Persuasive Speech On Running A Marathon

Running a marathon is a test of will. A seasoned runner knows very well that the end is the most difficult part of the race, other than the beginning. It does not, however, take said seasoned runner to know that you do not stop running before you have crossed the finish line. In this way, fighting racism in the United States is extremely similar to a marathon. We, as a society, have made a lot of good strides against racism over the years. It may seem that we are close to finishing with it, what with a black president and greater diversity in business leadership; however, it has only gotten trickier to spot, since it is no longer as obvious as a burning cross or an off-color joke. Today, it happens in much more subtle ways, often unintentionally. The real challenge is in the teaching of open-mindedness when working with what is a gradual solution, considering the very nature of the ingrained prejudices that spark racism and that they can be difficult to spot and even harder to squash. So, before we can teach open-mindedness, we have to spread and hone awareness. People have to be prepared to accept the fact that even their actions, done even with the best of intentions, could be racist. Behavioral scientists are classifying these accidental affronts as microaggressions, which are defined as “everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional which communicate hostile,
If racism is defined as a belief, suggesting that racism is purposeful, the examples shown here disprove that definition (and give another facet to the idea) by clearly demonstrating that racism could also be an unconscious perception, perhaps driven by cultural stereotypes or simply an ignorance of basic cultural differences. Essentially, prejudice itself, even when not acted upon purposefully, is a form of