For a long time, racism has occurred as a controversial and hotly debated topic in the American society. Racism has infiltrated the way individuals behave, think, and act in different capacities.
It is a grievous insult in referring somebody to as a ‘racist’. Black Americans have accused whites, the nation’s ethnic majority for racism, whereas whites have also accused blacks of racism. Widespread uncertainty, disagreement, and confusion concerning the subject of racism have brought forth strong emotional reactions from individuals. Ambiguity in the definition of the term racism has made it a hard and complicated affair in pinning the ‘right’ explanation. However, based on scientific and logical ideas, racism occurs as an action, attitude, or institutional structures that subordinate individuals or a particular group of individuals based on the color of their skin (Cullen 1290). In this paper, we indulge in the impact of black and white racism in the American society.
White racism subordinates members of all other groups in the US, based on the lack of ‘white’ skin color. Over the years, white racism has portrayed itself in a myriad of ways, some not recognized by most of the citizens. Black racism roots in the notion that justifies hatred or harming actions to African Americans on whites as a reprisal for the historical and continued transgressions against the black society. Orchestration of ‘racial acts’ has spread to the modern society, taking into account atrocities committed by both sides of the divide (Smith, Juarez, and Jacobson 1199). Historically, white racism has occurred as a prevalent issue in the society that has targeted individuals considered ‘non-whites’ in the American society. Struggles of prominent names such as Martin Luther King Jr.
and others against white racism echoes the milestones of this subject, deeply rooted in hearts and minds of individuals. Today, racial atrocities still exist depicting the problem as a virus that digs deep into all elements of the society, whether social, economic, political, or cultural (Hutchings, Vincent L and Wong 422). The immense harmful effects of racism upon the American society have caused injurious effects, especially to certain minority groups. For many years, millions of Indians, Puerto Ricans, Negroes, Mexican-Americans, and other non-whites have received treatment as ‘inferior’ necessitating them to accept inferior neighborhoods, public facilities, jobs, and legal rights. The conditions have spread to where they live, self-images, incomes, attitudes towards authority, educational and cultural attainment, and the nature and stability of their families, amongst others (Castagno 450).
Impact of racism
Before the widespread awareness and fight against white racism, the subject remained a controversial one, deeply rooted within the society. Existent laws discouraged non-whites from getting suburban jobs, best quality schools, recreational facilities, and housing development found in suburban areas (Wilson and Nielsen 167). From the curtailment of these fundamental aspects, the minority groups have suffered ‘inferior’ treatment from others. Institutional subordination presents a striking concern resulting from geographical exclusion of minority groups from whites-only areas. Historically and presently, overt racism explains the separation of where whites and non-whites live.
Various forms of overt racism often bar non-whites from living in white neighborhoods (Castagno 452). Homeowners, landlords, white realtors, and renting agents depict racist behavior thereby preventing non-whites from accessing such areas. Despite recently enacted laws, most non-whites fear of the predicaments that may result in living in such areas especially receiving hostile treatment. Chronic conditions of stress resulting from racism affect the physiological and psychological health of victims of racial discrimination (Unnever and Cullen 1283).
The experiences resulting from racial discrimination places enormous stress levels on such individuals, for example, trauma on those that suffer violence.
The Growing Divide in Race Relations
A poll conducted by the CBS News poll on race relations has indicated that most Americans think that the race relations in the US occur as bad. In the survey, blacks depict a negative view of the racial climate in the nation, especially after President Obama clinched the presidency in 2009 (CBS News Poll 1). Deterioration of the public’s perception of racial harmony explains racial disparities notably in incidents and events that capture the scenarios.
Race-related events have echoed the element of racism within the American society. Over the past year, the numbers of high-profile killings of blacks by police officers have escalated public’s disharmony and discontent over the subject. Killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white officer prompted the escalation of protests that roiled within the area for weeks. Another wave of protests followed prompting the Justice Department in Ferguson to overhaul its criminal justice system. The incident in Ferguson, amongst others depicts the racial disparity in the modern society. White Americans believe that “reverse racism”, discrimination against whites occurs a prevalent phenomenon than white racism non-whites face in the US.
Black racism explains the hatred, and at times, violent nature of behaviors meant to hurt the white community (Harper 184). Today, white and black racism still occurs as a prevalent aspect of the American society. Polls and studies carried out by various individuals and groups reiterate the thoughts and actions of individuals that reflect racial discrimination. It is crucial that the American society accepts racism as a societal issue, deeply rooted in the way people think and act. Despite the existent laws and policies curtailing racism, the aspect still occurs as deeply rooted explaining the events of racial discrimination. Acknowledging the issue occurs as a fundamental step in efforts meant to curtail the occurrence of the acts of racial discrimination.
An overhaul of the aspect of racism presents significant challenges in mitigating all events meant to imply racial discrimination. It is a call for all individuals in the society to accept and look for ways in curtailing racial discrimination atrocities. Works CitedCastagno, Angelina E Extending the Bounds of Race and Racism: Indigenous Women and the Persistence of the Black–White Paradigm of Race. The Urban Review, ISSN 0042-0972, 12/2005, Volume 37, Issue 5, pp.
447 – 468CBS News Poll. ” A Growing Divide on Race” The New York Times, July 23, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www. nytimes. com/interactive/2015/07/23/us/race-relations-in-america-poll.
html?_r=0&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=U. S. &action=keypress®ion=FixedLeft&pgtype=MultimediaHarper, Shaun R. et al. Race and Racism in the Experiences of Black Male Resident Assistants at Predominantly White Universities.
Journal of College Student Development, ISSN 0897-5264, 2011, Volume 52, Issue 2, pp. 180 – 200Hutchings, Vincent L and Wong, Cara, Racism, Group Position, and Attitudes about Immigration among Blacks and Whites. Du Bois Review 11. 2 (Fall 2014): 419-442. Smith, Darron T. , Juarez Brenda G.
and Jacobson Cardell K. White on Black: Can White Parents Teach Black Adoptive Children How to Understand and Cope With Racism? Journal of Black Studies Vol. 42, No. 8 (NOVEMBER 2011), pp.
1195-1230Unnever, James D and Cullen, Francis T. The Racial Divide in Support for the Death Penalty: Does White Racism Matter’social Forces, ISSN 0037-7732, 03/2007, Volume 85, Issue 3, pp. 1281 – 1301Wilson, George and Nielsen, Amie L “Color Coding” and Support for Social Policy Spending: Assessing the Parameters among Whites. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, ISSN 0002-7162, 03/2011, Volume 634, Issue 1, pp. 174 – 189
