by KBlitz March 15, 2011
by timdo_39 January 08, 2019
Racism is a system in which a dominant race believe they are superior and benefit from the oppression of other races - whether they want to or not.
We don't live in a society where every racial group has equal power, status and opportunity.
Yes, white people all over the world throughout history have experienced slavery and persecution but have not been enslaved, colonised or forced to segregate on the scale that black people have. They do not face housing or job discrimination, police brutality, poverty or incarceration at the levels that black people do. This is not to say that they do not experience things like poverty and police brutality at all but again, not on the same scale - not even close.
Racism also crosses religious and cultural boundaries. Islamophobia is racism mixed with cultural intolerance. Islamophobia targets markers of moslem identity. Evident in how perpetrators of Islamophobic hate crime disproportionately target visibly moslem women, in the same way that racism often targets people for the colour of their skin. Islamophobes often target Sikhs because Sikhs wear turbans, wrongly believing only moslems wear turbans.
Racism isn't one race hating another, that's something you tell kids, i.e. when kids ask where do babies come from, you explain it at a level they understand, you don't get too technical.
Unfortunately many people never look into racism and their understanding of racism never advances beyond the kindergarten definition.
We don't live in a society where every racial group has equal power, status and opportunity.
Yes, white people all over the world throughout history have experienced slavery and persecution but have not been enslaved, colonised or forced to segregate on the scale that black people have. They do not face housing or job discrimination, police brutality, poverty or incarceration at the levels that black people do. This is not to say that they do not experience things like poverty and police brutality at all but again, not on the same scale - not even close.
Racism also crosses religious and cultural boundaries. Islamophobia is racism mixed with cultural intolerance. Islamophobia targets markers of moslem identity. Evident in how perpetrators of Islamophobic hate crime disproportionately target visibly moslem women, in the same way that racism often targets people for the colour of their skin. Islamophobes often target Sikhs because Sikhs wear turbans, wrongly believing only moslems wear turbans.
Racism isn't one race hating another, that's something you tell kids, i.e. when kids ask where do babies come from, you explain it at a level they understand, you don't get too technical.
Unfortunately many people never look into racism and their understanding of racism never advances beyond the kindergarten definition.
Racists implement systems that privilege the dominant race at every conceivable social, political and economical opportunity.
When black people are rejected from obtaining loans they cannot build wealth for future generations. When they are refused home loans to move into white neighbourhoods, they remain in poor neighbourhoods with depressed infrastructure, their kids go to underfunded overcrowded schools, drop out and with no job prospects, many end up in jail. Upon release they cannot get decent paying jobs, they remain in poor areas, their kids go to underfunded overcrowded schools, the cycle of poverty continues generation after generation. That is the reality of racism.
When black people are rejected from obtaining loans they cannot build wealth for future generations. When they are refused home loans to move into white neighbourhoods, they remain in poor neighbourhoods with depressed infrastructure, their kids go to underfunded overcrowded schools, drop out and with no job prospects, many end up in jail. Upon release they cannot get decent paying jobs, they remain in poor areas, their kids go to underfunded overcrowded schools, the cycle of poverty continues generation after generation. That is the reality of racism.
by Let's eradicate racism July 03, 2021
The combination of power and racial prejudice when that prejudice affects the power. Note that racism can happen with any racial prejudice and any power structure.
When Jim Crow laws used racial prejudices to enforce mandatory segregation, the prejudices became racism.
If Person A will no hire Person B because of a prejudice against Person A's race, that is racism.
If someone random person yells a slur at you, it is prejudice, but not racism, as that person has no power over you.
If Person A will no hire Person B because of a prejudice against Person A's race, that is racism.
If someone random person yells a slur at you, it is prejudice, but not racism, as that person has no power over you.
by noreallyguysreally December 09, 2010
The belief that some races are inherently superior (physically, intellectually, or culturally) to others and therefore have a right to dominate them. In the United States, racism, particularly by whites against blacks, has created profound racial tension and conflict in virtually all aspects of American society. Until the breakthroughs achieved by the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, white domination over blacks was institutionalized and supported in all branches and levels of government, by denying blacks their civil rights and opportunities to participate in political, economic, and social communities.
"The horror of class stratification, racism, and prejudice is that some people begin to believe that the security of their families and communities depends on the oppression of others, that for some to have good lives there must be others whose lives are truncated and brutal." - Dorothy Allison
by hurdrenee January 22, 2011
Prejudice or discrimination based on skin color, origin, and/or religion. A group with institutional power (or more control) is technically benefiting from racism, even if they do not want to be. For instance, white men actually benefit from racism especially in the U.S. and Europe because of the power that heterosexual white men receive. Even if you are a white man (like me) who does not condone or accept it, you are still benefiting from it. Unfortunately, this type of racism is difficult to battle due to unequal population. Some believe that a fair system would be if there is a 15% black population and a 75% white population (these statistics are just made up), then the seat in government should be 15% black and 75%.
It is not based on the perpetrator's intentions, but on the perception of the victims. Someone may joke that he hates green people, but green people may not take this as a joke.
Many liberals see racism as a white-person thing due to their heavy institutional power, while many conservatives think that any prejudice statements are racism (reverse-racism). Not all conservatives are racist and not all liberals are anti-racist.
It is predicted that this generation will break the political parties. These young people see that religion, race, sexuality, gender, identity, origin, etc. do not matter and all people should be treated equal. These youngsters have the power to end racism, sexism, and division.
It is not based on the perpetrator's intentions, but on the perception of the victims. Someone may joke that he hates green people, but green people may not take this as a joke.
Many liberals see racism as a white-person thing due to their heavy institutional power, while many conservatives think that any prejudice statements are racism (reverse-racism). Not all conservatives are racist and not all liberals are anti-racist.
It is predicted that this generation will break the political parties. These young people see that religion, race, sexuality, gender, identity, origin, etc. do not matter and all people should be treated equal. These youngsters have the power to end racism, sexism, and division.
Racism is evil.
by Grdous April 21, 2017
1. The discrimination of another group of people based solely on superficial characteristics, with the belief that one race is superior to another.
2. A system where the minority group loses, and the dominant group benefits.
2. A system where the minority group loses, and the dominant group benefits.
by jessicaxx February 08, 2007