The Importance Of Discrimination On Society

There are lots of potential effects related to discrimination. It includes things like disempowerment, low self-esteem and self-identity and also marginalisation. I am now going to explain these effects and connect them with a case study.

This paper is a group discussion project that will look at the different viewpoints associated with whether or not America is close to being a post-racial society. In addition, this paper will discuss my opinion on this question which is that I do not think America is close to being a post-racial society because we are still racially divided. Racial economic issues are still an issue along with many other problems that still exist such as job opportunities and incarceration to name a few examples. Furthermore, the United States has come a long way compared to the past, however, we are nowhere near close to being a post-racial society because to many injustices and disparities exist.

Discrimination and prejudice are widely known in United States history. In the 1960's the civil rights movement demanded legislation and passed laws, which banned discrimination. Five decades later, it still continues in our society. Discrimination and prejudice occur when a group of people feel they are superior to another, and can be based on a person's color, race, national origin, religion, sex and gay couples.

Every day, race is discussed and criticized in news articles, magazines, television, and various other parts of the media. Although we seem to be past segregation, race is still a polarizing issue. Many people today still assert the idea that certain races are of a lower class or are to be feared, when people are nothing more than products of their own environments. If all minorities were given the same opportunities, these misconceptions and stereotypes would disappear. A post-racial America is not possible because the past of racism will continue to linger throughout generations, people are born as judgemental, and there will always be that one person whose ignorance outweighs all else.

The Kids at Ruth’s school truly didn’t like her just because she was Jewish. In high school, Ruth was cast as an ensemble dancer for a school musical, but due to the other students saying they didn’t want to have to dance next to a Jew, Ruth dropped out. (McBride P.105)

People in dominant groups often perpetuate discrimination because it provides them separation and privilege. It is something that people have always done in order to exploit another group for personal gain. However; racism is a much newer concept that was built off that idea. It allowed groups of people to conquer one another, enslave them, take their territory, and oppress them. Now, to answer your question, the way to change racism is to be an ally and identify one's own privilege. Being an ally gives individuals the power to spread awareness and to educate them on the social construction of racism. These passionate people are the heartbeat for the movement to end racism. And no, simply not identifying ones race is not enough. Color blindness

The concept of “Post Racial” America is certainly a preposterous idea that does not exist. Different degrees of racism is seen throughout the U.S, however regardless of the intensity, racism has and will always exist. Americans belief that we live in a society where racism no longer exist is a serious impediment on the progression of America. The first problem with modern racism is living in a color blinded society where people believe in post racial America. The second is our humanistic nature to be predominant primates and finally, our unconscious bias towards racism as a result of racial stereotypes. As much as people would like to believe we are a nation where is not an issue, where race does not compete for supremacy, where the color of you skin or what your last name may be is the reason you don 't get hired, then we are obviously living in a color blinded society. Everyday, someone is faced with racial discrimination and racial prejudice. Statistically speaking, the biggest motive for hate crime is because of race. Racism comes in all kinds of form but racism is within all of us. Thus, everyone is a racist simply because we are human beings.

Racism is the trend of thought, or way of thinking, which attaches great importance to the notion of the existence of separate human races and superiority of races that are usually associated with inherited physical characteristics or cultural events. Racism is not a scientific theory, but a set of preconceived opinions they value the biological differences between humans, attributing superiority to some according to racial roots. Even in such ethnically diverse country as the United States, racism continues evident against people of different ethnic traits and skin color. According to Steinberg (Steinberg, 1995), racial discrimination has been the most important cause of inequality between whites and blacks in the U.S. Because of that, minorities in American society have been fighting over years for equal rights and respect, starting with the civil rights movement in 1960s. Also, public policies implemented since 1964 in the United States have been instrumental in reducing economic inequality between blacks and whites, such as the affirmative action, a federal program that tries to include minority groups by providing jobs and educational opportunities (Taylor, 1994). From this perspective, does racism still play a dominant role in American values and American society? If so, what are the consequences of this racism that still remain in American society? What is the impact of the Barack Obama presidency on the unending fight against racism in this country?

