Racism in American Culture

Humanity is painted with a broad brush. The word ‘humanity’ encompasses our existence as a whole. It does not discriminate based on sex, gender, or race. However, we as humans have a tendency to do this on our own. We are comfortable with discrimination to the point that when it is mentioned or discussed it makes us squirm. We are fearful of the idea that we might have to change and evolve outside of casual discrimination against each other. From sexist jokes in the work place to behavior towards elderly people we have barely any qualms about separating and demeaning each other. Humans would like to believe that discrimination is frowned upon. We are quick to tell ourselves that we would not stand to see someone being sexist or racist but evidence is quickly piled up against us. A quick browse on a social media website (any of your choosing) can quickly confirm that bigotry is still widely accepted. When we narrow in on the topic of racism, bigots are in abundance with misinformation and a closed ear.

Racism has always been a hot topic. Many people, regardless of race, refuse to see the issues that still plague our world. We have watched minorities, particularly African Americans in America, speak out against the ways they have been treated from the founding of this country up until present day. It is a sad fact that even though we have listened and spoke, written and sung, painted and built, the people of African descent are still undermined at every other turn. This is not to invalidate the progress that the Caucasian race has made in accepted different races and cultures, but there is still much progress to be made. We watch as phrases from the 60’s and repeated in today’s society. We defend the right to use items that perpetuated hate from our past and try and re-purpose them in today’s society. Racism is constantly being defended as if our society must accept this as a norm. You could not have a conversation with a person of color, who is open and knowledgeable about the gaps in our society, who does not have a story about being discriminated against in a way that they were forced to re-evaluate how they had to interact with the world.

When we question the validity of whether or not people of color still deal with vicious racism we are silencing generations of people. The world is able to look at the way we treat one another and take our examples and fuel their own fires that are being burnt by the fuel of discrimination. It is too easy to say that racism is a footnote in our own history. But believing that devalues who we are and what defines humanity. How can human beings claims humanity when we are constantly looking for ways to cheapen the word? It is easy to say that we would all love world peace and acceptance. It would be easy to say that we all want to get along and to exist as one creation and as one people but in order to do that we must dissect these things that divide us, even if we do not fully see the problem as an individual. To dissect the core of our beliefs and culture is the only way to uproot these dividing factors and to eliminate them.