Preview

Racism based on skin color

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
911 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Racism based on skin color
Melanin-Based Racial Prejudice
Do you think humans are born to be judgmental? We usually make judgments based on what we see first, and most of the time an important factor is skin color. Social racism is known as the discrimination or intolerance of people of other races or skin colors. Racism occurs in many ways; however, it is not always obvious. Where did this type of behavior begin? Racial prejudice has many causes and effects from and on society that are inevitable. There are many ideas thrown around as to how racism began, though the truth lies in the historical facts. From slavery, to imperialism, to wars, we have always felt superior towards others with different skin colors and races.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” (Mandela, 1994). Racism has been a part of history for as long as humans existed and has been enhanced by early capitalism’s use of slaves for plantations and colonies. Back then, the colonists and imperialists used it as a way to show domination, but it resulted in dividing the modern world. A main factor of this division is that people who believe in stereotypes detest any communication with other races, causing a defense mechanism against them, and finally creating tension and animosity. History is proof that colored people have been treated unfairly and tortured over centuries. “Black” has always been perceived as negative. Black cats are told to be a sign of omen, black clothes are worn to funerals, and hell is pictured as a deadly place filled with darkness; these have all caused misinterpretation and created a wrong impression in people’s minds. Last, but unfortunately not least, pictures from The Holocaust -a genocide where about six million Jews were killed by the Nazis under the command of Germany’s

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In modern times the thought that black people should continue to be judged by their looks and seen as less of a human being is very real. Black people are seen as a threat by simply existing and are being controlled by the rules and laws that were set into place after slavery “ended.” In order to preserve white privilege and power, black and brown people have been denied the ability, more times than not, to succeed and bring…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyday people experience racism in the world. Like the quote by poet and author Maya Angelou once said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. ” People need to change their way of thinking about others. People need to start understanding others feelings.…

    • 670 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism comes in different forms of stereotypes, limitation, and assumptions that affect certain ethnic groups differently than others but all have the same negative effect. This then creates stereotypical power status, giving the illusion of how one racial group is superior compared to others. An example that shows great understanding of the issue is the article, “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” by Dr. Robin DiAngelo who explains how the topic of racism plays a huge role is social interaction between people of different ethnic groups. The author states, “It became clear over time that white people have extremely low thresholds for enduring any discomfort associated with challenges to our racial worldviews.” (DiAngelo, 36) This displays the power of stereotypes to spread around communities about each ethnic group, resulting in them facing daily obstacles of how to handle racial profiling situations that results in people not being able to protect their racial feelings and human rights, challenge white authority, meritocracy which is addressing the issue of unequal right between racial groups, and white centrality. Overall, racism is just but one of the many factors that contribute to this broken state of…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism In Black Like Me

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages

    America has grown and developed exponentially positive throughout the past centuries. We have won two world wars and expanded basic human rights to all females and colored people but one brutal fact remains, racism is still very alive. Although it is nowhere near as bad and cruel as it was during the 1950’s (as “Black Like Me” depicts so accurately) racism is absolutely unacceptable even if it is miniscule. John Howard Griffin courageously went against the overwhelming wave of popular racism in America and dissected the truth and made it public for all people to know about. He used a special medicated dye that temporarily changes his skin the brown just as the Negroes. He proved that most whites only discriminated against Negroes merely and ignorantly because of their skin color and not because their quality as a human being. I have completely understood the parallels that lie in between this book and today’s society by reading and comparing “Black Like Me” to modern society and pop culture. I understand that although racism has been cut down immensely over the past few decades it is still very alive and its ignorance and hypocrisy is a plague to the developing human race.…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Preponderance of pages in the annals of history has a lot to say about the menace of Racism. In their endless prints, racism is concisely described as the “belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her innate biological characteristic”.( archive.com). The above definition hints that racism is an expression of individual’s state of mind; we are never born racist, rather we chose to be, by believing what we want to believe. Racism is a very sensitive topic. It’s a topic that is even worse to teach about let alone write about, because its intricacies was buried in a web that runs gamut evolution theories to sets of beliefs of some human sects who just…

