Essays and Commentary

Reflections and analysis inspired by the killing of George Floyd and the nationwide wave of protests that followed.

My Mother’s Dreams for Her Son, and All Black Children

Two women, one is author’s mother, Marie Als, left at a table.

She longed for black people in America not to be forever refugees—confined by borders that they did not create and by a penal system that killed them before they died.

By Hilton Als

June 21, 2020

How do we change america.

A group of protesters making a large shadow

The quest to transform this country cannot be limited to challenging its brutal police alone.

By Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

June 8, 2020

The purpose of a house.

A teenage girl hiding her face in front of a laptop.

For my daughters, the pandemic was a relief from race-related stress at school. Then George Floyd was killed.

By Emily Bernard

June 25, 2020

The players’ revolt against racism, inequality, and police terror.

A row of players for the Washington Mystics kneeling on a basketball court with their backs to the viewers wearing white shirts that have seven bullet holes drawn on each player's backs. The basketball court also has "Black Lives Matter" painted on it and there is a large "WNBA" sign in the background.

A group of athletes across various American professional sports have communicated the fear, frustration, and anger of most of Black America.

September 9, 2020, until black women are free, none of us will be free.

An illustrated portrait of Barbara Smith

Barbara Smith and the Black feminist visionaries of the Combahee River Collective.

July 20, 2020, john lewis’s legacy and america’s redemption.

protest

The civil-rights leader, who died Friday, acknowledged the darkest chapters of the country’s history, yet insisted that change was always possible.

By David Remnick

July 18, 2020

Europe in 1989, america in 2020, and the death of the lost cause.

Protesters raise their fists in the air at  the Robert E. Lee Statue

A whole vision of history seems to be leaving the stage.

By David W. Blight

July 1, 2020

The messy politics of black voices—and “black voice”—in american animation.

Scene from "Big Mouth";" the character Missy is in the center.

Cartoons have often been considered exempt from the country’s prejudices. In fact, they form a genre built on the marble and mud of racial signification.

By Lauren Michele Jackson

June 30, 2020

After george floyd and juneteenth.

People marching wave at a group of toddlers watching.

What’s ahead for the movement, the election, and the protesters?

June 20, 2020, juneteenth and the meaning of freedom.

Image may contain: Symbol, Flag, Text, and American Flag

Emancipation is a marker of progress for white Americans, not black ones.

By Jelani Cobb

June 19, 2020

A memory of solidarity day, on juneteenth, 1968.

Protestors wading in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool  in 1968.

The public outpouring over racism that has been taking place in America since George Floyd’s murder feels like a long-postponed renewal of the reckoning that shook the nation more than half a century ago.

By Jon Lee Anderson

June 18, 2020

Seeing police brutality then and now.

Cops depicted as pigs

We still haven’t fully recognized the art made by twentieth-century black artists.

By Nell Painter

The History of the “Riot” Report

Scene of officer holding gun and frisking two black men.

How government commissions became alibis for inaction.

By Jill Lepore

June 15, 2020

The trayvon generation.

 Carrie Mae Weems, “Blue Black Boy”

For Solo, Simon, Robel, Maurice, Cameron, and Sekou.

By Elizabeth Alexander

So Brutal a Death

world

Nationwide outrage over George Floyd’s brutal killing by police officers resonates with immigrants, and with people around the world.

By Edwidge Danticat

An American Spring of Reckoning

protester

In death, George Floyd’s name has become a metaphor for the stacked inequities of the society that produced them.

June 14, 2020, the mimetic power of d.c.’s black lives matter mural.

Letter B seen on pavement

The pavement itself has become part of the protest.

By Kyle Chayka

June 9, 2020

Donald trump’s fascist performance.

President Donald Trump walking with a group of people

To the President, power sounds like gunfire and helicopters; it sounds like the silence of men in uniform when they are asked who they are.

By Masha Gessen

June 3, 2020

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Regions & Countries

Black americans have a clear vision for reducing racism but little hope it will happen, many say key u.s. institutions should be rebuilt to ensure fair treatment.

