How Can Racism be Curbed in the United States

How can racism be curbed in the United States is an age-old question that may never be answered or solved. Racism in America has been a social problem since colonization this country. It started with the native Americans and has spread far, and wide Anglo-Saxon protestant whites assumed the position of superiority to all other races. Non-protestants, Irish, poles and Italians were subjected to xenophobic exclusion until the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. In addition, Middle Eastern American groups like the Jews and Arabs experience such racism and discrimination that some do nit want to identify with the white race. East and South Asians have also faced racism in the United States.

The major structured racial and ethnical institutions in the United States include Native American reservations, SLAVERY, segregation and interval camps. But SLAVERY is the racial social problem of the past that still receives the energy of prejudice on both sides of the races, White VS African American.

Thomas Jefferson, a pillar of America government, owned slaves himself. He advocated the abolishment of slavery even though he profited from running his plantation, Monticello using the labor and blacks of slaves. Even though he campaigned for the end of slavery, he had some very long reaching thoughts on the subject, he thought white Americans and enslaved blacks made up two separate peoples, two separate nations and who could not live peacefully in the same country, he also believed blacks were inferior and as incapable as children, along with the resentment and contingency between the races should result in the removal of blacks from America. Was he right? Seems the slavery issue can not be put to rest. Are the African Americans still enslaved by racial politics shown by the socio-economical inequality and stratification occurring in education, employment, housing, etc.

The 2010’s brought a new movement of a white nationalist coalition that wants the expulsion of sexual and racial minorities from the united states. Charlottesville, VA was the most recent demon station site for white supremacist groups intended to unite the different white fractions, a white supremacist drove his car into a group of protesters- injuring 19 and killing one during this “peaceful rally”.

There are prejudices on both sides of the line. Can these prejudices be overcome in our lifetime, or our children’s? It was thought that racism would be a thing of the past in this the twenty- first century.

According to www.pewresearch.org (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., the perception of racism as a big problem has increased since 2015. Pewreasearch also says “58% of Americans say racism is a BIG problem in our society while 29% say it is somewhat a problem in our society, but just 12% say racism in the United States is a small problem or no problem at all.” The majority sees the social issue as a Big problem – so why can it not be resolved- Feelings, emotions, prejudices start somewhere. Is it in the home where parents, grandparents, extended relatives voice their stand on politics, hatreds, prejudices and superiority? It doesn’t matter where it starts what matters is finding a way to end this world wide problem resulting from ignorance that separates people by their skin color.

The answer is yes- people learn to be whatever family, society or culture teaches them. Continuous education is a simple solution. This means parents must actively consistently teach their children not to be racist in order to prevent them from becoming racist, says Jennifer Richeson, a Yale University social psychologist. This is not the product of some deep sealed, evil heart that is cultivated. It comes from the environment, the air around us.” This education should be that for the white race however, but for all races. Feelings, understanding must be extended across that division line to each group- not just flowing from one to the other. But is it possible to teach people not to be racist? “The only way to change bias is to change what is acceptable in society. People today complain about politically correct culture, but what that does is provide a check on people’s outward attitude, which in turn influences how we think about ourselves internally. Everything we are exposed to gives us messages about who is good and bad.”

Eric Knowles, a psychology professor at New York University, who studies prejudice and politics agreed, “norms can serve as a check on expression of violent racism, but to challenge the deep-seated prejudices that shape our behavior, to unlearn our implicit biases, ‘we need contact’, he said. This is opposite of what Thomas Jefferson offered or what the white supremacist wants which is a segregated society. A segregated society would set this country back 200 years.

Can racism disappear over time? Jennifer Richeson says, “it’s a myth that our country will somehow become more progressive, and its equally a myth to think that our children will save us. Most of the all-right activists who sparked violence in Charlottesville were young white men… it’s simply not true that we just need to wait for the few old racist men left in the South to die off and then we’ll be fine. The rhetoric for racism is still in place. The environment for racism is still there. Unless we change that, we can not lessen racism.

Bibliography

pbs.org- (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Racism in the Us who’s responsible for… refrence.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. social studies what solutions are commonly proposed to solve pewresearch.org/factank/2017/08/29/views-of-racism-as-a...

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