    • 966 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Racism is a global problem that has existed throughout the history of mankind. Despite the different kinds of measures taken against racism including African-American Civil Rights movement, Anti-Apartheid Movement, Hate Crime Laws, or bans on any racism manifestations, it continues to be a constant concern. For some people, it is a vague concept, because it reveals itself in different forms. For others, it is simply based on unreasonable believes and hate. So racism, after all, became a label that is used for humiliation, based on hatred of the individual or even entire ethnic groups. I will try to address the problem of racism from several points of view taking into account the areas in which racism exists and manifest itself; to prove that…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hidden Racism In America

    • 1035 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than the opposite.” Nelson Mandela, a leader of the fight to end apartheid in his home country of South Africa helps shed light on how racism can be fought in the United States. Even though America has come a long way from the times of slavery, racism continues to exist all over the country. Americans can learn to love one another, but they must first discover the roots and causes of racism and stop it before it spreads. In order to deal with racism, Americans often: refuse to accept the facts, accept it as a way of life, and do not do enough to stop its practice.…

    • 1035 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Example Of Racism Essay

    • 1489 Words
    • 6 Pages

    As children, we were taught to treat others as we wished to be treated. We were taught to love and value one another, we were taught morals. However, as time passed, a growing hatred consumed us. We as a nation lost our empathy amongst each other and began to dehumanize our own neighbors. We as a whole began to discriminate on the basis of skin color, religion, and race. Racism is an injustice act that has been around for centuries, affecting millions of people all throughout the world, and can still be found in present day. Although I believe this to be true, there is a growing opposition that believes that racism is not an injustice but rather the reality of life. Racism is instilled in people through various influences and as a result, they have shaped…

    • 1489 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Naturally, racism is embedded in society; moreover, historically as human selfishness, enslaving, and advantage in efforts to be superior to other races. Social constructs in efforts to change this view…

    • 1532 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The African American population is growing and Americans are now a mixed group of people. Black people are white people's neighbors, doctors, and friends. With a growing unity between the two races, why does racism continue? The answer is simple. Racists from many years ago raise their kids in clans and white supremacy groups and teach them the ways of hatred. These kids grow up "brain-washed" that black people are their enemies and, taught by example, will continue this trend (The Volume Library; 1988).…

    • 1511 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In America racism and prejudice is a controversial topic. Today, many people claim that it has become even worse over the past few years and will always exist in society. It is in human nature,instinct, to judge from what's right and wrong. Some put their judgement into action and others keep it hidden .“To what extent are we all prejudice? How are stereotypes learned? What purpose do they serve? How does knowing this shape your own prejudice?”…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Critical Race Theory

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages

    There are many people today that believe that racism has been terminated. There are a lot of ways to support it too, with affirmative action, having a black president, and even interracial marriages. In reality, however, racism has not only progressed, but it has evolved throughout the time of its life. In “Theories and Constructs of Race”, by Linda Holtzman and Leon Sharpie, the authors use different logical theories and facts to let the reader know that racism is still alive.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though people think racism is one attitude in and of itself, it can manifest in many different ways. A racist attitude can lead to brutality, prejudices, and profiling. Racism is something that never should have, and never should be tolerated. Pride in one's heritage is a basic human right that everyone deserves. Racial equality is something that today's society needs to be striving for. To accomplish this, humanity needs to more have mutual respect and empathy for each other. Maybe once this happens, there will be a more peaceful world with less darkness and…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Racism In Society

    • 1545 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In the past decade, racism has changed along with how society has changed. For example, in today’s society, it is rare to see a store, restaurant or anyone who just will not serve anyone because they are black; however, it can still happen. In society today, world racism is taken and given in a different way. When the Internet came into play during the 21st century and social media following not far after, the characteristics of racism changed. Author Emily Fekete writes in her article Race and (Online) Sites Consumption, “Geographers have noted the increasing role of the Internet and social media in everyday life (Zook and Graham 2007; Elwood 2011; Kitchin and Dodge 2011; Stephens 2013)”. Not only has social media increased, but in doing this,…

    • 1545 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Racism in Australia

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Myths and stereotypes are key components of racism. People are not properly educated on the truth and an instant or fixed picture of a group of people, usually based on negative and ill-informed ideas is formed. They are usually pre-conceived negative opinions, which in turn limits certain people from progressing due to personal characteristics such as race and color.…

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays