Today, in 2018, we seem to have forgotten the history of the blacks who used to be white servants, or that racism has long ended with the abolition of apartheid in the 1970s. We can even see black athletes on television representing the United States in the Olympic games, seeing black actors awarded the Oscars and the first black president in 2008, all of which seem fair and beautiful. However, the discrimination existing in white society has not been even more signs of dusty paper. Black teenagers were shot without cause, the police selectively law enforcement or even indiscriminate killing of black innocent are all telling us that race has never been fair. Prejudice is a preconception of someone based on some opinions and beliefs.
Prejudice can also be an attitude, a way of judging others based on their own stereotypes. That is a conclusion of a person or a group of people’s decisions without sufficient knowledge. Some abhorrences resulting from mistakes and stubborn categorization can lead to acts and practices that discriminate. US civil rights leader Martin.
Luther. King once said: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”Argument #1After the slavery, the social and economic relations for African Americans remained much the same. During the Period of the novel, segregation between blacks and whites was enforced legally to the point that blacks had to sit in separate parts of buildings. The story takes place in the southern United States from 1900 to 1930 on how a black woman survives in male chauvinism and white supremacy. “I can’t let you have Nettie. She too young….But I can let you have Celie.
She the oldest anyway.” (Walker, 7) Many African Americans still feel the aftermath of slavery, working as labor or migrant workers in the southern states. An example in the novel is Celie’s real father, who is being fooled by a group of white supremacists who did not like his store. By the 1930s the American Dream has become a nightmare because of the Great Depression. The once opportunity land is now desperate, and the hope and optimism have become land of despair.
Argument #2People are not just born with some sort of racist gene; the main reason for these different is that society treats our brains in different ways. Many of today’s people forget about what happened in the surrounding world in their lives, and often trying to convince themselves that racism is not a problem in their world. Others know everything about the issue, but do not really realize that this can be increased by discriminating against the human rights of others. Some people even live in a racist conditions but without seeing it, which cause many people to ignore that racism is even exist. Many experiments have shown that both white and black people are deeply rooted in discrimination.
However, most people resist being admitted as racist and can not face the problem squarely, making it even more difficult for the community to hold deeper discussions. What is really happening nowadays is when people wear coloured glasses without knowing it. In today’s society, the word “colourblind” often show up when people are talking about racism. The “colourblind” do not actually mean they cannot perceive the difference between some or all of the colours, but rather suggesting that they cannot ever be racist. The other reason that people ignore that racism is even exist, because young people who think that racism is a problem for the older generation and will soon die out.
Argument Children in this generation not only see race but also feel the effects of racism. It could cause them to suffer from depression and behavioral problems, and it will eventually lead them to drop out of school. In 2010, a study report shown that there is a close link between racism and depression. Most of the people who suffered from racism are either black or Latino, and about 19% are multi-ethnic. Children can experience discrimination in many different settings.
For example, school, community, adult and even peer-to-peer. When a teenager frequently suffer from racial discrimination without emotional support from their parents or peers, can have a higher blood pressure, higher body mass index, and higher stress-related hormone levels, which will all lead to depression. “People ask why is that, and one reason we’ve shown is that it’s due to emotional support, which is important at all times in life, but especially during adolescence,” says lead investigator Gene Brody, Regents Professor and Director of the Center for Family Research at University of Georgia.
