Speeches

Maria Nina D. Dollentes
BSAct 2-1
I. Introduction Good Morning everyone! I’m here today to talk to you about an extremely serious issue that society faces today, racism. Racism is the discrimination of a person because of the race that they have inherited. There are many different types of racism, like racial discrimination, ethnic jokes, racial assumptions, and harassment, but they all got a couple of things in common. All kinds of racism are despicable and create a negative and sometimes dangerous emotional response.
II. Body
One of the most common types of racism is the difference between black and white men. It was year 1600 when African Americans were started to be racist by the Americans. One of the main causes of racism is the Ignorance and Fear: People fear things they do not know much about, for example coming into contact with people who have different customs, language or appearance, they might express their anxiety through racism. Another is the one of the most dangerous main causes of racism is the bullying. People make themselves feel better by picking on a person or group they feel are weaker than them. Sometimes, we all want to feel we belong to an “in group” and “hate” those not in “our group”. Another is poverty and unemployment, Racism can form in areas of poverty or unemployment. People look for someone to blame.
Now let’s talk about the different types of racism. First is the prejudice, it is the behavior of prejudging groups or individuals on the basis of their race or physical characteristics. Most prejudice is negative. Even when one gives credit to a positive feature (as in ‘blacks can run faster than whites’ or ‘trust your money to a Jewish banker’), a prejudice is nonetheless being sounded, affirmed and promoted. These “positive prejudices” are not necessarily accurate and serve only to propagate stereotypes. Stereotypes are the re-occurring images that we attach to people based on race, religion, gender or ethnic origin. Example of this is not getting a certain job, even though you are qualified for it, because of your race and being followed around at stores because of your skin color. This example focuses more on the part of America.
Another is the racial assumption, are quiet assumptions we hold about people of other races. These assumptions can be much more implicit and subtle than stereotypes, which tend to be conspicuous and highly overt. Racial assumptions have the power to influence our thoughts and the way we interact with others. Example of this is, a white person carrying a gun is a hero – a defender of truth, justice and the American way. A black man carrying a gun is none of the above. He is almost certainly a gangster and a threat to society. When white kids smoke weed, they are college students or ‘pot heads’. When a black kid gets high, he is a drug addict and a thug. White people are allowed to chase black teenagers with loaded weapons if they believe they are guilty of something. You don’t need any proof – just suspicion. White people are presumed innocent by society, and black people are presumed guilty. Black people are not allowed to ‘stand their ground’ when a white person with a gun chase them down for no reason. The Stand your ground’ law only applies to white people.
Next is the racial jokes and slurs or also known as ethnic jokes. Ethnic jokes have been around since people first noticed they were different from one another, and ethnocentrism and a sense of ethnic identity appeared. Ethnic jokes are often considered to be offensive and as a form of hate speech. Example of this is
• How do you know Adam and Eve were not black?
Have you ever tried to take a rib from a black man?
• Q: Why weren’t there any blacks in the Flintstones?
A: Because they were still monkeys.
• Q: How do you hide something from a Black Man?
A: Put it in a book.
• Q: What is the difference between a black guy and a pizza
A: A pizza can feed a family of four.
• Q: Why can’t Stevie Wonder read?
A: Cause he’s black
• Q: What is it called when a black women is in labor?
A: Constipation
It seems that this ethnic jokes are like insults to the black people.

Racial Discrimination is the prejudicial and/or distinguishing treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or category, "in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated. Racial discrimination is the most common type of racism nowadays, why? Because of sex gender, family background, religion, age and sometimes status in life. For example teenagers usually find a group or peers that are popular in their school. And because of many reasons some of these students are being rejected by the group because of those reasons, like having a dark skin color or having a poor family background. Other examples are whether you're "gay", too old, have kids, married, not married, how many friends you have, your past and skin color.
Last but not the least is the harassment, is any unwelcome behavior which denies the dignity and respect of another human being. It can consist of a joke, an expression or even a look. What exactly constitutes an act of harassment? The person targeted is always aware of the effect of an act of harassment and is the best judge whether there has been harassment. Harassment is harder to define due to the individual personal response of the victim but most companies view specific actions, language, insults, threats and sexual implications as clear evidence of harassment. Example :
• Bullying
• Sexual Harassment
• Harassment on Grounds of Religion
• Harassment on the Grounds of Disability
• Harassment on the Grounds of Age
• Making jokes, insinuations, humiliating comments or racially oriented remarks.
• Criticizing and being intolerant in regards to the victim’s differences: his or her accent, clothing, hairdo, customs and beliefs.
• Acting seemingly disgusted or showing contempt in the victim’s presence.
• Finding excuses for not working with the victim.
• Stereotyping the victim with subordinate tasks or case-loads.
• Trying to hinder or stop the victim’s chances for a promotion.
• Showing comic strips, pictures or images that are racially degrading.

III. Conclusion

And that’s the end of my speech about racism, but before I leave let me give you a quotation from Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." That’s all Thank You !