Racism continues to be a major problem in America though people ignore the fact that it continues to exist. Many state that the end of slavery and the birth of civil rights ended racism. The few who believe in the vice state that it exist in how people carry out their day-to-day activities. For instance, it is common for people, especially leaders, to condemn racism yet they act it out a few moments later on a particular individual. I believe most of the people who preach it, do not live it. From the lesson, it was clear that racism against the blacks continues but in silence. However, it does not imply that black people are the only race being targeted. Hence, in the paper, I seek to address the worrying situation and explore the various ways it exists in the community. I will outline an effective plan for everyone to leave in harmony by respecting and treating other equally. Each being is equal and treating one because of their race or color show the inhumanity of an individual.
Racism existed more than 500 to 1000 years ago when the Western ruled over the non-Westerners such as the Africans, Asians, and others (Racism par 2). It existed in the form of slavery where the white Europeans dimmed the black Africans as inferior beings. During the exploration of African by the Portuguese in the 15th centuries, the various empires and cities received various guests and created relationships. However, the Portuguese began to consider the Africans as serious rivals, and they had to look for a way of demoralizing them. The Europeans became their aliases in taking over the continent, which leads to the introduction of slavery in Africa. The Europeans who took part in the trade deemed the Africans as savages’ and deficient ‘species.’ Their aim was to win the heart of lawmakers, who at the time were making laws for human equality and individual rights (Racism par 3). As time progressed, the trade became a lucrative business, which saw more Africans taken across the ocean to be slaves.
The fight for equal rights began during the slavery trade. The learned black slaves, such as Frederick Douglass, fought for their freedom by showing the need to be treated equally and not like dogs (Racism par 5). There were white people who believed in equality and spearheaded the freeing of slaves amidst the hatred from their colleagues. The end of slavery did not mark the end of segregations. Despite living side by side with white people, the black people felt out of place among the community. In some states, blacks had their specific routes, avenues, toilets, and parks. It reached a point where the white people taught their children that associating with the black people would bring diseases upon them. Hence, generations passed with each demoralizing the black people.
The black people felt they suffered enough even though they were not under chains or masters; the treatment was equally similar to being rendered as a curse. It led to the fight for equal rights by famous people like the late Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rhoda Parks among others (Wilson 5). Other influential moments include the sit-ins and Montgomery Bus boycott. These events and people helped in unifying the black people against racial discrimination and fight for equal rights. With time, their efforts paid off though it took the national and international conventions to fulfill their dreams. Every black person felt proud of becoming an American, though some of the white people did not feel happy about it. Eventually, other races continued to enjoy the freedom and races continued to intermarry and live together. However, the trait of racism was still running in people’s mind and nature.
The new generation of racism is quite ‘intelligent’ as those who practice it have provided a reason behind their actions when asked about it. Cornel West explores these changing times of racism as a socialist theory. The theory seeks to define struggles against racism by the socialists in America (West par 1). West tries to state the reasons antiracist movements should consider taking serious their fight against democratic socialism. West brings into context the racist conceptions towards racism. The first concept is the general working-class exploitation. It is a common trait in offices and public institutions such as armies. Those that practice it tends to undermine the other racial group by providing them more work. At times, they might assign them to work not meant for them. According to West, the Marxists viewpoint ignores the perspective under the argument that workplaces do not determine racism. However, socialist party leaders such as Eugene Debs pushed the matter forward stating that white racism towards the people of color was a strategy to divide and conquer the class (West par 1). Any operations aimed towards the movement constituted as racism.
The second concept acknowledges certain operation in the workplace that shows sign of racism such as job discrimination and wages inequality. Such instances show the racism present in the employment sector, where certain people receive a lower wage than others despite them being of the same level (West par 3). In other instances, one might be a senior and still possess lower wages than the juniors do. Job discrimination entails the denial of employment opportunities to a particular person because of their race regardless of their academic performance or skills. The socialist party yielded a strategy where workers were equal to each other, and there were no specific problems or identity. The move reduced racist practices in the workplaces as well as outside.
The third concept was the Black Nation Thesis, which was influential towards he black Marxists. The thesis defines the operation of racism as a national oppression and targets specific exploitation by the working class (West par 6). It claims that the Afro-Americans were once an oppressed nation living in the Black Belt South, which was a national minority towards the American society. It inspired many struggles by the Afro-Americans against racism in the 1930s. It was a historical turnover for the country as it brought down the social boundaries of the Afro-Americans.
The fourth concept was that certain racist practices were because of xenophobic attitudes by some people in the office. Xenophobia is the fear of a lesser race or nationality taking over the industry (West par 8). The people affected by it are the jobless or those that feel threatened by others. Such people lack socialization skills, and the best way to do away with competition is by using force on them. The Black Nation Thesis brought out these claims aiming to defend itself and other black citizens on their security in workplaces.
The ideal plan will entail proper treatment to people despite their race. It is quite possible especially with the intermarriages and interactions with people. Intermarriages help in ending racism because the children possess identities of both races. Hence, one will have a hard time discriminating against them. Creation of better relations among the races will form a seal of friendship whereby people will refer to each other as brothers and sisters and not races. Communism is an ideal way of bringing the gap between races and work towards growing the community.
Racism awareness is an ideal docket to stop the vice and an effective tool to unite people and make them view each other as equals. The children are the most important piece of the racism equation. Adults are responsible for corrupting their minds, and the first step of nurturing them to think equally is by showing the benefits of good relations with each other. They ought to view each other as equals in their different entities and environments. As they grow, the children will be of sound mind when it comes to how they view other races. In conclusion, racism affects the growth of a country, and the best way to change is by viewing it as an individual. One should set an example to others if he or she seeks to make a change in the community. Everyone should lead by example and not let leaders be the ones on the forefront. In due time, racism will become something of the past and the nation will progress further.
Works Cited
Racism. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. < http://archive.adl.org/hate-patrol/racism.html#.VxTiNfl95D8 >
West, Cornel. Toward A Socialist Theory of Racism. 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. < http://www.race.eserver.org/toward-a-theory-of-racism.html >
Wilson, Julius William. "The Declining Significance of Race: Revisited and Revised." Daedalus (2011): 55-69. Print.
