...Ever since the United States’ conception, racism has been a very sensitive topic due to people feeling threatened by other “lesser” ethnicities. As antiquated as the concept may be, it still tends to find its way into the conscious and even subconscious of the American people. In the LA Time’s Scholar Won’t Face Charges, the author writes of Henry Louis Gates Jr. who was racially profiled for presumably breaking into a home. This home happened to be Gate’s but the police arrested him anyways. The author writes, “The city of Cambridge called the arrest ‘regrettable and unfortunate.’” (LA Times). Gates was arrested because he was a black man breaking into a home and officers presumed the worst, a subconscious decision. Although racism does indeed...
Words: 1616 - Pages: 7
...Racism is a form of discrimination that has a variety of definitions, depending on which dictionary one reads. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is a belief that all members of each racial group has characteristics or abilities specific to a particular race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or groups. The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherited superiority of a particular racial group. Racism, as defined by Webster’s New American Dictionary , is “a belief that some races are by nature superior to others.” The Macquarie Dictionary defines racism as: "the belief that human races have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others." The common thread between all of these definitions seem to be the idea of superiority versus inferiority when comparing whites and blacks, in particular. Because of this notion of whites feeling superior and blacks feeling inferior, segregation still seems to exist, especially in high schools and on college campuses. Racial segregation in public schools was the norm across America in the early 1950’s. Although all the schools were supposed to be equal, most black schools were far inferior to the white ones. Linda Brown...
Words: 1814 - Pages: 8
...refusing peacefully, Plessy was arrested and trial was set for five months later. The case ultimately moved up to the United States Supreme Court. Plessy Vs. Ferguson hearing would “challenge the definition of race itself” and eventually the case was overturned in 1954. The United States Supreme Court’s ruling was an unjustified verdict based on relativism and deontological ethics. Homer Plessy boarded a train that was on it’s way to Covington, Louisiana. He bought a first-class train ticket and was well dressed, but he was not accepted into first class because he was an African American. The train conductor, John J. Dowling asked Plessy if he was in the proper coach not because of his train ticket but because of his race which wasn’t easily seen. Plessy was so...
Words: 884 - Pages: 4
...Desmond Nakano, which shows altered differences among the white and black race. With accordance to Paul Kivel author of Uprooting Racism, racism is displayed by the good and the bad: between the light and dark. Different criteria shown in this film such as police brutality, work area segregation, separatism and the myth of the perfect family have become known to us as institutional racism. All of the noted prior differences are noticeable within the characters of the film. Thaddeus Thomas is a black upper class business owner; who shows great amount of separatism and segregation from the work area. While Louis Pinnock, a white struggling company worker faces police brutality and problems that affect his family and home. Although, the two men might be family oriented; they are examples of America’s institutional racism problems, between the colored and the whites. Kivel briefly explains in the chapter “Separatism” (90); how black people cater to whites, the way being white has benefits and how some white folks feel unsafe when they are within a group of colored people. Thaddeu’s worker set the perfect example on how “Most people of color spend a tremendous amount of time and energy taking care of white people” (Kivel 91). His maid did all the housework, took his personal correspondences and answered all his calls in regard for him. Thomas Thaddeus has many great benefits that contribute to him because of his race. In his housing area, people of color aren’t socially allowed, “White-controlled...
Words: 849 - Pages: 4
...In the book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander—a Ohio State University professor, director of Racial Justice Project at ACLU of Northern California, and director of the Civil Rights Clinics at Stanford Law School—was the uncovering research about the system of mass incarceration, which are rules, policies, and laws that helped control the amount of criminals entering and leaving prisons. The author begins with slavery and continues to explain the Jim Crow segregation, which both represent mass incarcerations. Mass incarceration prevents discrimination towards groups of people. For example, the author states, “After the death of slavery, the idea of race lives on.” (26) This specific example...
Words: 2005 - Pages: 9
...Kennedy in 1968 Kennedy highly supported them and almost reduces the ninety percent of the prejudice between white and colored American. But later different government rehabilitates the previous status of being bias in the country, whereas George W. Bush also supported formally not proper thoughts and was supported for their mission. In Barack Obama's administration, the mission and objective of the NAACP was almost achieved, due to the members and Barack Obama in the same organization. After achieving the president ship in the United States of a colored america, all the previous bias and prejudice almost ended. This organization usually conduct the campaign which eliminate the biased for colored American and in case of any discrepancy reported, with African American, specially on the bases of prejudice so the Association protest the government of the United States to create the unbiased environment for the colored American. However, they usually protest for the civil rights of the African American, and time to time arrange the rallies and campaigns to show the quantity of the African American which ultimately shows the power of them as well. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a non profitable organization and associative body which protests for the African American Civil Rights. The organization formed in 1909 in United States of America. Its mission is to eliminate the biased and prejudice environment for the African American and to provide...
