Prejudice And Racism In The United States

Racism was and still is one of the biggest inhuman notions that has scourged our society. At the core of the word ‘racism’, lie the not-so-hidden terrors of the actions committed by those who are ‘racist’. The Cambridge dictionary describes racism as “the belief that people's qualities are influenced by their race and that the members of other races are not as good as the members of your own, or the resulting unfair treatment of members of other races” (par 1). Taking this definition into consideration, it is quite evident that prejudice and a sense of superiority are the basis on which the idea of racism is built. Racism leads to segregation, which means that where there is racism, there is bound to be segregation, because according to the
And in many cases, the group of people who consider themselves to be superior have the power to make official laws against the people who they think that they are inferior to them – those institutional laws come in the form of segregation. Such a thing has happened numerous times in history, but one of the most significant and one of the instances that have left the largest impact on society is the racism and segregation which were practiced in the United States of America ever since the first African-American slaves were brought in 1619. Even though the slavery system fell, racism did not stop plaguing the American society. In fact, racism and segregation continued to be present in the Anglo-American society throughout the years – there are still some traces of it even
Everyone is equal. Everyone is equally valuable and any American, no matter their gender or skin colour, can contribute to the American society, “Hidden Figures not only tells an important story of civil rights and feminism in the United States, but it also recounts what was arguably one of the biggest achievements for NASA in spaceflight history: putting John Glenn into orbit” (Hanneke Weitering, Why 'Hidden Figures' is a Movie Everyone Should Watch, space.com). ‘Hidden Figures’ doesn’t only provide an insight into specific historical events, but it also shows that great things can be achieved when people work together, as equals. Nevertheless, the battle for equality and equal rights was long and difficult. Many people lived and died as slaves, many people from the moment of their birth until their death were told that they were second-class citizens and therefore they should live in segregation. The mistreatment and the inhumane conditions to which the African-American people were subjected, has shaped Anglo-American history. The unequal treatment and status of the races had a huge impact on society, “The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society” (Lewis, 2017). Despite the fact that today in the USA all humans have equal rights, racism is still not dead. Institutional racism is illegal, but that has not smothered the false belief that a certain race can be, or is