Racism is becoming a major problem in our society today. This is when people hold power over others because of their skin color and racial inheritance. Despite who discriminates, or why is it done and how it is practiced and defended, what is clear as day racism promotes power, recognition, advantages, and opportunity for some people at the expense of others.
Racism can be stopped if everyone realized that we are all equal and that colors are only skin deep, or that colors can only be found in a crayon box. Racism can have very simple problem, unfortunately it is complicated because of how one race discriminate others will cause both of the races to discriminate each other. For example, black people were being slaved during the 1800s and because of this, white people think that black people are inferior to them. During the 1900s many white people came to realize that black people are also human being and that they should treat them the same. This might seem like a happy ending but in reality, racism didn’t fade because by then black people had so much anger toward white people and seen white people as their enemy because of how they were treated for so long.
There were many significant figures that took a stand in the history of United States to stop racism. One tried to show that we are not animals and that we can be in the same establishment without being inferior. Some stand out by speaking in public being peaceful while others use form of media such as novel and movies. Some of these figures that stand out by speaking in public was, Martin Luther King JR and Malcolm X they are probably the most famous one. Martin Luther King JR is famous for his “I have a dream” speech. Martin Luther King JR spoke in public and try to persuade everybody to see that violence will solve nothing and that violence itself is root of all evil. While Malcolm X, unfortunately used violence to solve his problem. They may have had different views but they have one cause. Martin Luther King JR has always believed that “good” white people did existed while Malcolm X always believed that there is no “good” in white people, causing him to fight violence with violence. Malcolm X would do anything to get his point across for example he barricading himself and his supporters. Fortunately, later in his life, Malcolm X came to realize that there are “good” white people as he stated in his book.
“I tried in every speech I made to clarify my new position regarding
white people – ‘I don’t speak against the sincere, well meaning, good
white people. I have learned that there are some. I have learned that
not all white people are racists” (The Ballot or The Bullet, 367).
Martin Luther King JR and Malcolm X are now remembered as the most important figures in history that paved the way for United States to reach a country where there can be no racism. We may have not reached the point where there is no racism because it starts in the home. They both failed to see that the hate of another race within the youth was because of the adults.
Just like the past people today in some form have experienced racism in their lives. They may have experience it in school, in their neighborhood, shopping, in a restaurant, and at work. Racism can take place anywhere and everywhere. Racism can even change the way an individual may feel about oneself, causing them to be scared for life. I, myself, didn’t know what racism was until someone told me in elementary “You need to stop acting white! You are black”. I was not sure what that meant until my mother set me down and explained. As a child I did not pay attention to the color of my skin until that day. After that event I noticed everyone was treated different, Whites, black, Asians. It baffled me because I come from a middle class family and my parents have taught me to act and speak a certain way and that I have equal opportunities as the next person no matter gender, ethnicity or religion. Yes, I know I am black, and with that come’s history of blacks being inferior. This caused me to always work harder to prove that I wasn’t your typical “Black girl”. I was not resided in the ghetto, I have never been in a physical fight, and I am not loud, I pronounce all of my syllables and I do not use slang or the “N” word when I speak. I am not a part of what statistics say nor do I fit in with the typical stereotypes they put my people in.
The fact is, by the time a child is an infant, they start noticing color differences, and when they are in school, teachers teach not to discriminate and to just look over the difference and live equally. Racism and discrimination starts at a young age that would seem like enough. But unfortunately, schools aren’t the only influence that children have, because while schools teach one thing, parents can also teach them differently. For example; let’s say that one day a child is in school, and the teacher says three plus three equals six. But, if the parents tell their child that three plus three equals four and NOT six, then that’s what the child starts to believe. When telling a child that every day, they will start thinking that it’s true. The parents are teaching something totally different than the school. There was an article that I read called “Racism Starts at Home Then Progresses in School” and then I came across this line,
“But by the time the toddlers are old enough to attend elementary school, they learn to dislike others based on their skin color, ethnicity, or gender. It starts at home, where kids overhear their parents talking bad about Hialeah's Hispanics or Liberty City's African-Americans or Aventura's various ethnicities.” Campbell

Therefore, I believed that the only solution to racism is an understanding among races that everybody is equal and the notion of parents and government officials using race to seem above someone needs to stop. Children don’t do as they are told but they do as they see.
In conclusion, racism is a very important issue in United States. Racism is born and instilled in someone when people or an organization feel that they are superior compared to other races. There are many historic figures that try to stop racism such as Martin Luther King JR and Malcolm X. I believed that racism only could be stopped if there is understanding among races and if people would let go of the color of someone’s skin.

Work Cited
Landau, Elizabeth. "You may be more racist than you think, study says." Website, CNN. January 07, 2009
Campbell Luther . “Racism Starts at Home Then Progresses in School” Website, CNN, Tues Sep. 27 2011 at 8:00 AM
"The Ballot or the Bullet Part 5 Malcom X. Web. 24 Feb. 2009.
http://www.hark.com/clips/nwvjmbrdlh-the-ballot-or-the-bullet-part-5