Examples Of Racism In Stella By Starlight
When I read “Stella by Starlight”, I saw many examples of racism in plain daylight. Racism is no longer legal in corporations themselves (private organizations are allowed to discriminate, but not against the basis of race), but in individual people it happens all the time, and we hear about it on the news constantly. Why does this occur? What can make somebody actually think that race can make somebody inferior to you? I think it is ignorance. Many of what happens in the book and modern movements and based in or fighting against ignorance. In the 1960’s, Martin Luther King Jr. led the civil rights movement, telling people what is ultimately true, that people of color are equal to white people. Society woke up, even if not every individual
did, and black people were regarded as equal, as it says in the constitution. They still weren’t treated equally by individuals, but the system was no longer racist. The same thing happened in the original feminist movements, women were equal, like the constitution says, before third wave feminism messed it all up, trying to give women special treatment. In the book, we see that black people were allowed to vote, but the people at the voting stand tried to make it extremely difficult for them to vote. We also see that a doctor refused to treat a person who may die because of her skin color. What convinced people that this was the right way to act? Ignorance. These people didn’t understand that skin color doesn’t affect skin color or personality, and definitely doesn’t make somebody inferior. This non-understanding or willingness to not understand led to a prejudice in these people that could have led to Stella’s mom dying. Where does this ignorance come from? Well, first off these people could have been willingly ignorant, where they refuse to hear opposing views so they can hold on to their view. It’s more plausible that these people didn’t understand this because they couldn’t understand it, because they weren’t exposed to these ideas or nobody considered them. I think, in our schools and in homes, we should expose children to different ideas when they are young and give them critical thinking skills so that they can decide for themselves. This will combat ignorance, possibly eliminating these prejudices from society, and allowing us to progress as a species.
did, and black people were regarded as equal, as it says in the constitution. They still weren’t treated equally by individuals, but the system was no longer racist. The same thing happened in the original feminist movements, women were equal, like the constitution says, before third wave feminism messed it all up, trying to give women special treatment. In the book, we see that black people were allowed to vote, but the people at the voting stand tried to make it extremely difficult for them to vote. We also see that a doctor refused to treat a person who may die because of her skin color. What convinced people that this was the right way to act? Ignorance. These people didn’t understand that skin color doesn’t affect skin color or personality, and definitely doesn’t make somebody inferior. This non-understanding or willingness to not understand led to a prejudice in these people that could have led to Stella’s mom dying. Where does this ignorance come from? Well, first off these people could have been willingly ignorant, where they refuse to hear opposing views so they can hold on to their view. It’s more plausible that these people didn’t understand this because they couldn’t understand it, because they weren’t exposed to these ideas or nobody considered them. I think, in our schools and in homes, we should expose children to different ideas when they are young and give them critical thinking skills so that they can decide for themselves. This will combat ignorance, possibly eliminating these prejudices from society, and allowing us to progress as a species.