Reflection About Racism

Is it racism or economics which hinders many African American communities from progressing economically in the 21st Century? This research proposal will address this question by examining the social and psychological impact caused by racism and the economic impact it’s had on the African American community. This proposal will further investigate whether the emotional scars of slavery continue to hamper African American progress or if racism is actually the cause.

Racism is still a very prominent issue in America today. Yes, it has improved from the days of slavery, and we do have a black president; but society is nowhere near equal, and that is not acceptable. White Privilege by Paula Rothenberg truly opened my eyes to the extent of the social injustice on African Americans. Just by being white, one is oppressing another race because the privilege and respect that comes with the skin color. Whether intentional or not, the racism is still there and present and that is not acceptable. Being white, I’ve never suffered from the repercussions of racism, but after reading and becoming more aware of the suffering of African American’s, it is significant to write and spread the knowledge about racism and especially implicit racism. Everyone is surrounded by racism on a daily basis, and it’s important to be aware of your actions and the effects they have on society.

Exploring and Defining Racism Works Cited Missing To define racism it is important to firstly define race. Race is defined as "a group characterized by closeness of common descent and usually also by some shared physical distinctiveness, such as colour of skin" (source: Modern Thought - Bullock and Stallybrass). Racism can be defined as "a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others" In the name of protecting their race from

Before I began this class I thought I was well versed in terms, of race, ethnicity, and nationality. However, I may have been partially wrong. I always considered my race to be Mexican and my ethnicity to be Hispanic while my nationality is American. However, according to the definitions I don’t have a race. On forms, I usually check the block for other and identify by ethnicity. I consider myself of Hispanic ethnicity from Mexican descent. However, to Mexicans from Mexico, I am not considered Mexican. I am a white Mexican, Mexican American or Chicana; both of my parents are born in Mexico of Mexican parents. I am most certainly proud of my roots as well as being an American. In the world we live in today it’s difficult to neglect the fact that I stand out for obvious reasons. That at times I am treated differently. That because of my roots I am told to go back to my country. That I shed a tear as I write this because I live with an inner struggle of who I am.

I am a white woman. I am so pale, that my skin blows out the white balance in a photograph. Because I am white, I have been able to escape prejudices that so many other women experience every day. For a very long time, I was unaware of how deep-seated racism is in America. Because I am white, color was a non-issue for me. It was never discussed in my family. Why would it be? Many white people are blind to the injustices that others face, because it has never been something that affected their lives directly. As stated by C. Wright Mills in The Promise of Sociology, “...the personal uneasiness of individuals is focused upon explicit troubles and the indifference of publics is transformed into involvement with public issues” (Mills, 5). This describes how people are so focused on their own personal troubles, that they cannot comprehend the troubles of others. Therefore, they do not see the struggles of others as having the capacity to be a problem within society. Privilege is something I feel has only recently been discussed in mainstream media. Going to college really opened my eyes to the experiences of people who live entirely different lives than me, and interacting with people from all

I learned that privilege is not just for white people, but for men, police officers, certain religions and upper-class people. “As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage…” reminds me of middle school (McIntosh, 1990, p. 31); my teachers usually focused on what was wrong with the world, never what may have been an advantage for some. I was aware that white people were probably preferred in certain situations because of the ongoing racism, but I did not know that there was a phrase for it nor that it was subconsciously embedded in us (white people). McIntosh (1990) uses an idiomatic expression which greatly depicts the issues behind white privilege: “The pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy” (p. 32). It really

Racism in a pre-Civil Right Era was violent, abhorrently blatant, and prevalent to a fault. Post Jim-Crow, racism has diminished so much so that it barely exists; or so society likes to believe. In actuality, racism has been transformed under a different lens where racism still stands as the structures and functions of American society but have been so normalized and legalized that white Americans feel as the country has progressed in terms of racism. This lens, one that Eduardo Bonilla-Silva has defined as colorblind in his book Racism without Racists, explain how racism still dictate how people of color live and suffer in contrast to their white American counterparts despite the racial “progress” that society so desperately want to believe. Colorblind racism can be defined as the belief or behavior that racism no longer exists at all or like it once did in the past by disregarding how race plays a role in minorities lives and thus continuing to prop up the same racist structures and foundations that was at play decades ago before the alleged “progress” of the post civil rights era. What makes colorblind ideology a problem at its basis is held within the fact that white Americans know that race exists yet they both subconsciously and willfully ignore how the sociopolitical and economic aspects of the nation work to keep white Americans ahead while minorities struggle to survive in a world that essentially ignores them. A prime example of colorblind racism in a modern

