Racism is the act of discrimination, prejudice, or antagonism by a person or community against another based on their belonging to a specific ethnic or racial group. Even though we live in the 21st century, and we are most technologically advanced than any other period before today, sadly, racial discrimination still exists worldwide, including the United States of America. The U.S.A. has a long history of inequality and injustice and has come a long way to fight prejudices based solely on one’s appearance. While things have gotten better than what it was 50 years ago, American society is still not free from oppression and marginalization against people of color. There are several reasons why racism remains still alive today, a topic that we will elaborate on through the article.

Times are constantly changing, and we currently live amongst ‘woke’ individuals who stand up against all kinds of oppression and racism based solely on how one looks. These individuals are continually looking for ways to be more educated on this pressing issue that has embedded the U.S. soil. One of the best ways to learn more about racial injustice can be through reading enlightening literature or watching plays and movies on the critical subject. For instance, one can read through A Raisin in the Sun analysis, a play about an African American family that aspires to move beyond disenfranchisement and segregation during the 1950’s. The play, which is a portrayal of people of color who deal with oppressive circumstances they can’t get out of, is a powerful message that all white people must internalize.

Is discrimination deeply embedded in the U.S.A.?

Several research types show that the system of racial injustice is deep-rooted within the U.S. society and the U.S. minds that it is impossible to escape. The discrimination has given rise to a hierarchy through which the white American people have gained an advantage, leaving behind the other categories of people. A recent study by the Beyond Conflict Innovation Lab has stated that just as capitalists reinforce capitalism in their nation, members of a racist community support racism, regardless of whether they identify it and want it.

The recent murder of George Floyd sparked the Black Lives Matter movement: a testament to the fact that even after all these years, people of color are still being mistreated by the hands of the law and the nation. The horrific murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor have also brought to light a series of terrible events that are consequences of a more extensive system at play. It has also sparked fear in the minds of African American people who worry that their or their children’s lives could be taken away in an instant. This, in itself, is a grave determinant of how bad things are.

What contributes to racial indifference?

The study conducted by Steven O.Roberts and Michael Rizzo of the Beyond Conflict Innovation Lab has identified several reasons why the system of advantage based on race still exists and is a pandemic. Here are the top 5 reasons why racism still exists.

1. Categorization:

Categories organize the members of a particular racial group into one faction. The body of research elaborates that people feel more at ease with others who look like themselves. This affinity towards one’s own ethnic group does not only affect adults but is also rife within children. This means that such individuals are more likely than not to treat other people outside of their ethnic groups differently and less favourably. 

Companies have started organizing anti racism training sessions and seminars to tech their employees at all levels to identify such tendencies and try to eliminate them. Further, these sessions will help people become aware of their biases and make an effort to treat everyone equally.

2. Segregation:

When a particular group has been categorized into a faction, it triggers loyalty among themselves. When put up against people that belong to another faction, it stirs competition. Many White ingroups do not include other people of color, which increases exclusion. Several racist preferences, perceptions, and beliefs are then hardened, which drives the two social circles further away.

3. Societal power:

Research has shown that the White race has benefitted from societal advantages that are not as readily available to people of color. The African American people believe that over 84 percent of Whites have an advantage to several benefits that they are not privy to. The Hispanic ethnic group believed that over 74 percent of Whites have an advantage. However, when posed with the same question, over 50 percent of Whites said they are not subject to added benefits or advantages based solely on their race.

4. Media:

A nation’s media is one of the biggest change factors that can drive force in any country. However, the American media remains a big problem, which has been known to overrepresent and idealize representations of white supremacist ideologies. It has also been shown to marginalize and minimize people of color, often suppressing their side of the story and highlighting only the news stories that play in favor of the white ethnic group. Even in Hollywood, a prestigious global conglomerate, the decision-makers choose not to hire underrepresented minority actors.

5. Passivity:

This is perhaps the biggest problem that is still fueling racial injustice and inequality in the current scenario. There is a specific hierarchy to one’s ethnic group, which makes individuals feel, think, and behave in particular ways that are not to be entertained but are legislated regardless on the macro and micro levels. However, there are thousands of people who remain indifferent to such matters. This goes to show that many people are not aware of how much society has played in their favor and don’t understand how deeply embedded racism is.

Racism in America is ever increasing. As such, people of all walks of life need to become well-versed with the psychology of anti-racism. This can be done by challenging injustice whenever it is seen and by challenging it before it appears. The nation can become great again when people from different ethnic groups can work together towards a common goal.