The Causes Of Racism In Society

1073 Words5 Pages

In society today we often find ourselves in an age-old debate, is that racist? In recent years the use social media has skyrocketed, causing our lives as well as our opinions to be showcased for the world to see. It is these very media forms that are often blamed for a “rise in racism” however, that is not necessarily true. Whether or not social media is used, racism is a huge problem affecting many people face worldwide. What is the root of this epidemic? The answer is hate. People that are uneducated about the definition, problems, and causes of racism are the main reason it is so prevalent today.
Many people in the world believe racism to be the hatred of one race (person) toward another, however racism is defined as:
“a system …show more content…

While prejudice and racism are not the same thing they do go hand in hand. Prejudice is a negative preconceived opinion towards another person or group without actual knowledge of their beliefs, thoughts, and the feelings behind their words and actions. A person of any racial group can be prejudiced towards a person of any other racial group. However, there is no power dynamic involved, and that is where people tend to confuse the two. People tend to focus on the idea of racism rather than the actual definition. This is why so many people assume that they have experienced racism when in fact they have experienced …show more content…

In the history of the United States, minorities were disenfranchised, put on reservations, brought to ghettos and slums, called malign names, and outcasted from society. While society has stopped some of these unscrupulous acts it is not uncommon for minorities to be stereotyped, called names, and outcasted. Nearly 87 percent of people of minority in the U.S have experienced racism coming from white Americans in their lifetime. This noxious predisposition causes thousands of people from the minority population to assimilate to “white culture” in order to fit in, and those who choose not to disregard their culture face horrible bigotry, must overcome detestable adversity, and odds that are unfavorable to them. No one should have to wake up in the morning knowing that they will have to fight for things that other people are handed that is the problem with racism especially in the United States. The Declaration of Independence