Racism: Yesterday And Today
There are numerous meanings to define the term racism; the textbook defines it as “discriminatory behavior that is backed by institutional power.” The historical origins of racism are believed to date back to the 1400’s, when slavery began over seas; in 1619 is when slaves arrived in America. In early society, individuals grew up and experienced the darkest times of overt racism, where openly engaging in prejudice and discriminating remarks and actions towards individuals of a differing race, was common. The term racism is used all of the time and it is an uncomfortable reality, and is a huge issue that still remains today. Racism has a lasting effect in different parts of our lives, whether that be social, political, etc. In politics, the
race of an individual seems to matter when it should not, we are all equal and deserve to be treated as such. In 2008 when Barack Obama was elected as President, many people in society debated the idea of whether or not America would become post-racial. Since then, various events have occurred that have proved that racism is still an issue.
In August of 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana experienced a devastating tragedy, Hurricane Katrina. This disaster not only caused pain to those that were directly effected by it, but it impacted America as a whole. Prior to reading the textbook, I was not aware that victims of Hurricane Katrina experienced covert, unintentional racism. After educating myself on the matter, I learned that those of a different race were treated differently by the lack of aid and rescuing efforts. I also learned that the media played a large role in the way people perceived the devastating incident based on events that the media chose to report on. In general, individuals should be careful of their choice of words, because anything can be taken out of context. Media outlets called those that were impacted by the disaster, refugees, which became extremely controversial. I strongly believe that the racism shown was entirely unintended.
race of an individual seems to matter when it should not, we are all equal and deserve to be treated as such. In 2008 when Barack Obama was elected as President, many people in society debated the idea of whether or not America would become post-racial. Since then, various events have occurred that have proved that racism is still an issue.
In August of 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana experienced a devastating tragedy, Hurricane Katrina. This disaster not only caused pain to those that were directly effected by it, but it impacted America as a whole. Prior to reading the textbook, I was not aware that victims of Hurricane Katrina experienced covert, unintentional racism. After educating myself on the matter, I learned that those of a different race were treated differently by the lack of aid and rescuing efforts. I also learned that the media played a large role in the way people perceived the devastating incident based on events that the media chose to report on. In general, individuals should be careful of their choice of words, because anything can be taken out of context. Media outlets called those that were impacted by the disaster, refugees, which became extremely controversial. I strongly believe that the racism shown was entirely unintended.