Photo showing visitors at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Astrid Riecken/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to understand the nuances among Black people on issues of racial inequality and social change in the United States. This in-depth survey explores differences among Black Americans in their views on the social status of the Black population in the U.S.; their assessments of racial inequality; their visions for institutional and social change; and their outlook on the chances that these improvements will be made. The analysis is the latest in the Center’s series of in-depth surveys of public opinion among Black Americans (read the first, “ Faith Among Black Americans ” and “ Race Is Central to Identity for Black Americans and Affects How They Connect With Each Other ”).

The online survey of 3,912 Black U.S. adults was conducted Oct. 4-17, 2021. Black U.S. adults include those who are single-race, non-Hispanic Black Americans; multiracial non-Hispanic Black Americans; and adults who indicate they are Black and Hispanic. The survey includes 1,025 Black adults on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) and 2,887 Black adults on Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel. Respondents on both panels are recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses.

Recruiting panelists by phone or mail ensures that nearly all U.S. Black adults have a chance of selection. This gives us confidence that any sample can represent the whole population (see our Methods 101 explainer on random sampling). Here are the questions used for the survey of Black adults, along with its responses and methodology .

The terms “Black Americans,” “Black people” and “Black adults” are used interchangeably throughout this report to refer to U.S. adults who self-identify as Black, either alone or in combination with other races or Hispanic identity.

Throughout this report, “Black, non-Hispanic” respondents are those who identify as single-race Black and say they have no Hispanic background. “Black Hispanic” respondents are those who identify as Black and say they have Hispanic background. We use the terms “Black Hispanic” and “Hispanic Black” interchangeably. “Multiracial” respondents are those who indicate two or more racial backgrounds (one of which is Black) and say they are not Hispanic.

Respondents were asked a question about how important being Black was to how they think about themselves. In this report, we use the term “being Black” when referencing responses to this question.

In this report, “immigrant” refers to people who were not U.S. citizens at birth – in other words, those born outside the U.S., Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories to parents who were not U.S. citizens. We use the terms “immigrant,” “born abroad” and “foreign-born” interchangeably.

Throughout this report, “Democrats and Democratic leaners” and just “Democrats” both refer to respondents who identify politically with the Democratic Party or who are independent or some other party but lean toward the Democratic Party. “Republicans and Republican leaners” and just “Republicans” both refer to respondents who identify politically with the Republican Party or are independent or some other party but lean toward the Republican Party.

Respondents were asked a question about their voter registration status. In this report, respondents are considered registered to vote if they self-report being absolutely certain they are registered at their current address. Respondents are considered not registered to vote if they report not being registered or express uncertainty about their registration.

To create the upper-, middle- and lower-income tiers, respondents’ 2020 family incomes were adjusted for differences in purchasing power by geographic region and household size. Respondents were then placed into income tiers: “Middle income” is defined as two-thirds to double the median annual income for the entire survey sample. “Lower income” falls below that range, and “upper income” lies above it. For more information about how the income tiers were created, read the methodology .

Bar chart showing after George Floyd’s murder, half of Black Americans expected policy changes to address racial inequality, After George Floyd’s murder, half of Black Americans expected policy changes to address racial inequality

More than a year after the murder of George Floyd and the national protests, debate and political promises that ensued, 65% of Black Americans say the increased national attention on racial inequality has not led to changes that improved their lives. 1 And 44% say equality for Black people in the United States is not likely to be achieved, according to newly released findings from an October 2021 survey of Black Americans by Pew Research Center.

This is somewhat of a reversal in views from September 2020, when half of Black adults said the increased national focus on issues of race would lead to major policy changes to address racial inequality in the country and 56% expected changes that would make their lives better.

At the same time, many Black Americans are concerned about racial discrimination and its impact. Roughly eight-in-ten say they have personally experienced discrimination because of their race or ethnicity (79%), and most also say discrimination is the main reason many Black people cannot get ahead (68%).  

Even so, Black Americans have a clear vision for how to achieve change when it comes to racial inequality. This includes support for significant reforms to or complete overhauls of several U.S. institutions to ensure fair treatment, particularly the criminal justice system; political engagement, primarily in the form of voting; support for Black businesses to advance Black communities; and reparations in the forms of educational, business and homeownership assistance. Yet alongside their assessments of inequality and ideas about progress exists pessimism about whether U.S. society and its institutions will change in ways that would reduce racism.

