power to institute and take advantage of their racism. This dominant group of people have the most power, the greatest privileges, and what’s considered to be the highest social status. They use their power to provide themselves with (easier) access to resources like housing, education, jobs, food, health, legal protection, and et cetera. On the other hand, the subordinate group of people are singled out for unequal treatment and are regarded as “objects” of collective discrimination. They are provided with inferior education, food, jobs, healthcare and et cetera.
Racism is not only a crime against humanity, but a daily burden that weighs down many shoulders. Racism has haunted America ever since the founding of the United States, and has eerily followed us to this very day. As an intimidating looking black man living in a country composed of mostly white people, Brent Staples is a classic victim of prejudice. The typical effect of racism on an African American man such as Staples, is a growing feeling of alienation and inferiority; the typical effect of racism on a white person is fear and a feeling of superiority. While Brent Staples could be seen as a victim of prejudice because of the discrimination he suffers, he claims that the victim and the perpetrator are both harmed in the vicious cycle that is racism. Staples employs his reader to recognize the value of his thesis through his stylistic use of anecdotes, repetition and the contrast of his characterization.
We have a long history of racism in America that has been structured to favor White people. Structural racism can be defined as, “a system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. It identifies the dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed privileges associated with “whiteness” and disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time”(Structural Racism, 2004,p. 11). Overt racism became illegal during The Civil Rights Movement that took place between 1954-1968 (Tuck, 2015). Although society seemed to be heading toward a more socially acceptable society, the movement enabled white people to blame the struggles black face as a character flaw. White people will believe that black people have a lot of problems because their culture is bad or they have bad values. The message they are reinforcing is that being black is inferior, and this is an example of structural racism operates. Structural racism is a system of forces that keeps people of color in a permanent second-class status, and it is the foundation of racism in our society. Society is structured in a way where the hierarchy of white people oppresses Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, etc and has
According to Omi and Winant, the term race can be defined as “a concept which signifies and symbolizes social conflicts and interests by referring to different types of human bodies.” From their framework of racial formation and concept of racial projects, Omi and Winant asserts that race is a matter of social structure and cultural representation that has been intertwined to shape the nature of racism. Racism has been seen since the events of early English colonization of the indigenous people and the racialization of African Americans through slavery, all in which the United States is molded upon as a nation. Thus, this social structure of domination has caused European colonials and American revolutionists to create racialized representations, policies, and structures in order to oppress indigenous and black populations in their respective eras.
Race is a social construct because the existence of race requires that people collectively agree and accept that it does exist. It typically works through race indicators which are used to indicate which race you are, and consequently what sort of status you have in society. The Thomas Theorem is a theory that states “If men (and women) define situations as real, they are real in their consequences”, meaning the interpretation of an event causes the action. White privilege is institutionalized when the practices and policies of an institution systematically benefit whites at the expense of other racial groups. Peggy McIntosh published an article entitled “White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack”, which names in very clear ways, how everyday, having white skin confers privileges that white people don’t often realize they receive.
Looking back at the history of United States in the 1800s, clearly racism was everywhere, and slavery was a major part of society. In the 1900s, racial discrimination still played a major part in society as White Americans were given the rights which includes right to vote, schooling, employment, or the right to go to certain public places. Colored people, did not have the equal rights and freedom as White Americans, especially African-American who back then were turned into slaves. Despite the fact that formal racial discrimination was largely banned in the mid-20th century, this issue of racism still exist even in today's society. The problem with society is that stereotypical views of various races still play a role, like when people always
Racism within the Justice System. Living in the twenty first century, Americans would like to believe that they are living in the land of the free, where anyone and everyone can live an ordinary life without worrying that they will be arrested on the spot for doing absolutely nothing. The sad truth, with the evidence to prove it, is that this American Dream is not all that it appears to be. It has been corrupted and continues to be, everyday, by the racism that is in the criminal justice system of America. Racism has perpetuated the corruption of the criminal justice system from the initial stop, the sentencing in court, all the way to the life of an inmate in the prison.