Discrimination has been a problem since the beginning of time. Discrimination is mentioned in many pieces of classical literature such as Shakespeare’s Othello. In this classical play the main character Othello is never truly accepted into the Venetian society because he is a Moor from Northern Africa. His skin color caused people to view him differently and also presented problems when he tried to find a wife. After he eventually found and married Desdemona her father Brabantio still did not approve of him; he said “She, in spite of nature, Of years, of country, credit, everything, To fall in love with what she feared to look on! It is a judgment maimed and most imperfect That will confess perfection so could err Against all rules of nature” (Act I, Scene 3). Brabantio saw this love as unnatural because he believes Desdemona would never fall in love with a black man who she was afraid to look upon. Before Othello married Desdemona Brabantio saw him as an honorable leader and great man, but after their marriage he accuses him of black magic and urges their marriage to be annulled by the Duke. This discrimination led to Othello’s doubt and self-conscience attitude which, ultimately leads to his demise at the end of the play. Discrimination continues to exist today as it did 400 years ago in Shakespeare’s time. Today people are still discriminated against and persecuted because of their race or their religious views.

The post-racial concept silences the victims of discrimination and as a result, they undergo various psychological issues. Denying that racism exists justifies urban renewal projects, which redevelop poor neighborhoods and displace minorities. Communities of color were told their city would be improved to attract businesses and better the quality of life. However, people of color were disenfranchised while whites created new businesses. Consequently, the people most affected by the post-racial society concept are disproportionately poor minority communities. They are deprived of the right to speak out against racist acts and cannot advance in society because they cannot challenge the obstacles that prevent them from succeeding. Society limits their opportunities, preserving an unequal playing field. Not acknowledging racism means we can never solve racial segregation.

Right now in America, we are living in an era where discrimination is no longer a growing matter, yet, we cannot reassure ourselves with the term “post-racial society, where…racism no longer exists [or] almost disappeared in many minority communities.”

On a superficial level, it is easy to believe that we could be living in a post-racial society. After all, Oprah is a billionaire, Obama is president and Michael Jordan is the richest athlete in the world. What racism? America is Free! All men are treated equally! Well, not quite. It is easy to fall for this trap but "never judge a book by its cover". A facade is easy to mount, it catches one's attention, hypnotizes them and almost brainwashes them into believing something with the beautiful art of manipulation. Once this facade is knocked down however, reality strikes. The president has little power without the support of Congress, and the Senate is probably the most powerful institution in America. How many senators are black? One! One hundred senators and only one is black! Moreover, there is only one black justice in the Supreme Court, two black secretaries in the US cabinet and no black officers in the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Those are the institutions of power that truly matter. Oprah, Obama or Jordan are irrelevant and where it truly matters, we have once again failed to show that all races are equal in our country. "The problem isn’t “race relations”; it is white supremacy – the ideology that white people

As the 2008 presidential election proceeded to break racial barriers in America, many people have come to believe that racism in America no longer exists since we now have a Black president. However, This could not be anything further from the truth. When many people think of racism, they think of blunt discriminatory actions made against people of color. Thoughts of segregation and the Ku Klux Klan probably come to mind when people envision what racism may look like. Since many of this is now considered illegal or less evident in today’s society, many people may believe that racism is no longer a major issue. Racism in today’s society, however, is constructed differently. Robert M. Entman notes that American society has changed from “traditional to modern racism” (206). Modern racism is more complex within our political and social systems. So how does racism still exist you ask? Racism still exists in our society because minorities remain to be the largest group of people who are unemployed, disadvantaged in their ability to obtain a decent education, and misrepresented by the media.

Racism is the belief that one race is superior to another. Discrimination has been going on for generations among generations. Many years ago people of different races were divided from each other. Public places were segregated, colored people had to use specific water fountains, schools were segregated, and blacks had to sit at the back of the buses. If they were to disobey, then there would be consequences and repercussions. Equality was a figment of imagination, a dream the minority groups had. Throughout the years racism has decreased and many things pertaining to racism were made illegal, but that doesn’t mean racism disappeared. If people were to resume racist behaviors, that can lead the world back to the days of inequality.

Discrimination in our communities take many forms, but it is solely based on people’s race, gender, religion, weight, nationality, handicap, sexual preference and even height (The End). People discriminate in schools, they judge people by the way they look. Patients in hospitals will not let doctors to treat them usually because of the color. In some neighborhoods, landlords will not rent people a house because of their nationality. Model agencies do not hire models that do not meet their standards. Hollywood will not make an asian actor or actress the main character of a movie/show.