These findings emerge from an extensive Pew Research Center survey of 3,912 Black Americans conducted online Oct. 4-17, 2021. The survey explores how Black Americans assess their position in U.S. society and their ideas about social change. Overall, Black Americans are clear on what they think the problems are facing the country and how to remedy them. However, they are skeptical that meaningful changes will take place in their lifetime.

Black Americans see racism in our laws as a big problem and discrimination as a roadblock to progress

Bar chart showing about six-in-ten Black adults say racism and police brutality are extremely big problems for Black people in the U.S. today

Black adults were asked in the survey to assess the current nature of racism in the United States and whether structural or individual sources of this racism are a bigger problem for Black people. About half of Black adults (52%) say racism in our laws is a bigger problem than racism by individual people, while four-in-ten (43%) say acts of racism committed by individual people is the bigger problem. Only 3% of Black adults say that Black people do not experience discrimination in the U.S. today.

In assessing the magnitude of problems that they face, the majority of Black Americans say racism (63%), police brutality (60%) and economic inequality (54%) are extremely or very big problems for Black people living in the U.S. Slightly smaller shares say the same about the affordability of health care (47%), limitations on voting (46%), and the quality of K-12 schools (40%).

Aside from their critiques of U.S. institutions, Black adults also feel the impact of racial inequality personally. Most Black adults say they occasionally or frequently experience unfair treatment because of their race or ethnicity (79%), and two-thirds (68%) cite racial discrimination as the main reason many Black people cannot get ahead today.

Black Americans’ views on reducing racial inequality

Bar chart showing many Black adults say institutional overhauls are necessary to ensure fair treatment

Black Americans are clear on the challenges they face because of racism. They are also clear on the solutions. These range from overhauls of policing practices and the criminal justice system to civic engagement and reparations to descendants of people enslaved in the United States.

Changing U.S. institutions such as policing, courts and prison systems

About nine-in-ten Black adults say multiple aspects of the criminal justice system need some kind of change (minor, major or a complete overhaul) to ensure fair treatment, with nearly all saying so about policing (95%), the courts and judicial process (95%), and the prison system (94%).

Roughly half of Black adults say policing (49%), the courts and judicial process (48%), and the prison system (54%) need to be completely rebuilt for Black people to be treated fairly. Smaller shares say the same about the political system (42%), the economic system (37%) and the health care system (34%), according to the October survey.

While Black Americans are in favor of significant changes to policing, most want spending on police departments in their communities to stay the same (39%) or increase (35%). A little more than one-in-five (23%) think spending on police departments in their area should be decreased.

Black adults who favor decreases in police spending are most likely to name medical, mental health and social services (40%) as the top priority for those reappropriated funds. Smaller shares say K-12 schools (25%), roads, water systems and other infrastructure (12%), and reducing taxes (13%) should be the top priority.

Voting and ‘buying Black’ viewed as important strategies for Black community advancement

Black Americans also have clear views on the types of political and civic engagement they believe will move Black communities forward. About six-in-ten Black adults say voting (63%) and supporting Black businesses or “buying Black” (58%) are extremely or very effective strategies for moving Black people toward equality in the U.S. Smaller though still significant shares say the same about volunteering with organizations dedicated to Black equality (48%), protesting (42%) and contacting elected officials (40%).

Black adults were also asked about the effectiveness of Black economic and political independence in moving them toward equality. About four-in-ten (39%) say Black ownership of all businesses in Black neighborhoods would be an extremely or very effective strategy for moving toward racial equality, while roughly three-in-ten (31%) say the same about establishing a national Black political party. And about a quarter of Black adults (27%) say having Black neighborhoods governed entirely by Black elected officials would be extremely or very effective in moving Black people toward equality.

Most Black Americans support repayment for slavery

Discussions about atonement for slavery predate the founding of the United States. As early as 1672 , Quaker abolitionists advocated for enslaved people to be paid for their labor once they were free. And in recent years, some U.S. cities and institutions have implemented reparations policies to do just that.