Since the 2016 election, the topics of white privilege and racism have become more relevant in society than ever before and is discussed by both political parties. White privilege refers to any benefits or opportunities from societal injustice experienced by white people, but not enjoyed by other races (Hossain, 2015). While this issue has been prevalent for a long time, more people are focusing on it and thus heightening tensions caused by denial. White privilege exists as part of America’s framework and therefore is not a matter of individuals. It will continue to exist whether or not a person has Black friends, is “color blind” to race, is 1/32 Native American, dates someone of a different race, or is poor. White people must accept

Growing up white, I never fell victim to racism or segregation, and sadly, I believe I was ignorant regarding these issues until I reached college. My sister and I were raised in the lower-middle-class by a single mom; But, we were fortunate to be born into a large family that has always supported each other in times of need. Being raised in the middle-class society, I never went without. My mother raised me in a nurturing way, but also believed in tough love in order to create a resilient young woman ready to tackle the world. Through my college education, I have recognized that I was born with white privileges that were given to me rather than something I earned. Coming from a large, tight-knit family, one of the most

Growing up, race was never an issue for me. I almost always knew what racism was, but I always thought it was a thing of the past, and completely ended when Jim Crow laws were abolished. I thought race did not affect my everyday life, but recently I have learned that even today, being White in America has greatly affected my life. Being White in America has affected how I identity racially, where I grew up, who I grew up with, where I went to College, where I went to high school, and provided me with advantages that many minorities are not lucky enough to have. I have realized this by looking at my life and reflecting through C. Wright Mills’ Sociological Imagination(Lambert Lecture). I connected this to my collage through

There are many destructive forces in this world, one of them being racism, the most powerful prejudice in society, as seen by Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. This small town in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression presents numerous examples of racism and its negative repercussions. As illustrates in the novel, racism is displayed in a variety of ways throughout the novel, however it is most present in the case of Tom Robinson’s trial, the prejudice that is displayed by the citizens of Maycomb, and the state of Calpurnia’s Church.

When white Americans choose to self-educate about systemic racism they can become allies in the fight to dismantle racist structures in our society. “Structural racism is the silent opportunity killer. It is the blind interaction between institutions, policies, and practices that inevitably perpetuates barriers to opportunities and racial disparities.” (Grantmakers 2009). This includes discrimination affecting credit, schooling, justice, residential location, etc. It can be eradicated in the next century, but not without white people acknowledging that it is a real issue that cost lives. It is not the duty of the oppressed to make a liberty sales pitch to their oppressors. However, it is the responsibility of those benefiting

My last visit, I was invited for a meeting but I was unable to attend for the meet due to the fact that the meeting conflicted with my class. I attended the meeting for about 15 minutes. After I walked with Noah in the chicken while he made some coffee while other faculty was walking in out of the kitchen I noticed that on the corner of the kitchen, there is a huge printer and some staff were printing papers and while others were pouring water to drinking. He asked me if I talked any of the people I was supposed to follow up. I explained him to nobody retuned my except for one person. He asked he is that come along and I responded so far so good and everything is working pretty well the guy. I explained I talked with the guy over the phone in regards to alternative

Contemporary privileged American society is largely idealistic in its attitudes towards racial relations; many Americans believe that the United States is a place where hard work and dedication will lead to success, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or other perceived difference. In this idealistic mindset, the only thing keeping you down is yourself. However, this ignores the very real disadvantages that some members of society experience based on their identities. Ignoring problems such as racial discrimination may be an example of “ignorance is bliss” for some but only if they have the privilege and means to achieve bliss, for the remainder, it means that these problems go on being ignored in order to ease the public’s mind.

For decades, the issue of racial discrimination has impacted the lives of millions of people around the world. Would you ever believe me if I told you a nine year old boy hung himself because he was bullied for being white. This boy’s name is Aaron Dugmore, and he had hung himself because of being constantly bullied by a gang of older guys for the colour of his skin. Most of your probably didn’t even know about Aaron Dugmore or the thousands of other victims being targeted by racism. We often like to fool ourselves into believing that racism is in the past, and that our society has developed into a more accepting era. Nowadays, we assure ourselves that racism is improving and don’t get me wrong, it is in its ways. I mean we can’t forget about our African American president or the dream that anyone, no matter where they come from, can achieve anything they believe in. Still, look around you. Racism still occurs through urban and suburban communities, and this leads to racial tensions and diversity amongst others. These are the