Words: 893 - Pages: 4
...its Effect on Racism 'Racism', in the Oxford English Dictionary, is defined as "Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior", and, "The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races". The essence of both definitions seems to be that specific characteristics are used to segregate people into different levels of superiority. While the truth behind this grouping and subsequent segregation is arguable, it is generally accepted that doing this is wrong. The first thing that tends to come to mind at the sound of the word, for most people with a knowledge of basic world history, is the Apartheid in South Africa or the Nazi regime under Hitler. These are institutionalized forms of racism, and unfortunately, racism is prevalent in many other forms. We like to believe racism is something of the past. We like to believe it is now extremely rare, at least among the educated, and that even people with racist tendencies tend to suppress them for the fear of being politically incorrect. Unfortunately, it seems that we have been wrong all along. Racialization is very much a problem of the present and contrary to our belief, the increasingly globalized nature of the world is not helping reduce it. In recent times, there is reporting of racism in a variety...
Words: 1528 - Pages: 7
...In “Showing My Color,” Clarence Page describes his experiences growing up as a young black male in a society that was set on separating people by the color of their skin. Originally from Ohio, a young Clarence went to visit family in Alabama, where he was surprised to see that there were not only separate facilities for people of different races but that they were labeled “whites” and “colored.” Excited, he took a gulp from a “colored” water fountain only to be disappointed that no colored water came out. That is when his family began to explain that the “colored” sign simply meant that it was only for people of color and the one labeled “whites” was strictly for white people. Although there was segregation in the north, it wasn’t so obviously...
Words: 1273 - Pages: 6
...questions the role of women in society, stereotypes, and racism. One of Huxley’s major issues was the role of women in society. When the 20th century started women were not thought of to be performing the jobs they do now. Out of the 1,933,014 employed women in the early 1900s, 1,740,800 were “domestic servants” (Trueman). Women were not given the opportunities men were given. They were “barred” from being able to vote in presidential campaigns (Lee). The “priority” of a woman in the...
Words: 615 - Pages: 3
...dictionary.com, the definition of the word race is the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics. The dictionary definition of the word race from a biological standpoint is a population within a species that is distinct in some way, especially a subspecies. Why in the United States today and in the our country's past, do we mistaken the word race and race from a biological standpoint? Are we not all human? If we are all human, why do we treat certain groups as if they were not the same “species” as everyone else? Why do we tend to alienate groups of people who are not considered “white” of being “biologically” inferior? According...
Words: 855 - Pages: 4
...dream for anyone has not been able to be established by our founding fathers based on sexism, racism and depression. In the book of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck sexism has thoroughly been displayed throughout the story. “So that’s what Curley picks for a wife” (Steinbeck 17). When Steinbeck states that Curley “picks” his wife he shows her more as a object than a human being. Also in Of Mice and Men a character says, “Wait’ll you see Curley’s wife” (Steinbeck 15). Curley’s wife is still being treated as a sexual object not a women. Curley’s wife even says “I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a...
Words: 681 - Pages: 3
...Race has been widely misunderstood, black Americans remain on the margin as the victims that associated with the sensation of being ill-treat, abused physically and to the community. The separation of white people and colored people has a drastic correlation between the negative impacted on mental health which result in tremendous affect or emotional state. During the 18th century in American, slaves have to endure the psychological abuse, and its effects them dramatically. Unlike the white, colored were easily suffered from various mental disorder during the segregation in United states. Presently, even though racism in declining in America, some part were still being effected, and colored people inhabitant in that particular part is still...
Words: 305 - Pages: 2
...Black Male: They’re Always up To No Good Mary L. Brown Virginia State University He’s a Black Male: They’re Always up to No Good In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14 year old black male was killed in Mississippi. Fast forward, 57 years later, Trayvon Martin, 17, a black male killed, Eric Garner, 43, a black male killed, Michael Brown, 18, a black male killed. What do these victims all have in common? They are all victims of Racism. These tragic killings and the verdicts brought a realism and ugly truth to the public eyesight, that Black males in the United States are viewed as inferior, brutes, Black rapist, perpetrators, suspects, mug shots, dark and scary figures, and uneducated thugs deserving to be killed. They are often seen as so suspicious that law enforcement often shoot first and ask questions later. This is an all too familiar reality for the Black male living in the United States and it has been since the beginning. In 2008, we as a nation elected our country’s first African American President. You would think that would have changed our view on racism, however, that was not the case. A Capitol Hill blue article states, according to a psychologist, Obama’s presidency has triggered the inherent or latent racism in America. (Racism, Still a Hot-button, 2010). The foundation of this country was built on racism and those ideologies still stand true today. Along those lines the Black...
Words: 751 - Pages: 4
...declare that "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so” (par. 6). Though Lincoln literally freed the slaves, he did nothing-even if he had intentions to shield the slaves social inequalities engrained for so long. For roughly 200 years, the southern segments of the United States of America had been dependent upon the racism toward Africans which allowed slavery to persist. The slaves were the people who-begrudgingly- supported the massive amounts of cotton...
Words: 925 - Pages: 4
...newspaper. There are lives taken and threatened just because of the skin complexion. Black and Latino’s have reported 70 out of 76 are accounted for more than 50% stops by the New York Police Department. Many of those people of color have also reported the New York Police Department introduced themselves in impolite manner and quickly acted as if they were attacked. “In interviews with 100 people who said they had been stopped by the New York police in neighborhoods where the practice is most common, many said the experience left them feeling intruded upon and humiliated. And even when officers extended niceties, like “Have a nice night,” or called them “sir” and “ma’am,” people said they questioned whether the officer was being genuine.” states the New York...
Words: 1662 - Pages: 7
