Why does Racism exist?

Racism, by definition, is the belief that racial differences produce an inherited superiority between different cultures.[1] However, racism is not a biological issue, but a sociological one. Discrimination has been practiced as long as there have been cultural differences and it is mainly administered by the ‘white man.’ This prejudice has caused many wounds, physically and psychologically, that are still trying to heal. For numerous years, people’s ignorance made them believe that racial differences were in fact, a hereditary gene. The beliefs of racism comes from not know, which evidently scares many populations.
Slavery has been one of the biggest forms of racism to date and has affected all races. The most prominent form of slavery has been that of the African people. At the beginning of 20th century approximately 2.5 million people were sold as slaves. Women cost twice as much as men since during the day they would perform backbreaking labor, but as night fell they would raise children fathered by their masters. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the civil rights movement, to provide equality for African Americans, occurred in North America. Martin Luther had a dream where his family, and other families like his, could live freely as they deserved to; however, racism still exists in some places today. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, was thought of as a terrorist, rapist, and murderer due to his race and skin color, but his victory in the election shows that the majority of citizens have evolved. Generations ago, people believed that being a color other than white was a genetic disorder. A genetic disorder is an illness caused by abnormalities in the forming of genes or chromosomes.[2] Diversity is not a disease and is proven by the fact that different cultures can reproduce offspring together. Everyone is the same species and should be treated as though. Sociology is the culprit for racism where the upper class citizens, mostly white Europeans, felt superior and used the lower castes as tools. Since many different races were not well educated, the European settlers thought differences meant they were not up to par. The principle of racism comes from people not having knowledge of how these distinctions occur. Fearing change and variation results in countless populations disowning and abusing other nationalities to the point of extermination. Stereotypes put on ethical groups leads to judging incorrectly which is one way racism is brought upon.
Racism is a medieval form of cruelty which still transpires in some parts of the world. Science has shown that it is not a genetic deformation, but merely a distorted idea brought upon by society. Although some are still affected by racism, it is not an immense dilemma where it brings upon violence. Panic has been the subject for the reason racism exists and will continue to be as long as ignorance survives. Every race has 46 chromosomes to help identify their shared species; every culture is made up of human beings. Since we are the same shouldn’t we be treated as though?

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_disorder

May 15, 2009. Uncategorized.