Most Black Americans say the legacy of slavery affects the position of Black people in the U.S. either a great deal (55%) or a fair amount (30%), according to the survey. And roughly three-quarters (77%) say descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid in some way.

Black adults who say descendants of the enslaved should be repaid support doing so in different ways. About eight-in-ten say repayment in the forms of educational scholarships (80%), financial assistance for starting or improving a business (77%), and financial assistance for buying or remodeling a home (76%) would be extremely or very helpful. A slightly smaller share (69%) say cash payments would be extremely or very helpful forms of repayment for the descendants of enslaved people.

Where the responsibility for repayment lies is also clear for Black Americans. Among those who say the descendants of enslaved people should be repaid, 81% say the U.S. federal government should have all or most of the responsibility for repayment. About three-quarters (76%) say businesses and banks that profited from slavery should bear all or most of the responsibility for repayment. And roughly six-in-ten say the same about colleges and universities that benefited from slavery (63%) and descendants of families who engaged in the slave trade (60%).

Black Americans are skeptical change will happen

Bar chart showing little hope among Black adults that changes to address racial inequality are likely

Even though Black Americans’ visions for social change are clear, very few expect them to be implemented. Overall, 44% of Black adults say equality for Black people in the U.S. is a little or not at all likely. A little over a third (38%) say it is somewhat likely and only 13% say it is extremely or very likely.

They also do not think specific institutions will change. Two-thirds of Black adults say changes to the prison system (67%) and the courts and judicial process (65%) that would ensure fair treatment for Black people are a little or not at all likely in their lifetime. About six-in-ten (58%) say the same about policing. Only about one-in-ten say changes to policing (13%), the courts and judicial process (12%), and the prison system (11%) are extremely or very likely.

This pessimism is not only about the criminal justice system. The majority of Black adults say the political (63%), economic (62%) and health care (51%) systems are also unlikely to change in their lifetime.

Black Americans’ vision for social change includes reparations. However, much like their pessimism about institutional change, very few think they will see reparations in their lifetime. Among Black adults who say the descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should be repaid, 82% say reparations for slavery are unlikely to occur in their lifetime. About one-in-ten (11%) say repayment is somewhat likely, while only 7% say repayment is extremely or very likely to happen in their lifetime.

Black Democrats, Republicans differ on assessments of inequality and visions for social change

Bar chart showing Black adults differ by party in their views on racial discrimination and changes to policing

Party affiliation is one key point of difference among Black Americans in their assessments of racial inequality and their visions for social change. Black Republicans and Republican leaners are more likely than Black Democrats and Democratic leaners to focus on the acts of individuals. For example, when summarizing the nature of racism against Black people in the U.S., the majority of Black Republicans (59%) say racist acts committed by individual people is a bigger problem for Black people than racism in our laws. Black Democrats (41%) are less likely to hold this view.

Black Republicans (45%) are also more likely than Black Democrats (21%) to say that Black people who cannot get ahead in the U.S. are mostly responsible for their own condition. And while similar shares of Black Republicans (79%) and Democrats (80%) say they experience racial discrimination on a regular basis, Republicans (64%) are more likely than Democrats (36%) to say that most Black people who want to get ahead can make it if they are willing to work hard.

On the other hand, Black Democrats are more likely than Black Republicans to focus on the impact that racial inequality has on Black Americans. Seven-in-ten Black Democrats (73%) say racial discrimination is the main reason many Black people cannot get ahead in the U.S, while about four-in-ten Black Republicans (44%) say the same. And Black Democrats are more likely than Black Republicans to say racism (67% vs. 46%) and police brutality (65% vs. 44%) are extremely big problems for Black people today.

Black Democrats are also more critical of U.S. institutions than Black Republicans are. For example, Black Democrats are more likely than Black Republicans to say the prison system (57% vs. 35%), policing (52% vs. 29%) and the courts and judicial process (50% vs. 35%) should be completely rebuilt for Black people to be treated fairly.

