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 3, 2021
Get the Racism mug.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 11, 2010
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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 December 9, 2008
Get the racism mug.(US) The systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little social power in the United States (Blacks, Lations/as, Native Americans, and Asians), by members of the agent racial groups who have relatively more social power (Whites). This subordination is supported by the actions of individuals, cultural norms and values, and the institutional structures and practices of society.
The Institution in the United States is set up to systematically support whites (hence the term: White Privlege). One needs to only turn on the television to see how hard it is to find a non-tokenized person of color. This does not mean that people of color are unable to hold biases or hate towards Whites. It is just not racism, but discrimination.
by Empowerment May 9, 2006
Get the racism mug.Belief in or advocacy of preferential treatment for or unusual burdens upon persons of a particular race, because of that race rather than other reasons.
by Esse April 21, 2005
Get the Racism mug.Not a real thing; an abstract social construct with no actual basis in reality.
There is only one race : the Human Race
There is only one race : the Human Race
"Those persons of a different race ! I'm voicing an I'll informed, erroneous opinion based on ethnic and cultural differences and call it Racism!"
"Say what you want, but remember it's YOUR words. You have to keep them, because your words are telling me about you, not them. It's not racism, it's being a jerk.
"Say what you want, but remember it's YOUR words. You have to keep them, because your words are telling me about you, not them. It's not racism, it's being a jerk.
by Poosee January 14, 2022
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