The evolution of racism
Racism is when you judge a person’s personality, intelligence, and other cultural and behavioral traits based on their race. It backs up the idea that some races are better than others. In the legal, economic, and political-institutional systems, these terms are used to keep discrimination alive. Because of this belief, there are differences in wealth, health care, income, and civil rights. Racism got worse after World War I, when the Nazis used anti-Semitism to their advantage. Apartheid kept black and white people from mixing in South Africa and North America (Fredrickson,2007). Racist ideas have changed and grown over time. In the 21st century, many white Americans have backed ideas about race relations that African Americans have had for hundreds of years.
At first, racists thought that people with low status should only be able to get low-quality jobs and treatment. At the same time, the other person should be subject to political and social power. People who were thought to be from a low-status race were hurt by violence, starved, and insulted. Racism’s ideas and actions have had a big impact on people’s relationships and self-esteem. Slavery was based on racism (Fredrickson,2015). People who were of the European race thought they were better than people who were of the African race. Racism had spread to most parts of the world by the end of the 1800s. Racism was built into many different parts of society in many different countries. Racism led to colonialism, which made the people who were being colonized angry and feel like they were being used.
By the middle of the 20th century, many conflicts were seen as being caused by racism in the system. Racism has led to differences between groups and has had effects that are hard to get past. Discrimination’s effects can be seen in how they show up in the system as a whole. In 2021, when George Floyd was killed, racism in the African American community was brought to light. The nationwide protest, on the other hand, showed how people’s views on racism are changing. The country showed division and opposition to the regime of discrimination. The killing of George Floyd showed how force was used against black people. Bullard (2008) says that similar cases in the past have led to the controversial idea that police are more likely to use too much force on black suspects. Systemic racism, in which people of color were seen as less important, led to the events. Because of this, they were more likely to be attacked and treated badly by the law. Even in the 21st century, racial bias is still a big problem. But the level of violence is not the same as it was in the 1800s. In the U.S., there are constitutional and legal protections for the rights of minorities. However, research (Mose, 2020) found that some people still think they are racist. Some experts think that racism is hard to change because it is so deeply rooted in people’s minds. People have different opinions about race issues like discrimination and how to fix them. In recent years, people have become more interested in racial equality and getting rid of unfair treatment of black people.
References
Fredrickson, G. M. (2007). The comparative imagination: On the history of racism, nationalism, and social movements. Univ of California Press.
Fredrickson, G. M. (2015). Racism: A short history. Princeton University Press.
Bullard, S. (Ed.). (2008). The Ku Klux Klan: A History of Racism & Violence. Diane Publishing.
Mosse, G. L. (2020). Toward the final solution: A history of European racism. University of Wisconsin Press.
