Prejudice is a worldwide evil that has been woven into the threads of society since the beginning of time. Prejudice occurs when a person acts on a preconceived opinion of a person belonging to a specific group, assuming that the individual possesses unfavorable characteristics. This opinion is often formed with a lack of knowledge.
Prejudice is the root of many major controversies, as it has been the background to a numerous amount of issues throughout the ages, such as African slavery and The Holocaust. Often, a prejudiced situation leads to violence, in which many people are harmed due to an opinion that was formed without any real means of support. Prejudiced ideas too often lead to discrimination, which is the mistreatment of a group of people that occurs when a prejudiced opinion is put in action.
The idea of equality becomes blocked in a prejudiced society. The daily lives of the majority of the population become a struggle. Unfortunately, in most cases prejudice results in the deprivation of rights. In the past, people have been denied basic education, employment, the right to vote, etc. Though unjustifiable, this case is quite common and affects many people every single day.
A common form of prejudice is Racism, which is also known as racial discrimination. Racism is a negative attitude towards a specific race due to stereotypes. Common stereotypes include the idea that black people are uneducated and ignorant, or the idea that white people are rich and unathletic. These stereotypes are often judgmental, and are preconceived without any real means of support. Racism is one of the biggest issues worldwide, resulting in division.
Many situations in history were fueled by racism. The African Slaves that were brought to the Caribbean were thought to be nothing more than cargo aboard the ships that transported them across the Atlantic. This mindset was formed simply