Chantel.
The Root Of Racism
I.What I Know?
I wasn’t born blind, my eyes were open to the blantant discrimination between different races. Yet, it was something that I could never quite understand. I heard the racist terms, and I just couldn’t grasp it. How can someone, hate, based on someone else’s skin color. Something they can’t control, something that was determined at birth.
I know about the Ku Klux Klan, I know it was started by someone in the Civil War, their name was Nathaniel, yet, at the moment his surname slips my mind. No one is an exception to racism, anywhere you go there will always be some person, who will dislike you, just because of your racial make-up.
I grew concerned, because I myself, was born to parents of different races, a caucasian father, and a black mother. Yet, with my outward appearance no one can ever tell, just what I am, and because of that, I have witnessed racism first hand. The nicest people, the ones people would least expect, have slipped up about their true feelings on other people’s races, they’ve said it straight to my face, and I just walk away. I’m out to figure out where racism comes from, and why people still hold this trivial belief, even though science has proved, no race is superior to another.
II. What I Want To Know
What I want to know, is how people can hate another, based on the color of their skin. I think that it is so trivial to do this, I understand, that some people are taught from birth, but what I can’t quite grasp is why people continue to hold this belief even when the proof of others being equal is plentiful.
I’m not talking about any one race either, I know for fact that every single race has their own prejudice. Not one is excluded. I’m not just talking about Racism in America either, no, I’m talking on a broader scale, I’m talking about the world. The world in which racism, lead to lynching, racism leads to genocide. When people hold such ignorant beliefs, there is bound to be loss of life. I really need to understad, because in general, I am a very empathetic person, but to racists, racism. It’s just incomprehensible, I don’t understand, I don’t want to understand, and I don’t intend to understand.
I just need to find out why. Why for over 50 years did segregration exist in America? How can people continously hate and discriminate, even after. Why did the Holocaust occur? Why does genocide happen, and no one steps in and does anything about it? There is just too much for my mind to ponder. Why do we let this injustice, still occur today? Where in the world did it come from? Yet a bit more formal, What is the root of racism?
III. The Search
Book
One book that seems to answer a few of my questions is Racism by Lauri S. Friedman. In the book, on Viewpoint One. It talks about why racial inequity still exist stating:
It was not until 1968, in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, that Congress passed the Fair Housing Act – a tepid law with limited penalties and weak enforcement mechanisms. It was only in 1988, when the act was ammended, that the United States finally adopted a housing discrimination law with teeth.
While reading this, my mouth dropped, this is basically saying to me, that although this law was written, it was barely implemented and enforced. Not only stating a belief in segregation still existing, but proof that segregation does indeed still exist.
Article.
While looking for articles, I stumbled upon a paper by "Rightsmatter.org" entitled "Roots Of Racism" it discusses, how racism existed far before slavery was even implemented. Although, in many ancient cultures, such as The Ancient Egyptians, those of a darker complexion, were fully integrated citizens of society. Yet, racism can be found in Ancient Greek literature.
It also, discusses, how racism against those of the Jewish faith began, when those who didn't want to convert to Christianity, became targets of early discrimination, yet, I would have to disagree, knowing that Jews have, since almost the dawn of history, had their share of discrimination, as ancient history holds, since the time that their religion has been around.
Interview.
For the interview, I chose to interview my mother, who knows a bit more about rascism then I do, since, she, in high school, was one of the only Black students, since she grew up in an upper-class, mostly white area.
Me: So, tell me, what do you think the root of racism is?
M: The root of racism? Ignorance, is the root of all racism, anytime, we don't understand our differences, you automatically hate, or be-little.
Me: Have you ever experienced racism, if so, explain.
M: Yes, I have experienced racism in many forms, I have, received racism, from my Caucasian counter-parts, who look at me, and assume I ignorant. I have experienced, from my black counter-parts, because, being from a, bi-racial background, I'm considered, not black enough, and because I have a good grasp of the English language, I am considered pretending to be white. Lastly, I have experienced, racism, from my Spanish counter-parts, due to the fact, that I am half-black, and I don't speak Spanish.
Me: So, have you faced, any type of racism, due to the fact, that you married out of your race?
M: Yes, from both blacks and whites, I sometimes get the feeling that I have disgraced everyone, or that my husband, has disgraced his race.
Me: Do you feel, that ignorance, is the single-handed cause of racism, or is there something, other factors?
M: No, I do believe ignorance plays a huge part, but I believe, parents who hate, teach hate, keeping the circle of racism alive and well.
Me: What would you say about your own children dating outside their race?
M: I would tell them, that I think it is a wonderful idea, I think it's an amazing experience to open up your heart, and love someone who doesn't look like you, I would also caution them, to be prepared for society's backlash.
Me: How do you feel, that in today's society, education and all, that people still continue their ignorance, and keep closed minds?
M: I think it's because our true history has never been told.
Me: Do you feel that school's do enough, to teach children, and future functioning members of society, our true history and the reality of racism?
M: No; I strongly do not believe our schools, are doing enough. Not because they don't want to, but because they're not given the tools, to do so. History books are limited to selective standards, the general history book, doesn't teach enough about people of color, who have made great contributions to society.
Me: How would you feel, knowing, that I, your daughter, have witnessed racism, first hand due to the fact, that people neglect the fact, that I am black, because I am so light-skinned?
M: It saddens my heart, that in the year 2011, in the diverse society we live in that, racism still rears its ugly head.
Me: What about racism to other cultures? Is it ever acceptable to discriminate, against the colour of someone's skin, something that they cannot control.
M: Never. People should be judged on character, values, and how they treat each other.
Me: And you agree, that racism, isn't just to one single race alone?
M: Yes, in today's society we hate everyone, if you're not like me, you're below me, case and point, Arizona's SB1070.
IV. What I Learned
The main thing that I learned, is that you cannot, break racism down to a single cause. There are many factors. I can't pinpoint a single time and place in which racism stared, I cannot simply say January 8th, Year Zero, in Ethiopia. It is not simple.
To find the real answer to this question would probably take a life-long quest, i do have to agree, ignorance is the most likely the biggest factor. Yet there are also psychological factors in which a person has one bad experience with a person of another culture and generalizes them all.
There really is not a single answer, and I think that may be the only answer that this question has. I can't know for sure, probably every, its one of the unsolvable mysteries of life. Maybe there is a for sure answer, but perhaps, all it is, is an opinion.
Bibliography
S., Lauri. Racism. Greenhaven, 2006. Print. |
"The Roots Of Racism." rightsmatter.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.rightsmatter.org/curriculum/links/roots_of_racism.pdf>
