racism abstract

Sabrina Brown

11/3/11

Period 1

Define Racism

            Racism is a word of many definitions. It is all around us and is thought to be an okay thing to do to others but it is not. From the beginning of this country, there were conflicts with the Indians, slavery of blacks, and going against the people who immigrated here hoping to achieve the American dream.  Racism was a very fluctuated conflict in the nineteenth century and still exists today even though there are laws against it. When most people hear racism or racist they think of black people but even white, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, and Indians get discriminated against. This is a wrong injustice that we need to realize is happening everyday and we need to do something about it. Racism goes outside of just the color of your skin but also toward your ethnic culture and the way you look. Racism has been one of the most significant issues that people have been fighting for, and is still occurring around us without even knowing it.

            Throughout the history, racism has been a major factor in many of the important events in our country’s past. Racism is the man walking down the street getting stared at with discrimination because he is different. Racism kills and at the same time saves the people. It could kill them because it could discriminate them and hurt them in many ways. They could also be disadvantaged and become the victims of the society. But in another point of view, at the same time racism saves them, because through the discrimination, they become stronger and confirmed about themselves. How would you feel is someone discriminated against you because of the color of your skin, if they threw rocks at you just because it is funny? If they beat you up because you are drinking out of the wrong water fountain or sitting on the wrong side of the bus? How would you like it if other stronger, bigger people forced you to work rigorous labor only to receive little or no pay? How would it feel like if you were walking around and saw people laughing at you, pointing at you or making fun of you? How would you like it if you didn’t receive service from any stores because of the color of your skin? This is true discrimination and racism. Racism is a very sensitive subject in this world and makes people very angry when brought up but it is something the world needs to be aware about. It is something that needs to be discussed in classrooms and taught to be against because it is not fair to others. It is not fair to get beat up over nothing, to get treated like your less than the next person because you are a minority. It is just not fair. Blacks did not have the rights for free speech nor vote and many other laws that denied their rights. But through the determined people of blacks to get their rights, eventually they had the rights to get freedom of speech and voting. A key person to thank for this is Martin Luther King Jr.

         Racism is that thing in life where a person does not actually know what they are doing until it is done. Where you discriminate against something or someone and don’t realize it harm until the deed is finished. This is why it needs to be spread and awareness that it still exists today, in our schools, neighborhoods, and cities and it needs to be stopped after all, is it not against the law?