Racism plays a big role when society is labeled. Racism comes from simply people not liking others just for the simple reason of how they look or where they come from; but we cannot place all the blame on society for being racist. For the most part, it comes from our own upbringing. As children grow, parents instill in them values and beliefs. So if a parent teaches their children to be racist they will learn it and use it as they grow up. “Upbringing is the largest cause of racism”-Anonymous. Even if we allow yourself to get to know some of them, this will always be in the back of your mind” (laurenmay123).
Racism has been around since the dawn of human existence, coming in many forms and effecting all types of people. In the twenty-first century, racism still plays a part in ever society on the plant. But instead of overt racism people find different ways to disadvantage certain groups. The current American culture views overt racism as unfair, rude, and wrong, but that does not stop people from using unconscious racism. Unconscious racism is when the offender disadvantages another based on race without being out right racist to the person. From not giving a job to a person based on the color of their skin to calling out the president for not being born in the country, racism effects people at all status levels. Starting when the first settlers arrived to internment camps to modern day unconscious racism, racism has token many forms and changes according to the time. The key factors that help unconscious racism thrive in our society are the changes to the policy that determine what is a racist act, the formations of stereotype through the concentration of ethnic groups population, and the negative effects of Affirmative action all played a part.
Racism is the mistreatment of a group of people on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, place of origin, or ancestry. The term racism may also denote a blind and unreasoning hatred, envy, or prejudice (Dimensions of Racism). Racism has had a strong effect on society. Despite the many efforts made to alleviate racism, what is the future of African Americans' Racism's long history, important leaders, current status, and future outlook will be the main factors in determining how to combat racism. Racism is still present in many societies, although many people are doing their best to put an end to racism and its somewhat tragic ordeals.
Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others. This trend has been around for a long time, from slaves, to discrimination, etc. Although in many cases, people in the time period often tend to act like it does not exist. When looking back on certain situations and their aftermath people then realize the true nature of racism. In 1962, 85% of whites thought that black children in their community had just as good of a chance of getting a good education as white children. The constant trend for lack of knowledge about racism and/or discrimination is real. Now, whites, realize that in 1962 black children did not have as good of a chance, if any, of getting a good education in comparison to white children. In 1969 nearly half of all whites (45%) believed that blacks had a better chance of getting a good-paying job than they did. Once again history repeated itself, in that many whites now realize that blacks not only did not have a better chance of getting a good-paying job than they did, they had a worse chance. (Abagond)
Racism and social disadvantage being the by-products of Australian colonisation have become reality for Aboriginal people from the early beginnings as well as being prevalent to this day. There exists a complex and strong association between racism and Aboriginal poor health, assisting in the undermining of the emotional and social wellbeing of this Indigenous group. Racism has an adverse and insidious effect upon the psychological and physical health of the Aboriginal people, as it gnaws away on the mental state of the individual, having detrimental consequence upon the standard of acceptable health in today 's modern society. The effects of this discrimination become the catalyst towards the undermining of one 's self esteem which leads to detrimental stress levels, self-negativity and having the potential
Systemic racism is basically the same but systemic racism is just making sure the white race is high and has more education and jobs. American society and the political system both hate groups and systemic racism has created, do not value black lives the same as white lives. Some don’t have the knowledge to know what they are doing, and don’t realize that what they’re doing is wrong. In this case black and whites see race differently. Since the civil rights movement,
Racism is a huge social problem in the world today. Many races today are being discriminated for being a certain race. Racism has been a social problem for a quite long time now, and it is still a social problem. The vast majority are being discriminated because of a certain group of a race, or person, done something that was awful, but this does not mean the whole race is to blame for the actions of others. Other races are looked down upon because of the color of their skin or maybe because they look very different. Racism has led up to genocide because one group fears another, or because of the way a race looks. A person who is racist is not born racist, they are taught to be racist or they see other people being racist, and they want to