One synonym of racism is racial discrimination. This can be defined as any distinction based on race, descent, or ethnic origin that amounts to unequal treatment of persons especially with regard to the enjoyment of human rights and freedoms (Feagin, 2009). This definition however does not make a distinction between ethnicity and race. An example of racial discrimination is stereotyping. Another example is the period after reconstruction when federal laws allowed discrimination against African Americans in housing, employment and voting (Dorsen, 2008).
Segregation is also another synonym. It is the practice, legal or social, of separating people based on their race or ethnicity (Finkelman, 2008). An example of legal segregation is depicted by the apartheid era in South Africa. Social segregation on the other hand occurs when social practice result to separation of people based on race. An example of social segregation is when whites in the Southern states removed their children from public schools when integration was directed by the courts.
In conclusion therefore, it is clear from the foregoing that racism cannot be confined to a single definition. It is evident however that the key issue with regard to racism is race. Ideally racism is about taking note of a person’s race or ethnicity and making value judgment based on it (Fluehr-Lobban, 2006). Such judgment then becomes the sole determinant of how the person is treated
Work Cited
Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2011.
Dorsen, N. and Lieberman, K. "Discrimination." Microsoft® Student 2009
[DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.
Feagin, Joe R. Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations,
2nd Edition. New York, Routledge, 2009.
Finkelman, Paul. “Segregation in the United States." Microsoft® Student 2009
[DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.
Fredrickson, G. Racism: A Short History. New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 2002.
Fluehr-Lobban, C. Race and Racism: An Introduction. Oxford, AltaMira Press, 2006.