While the share of Black Democrats who want to see large-scale changes to the criminal justice system exceeds that of Black Republicans, they share similar views on police funding. Four-in-ten each of Black Democrats and Black Republicans say funding for police departments in their communities should remain the same, while around a third of each partisan coalition (36% and 37%, respectively) says funding should increase. Only about one-in-four Black Democrats (24%) and one-in-five Black Republicans (21%) say funding for police departments in their communities should decrease.

Among the survey’s other findings:

Black adults differ by age in their views on political strategies. Black adults ages 65 and older (77%) are most likely to say voting is an extremely or very effective strategy for moving Black people toward equality. They are significantly more likely than Black adults ages 18 to 29 (48%) and 30 to 49 (60%) to say this. Black adults 65 and older (48%) are also more likely than those ages 30 to 49 (38%) and 50 to 64 (42%) to say protesting is an extremely or very effective strategy. Roughly four-in-ten Black adults ages 18 to 29 say this (44%).

Gender plays a role in how Black adults view policing. Though majorities of Black women (65%) and men (56%) say police brutality is an extremely big problem for Black people living in the U.S. today, Black women are more likely than Black men to hold this view. When it comes to criminal justice, Black women (56%) and men (51%) are about equally likely to share the view that the prison system should be completely rebuilt to ensure fair treatment of Black people. However, Black women (52%) are slightly more likely than Black men (45%) to say this about policing. On the matter of police funding, Black women (39%) are slightly more likely than Black men (31%) to say police funding in their communities should be increased. On the other hand, Black men are more likely than Black women to prefer that funding stay the same (44% vs. 36%). Smaller shares of both Black men (23%) and women (22%) would like to see police funding decreased.

Income impacts Black adults’ views on reparations. Roughly eight-in-ten Black adults with lower (78%), middle (77%) and upper incomes (79%) say the descendants of people enslaved in the U.S. should receive reparations. Among those who support reparations, Black adults with upper and middle incomes (both 84%) are more likely than those with lower incomes (75%) to say educational scholarships would be an extremely or very helpful form of repayment. However, of those who support reparations, Black adults with lower (72%) and middle incomes (68%) are more likely than those with higher incomes (57%) to say cash payments would be an extremely or very helpful form of repayment for slavery.

  • Black adults in the September 2020 survey only include those who say their race is Black alone and are non-Hispanic. The same is true only for the questions of improvements to Black people’s lives and equality in the United States in the October 2021 survey. Throughout the rest of this report, Black adults include those who say their race is Black alone and non-Hispanic; those who say their race is Black and at least one other race and non-Hispanic; or Black and Hispanic, unless otherwise noted. ↩

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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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Civil CONVERSATION CHALLENGE

What Students Are Saying About Race and Racism in America

We invited teenagers to join a moderated discussion about racial equity and justice. Here is a summary of the 2,000-plus thoughtful, passionate comments.

essays about racism

By Nicole Daniels

Note: We have a lesson plan for teaching with this collection of student comments.

This past fall, we held a Civil Conversation Challenge for students, inviting young people to engage in respectful, productive discussions about some of the most divisive issues of the 2020 presidential election. In a series of online forums hosted by The Learning Network, they reflected on their experiences of the coronavirus pandemic and debated education, voting and other issues they cared about. Across forums, they told us that “ 2020 has been a wake-up call .”

But the discussion that perhaps challenged students the most was our forum on the fight for racial justice , in which we asked them to share their opinions on protests, policing, systemic racism and more.

By the end, the conversation had generated over 2,000 comments, and if you read even a few of the highlights we feature below, we think you’ll see why we thought it merited its own roundup. Though we were impressed by student posts on all of the topics in our challenge, this forum was special.

Some students shared heartbreaking stories of discrimination. Several told us what it’s like to have a family member who is a police officer. And many wrote about becoming deeply aware of racism for the first time after the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed. Throughout, the teenage participants showed a willingness to write candidly about their own experiences as well as to stretch to understand the experiences of others.

But this discussion is also a microcosm of a conversation happening across American society, and it mirrored its sharp divisions, too. Students engaged passionately on core issues like the existence of white privilege, the extent of systemic racism, the legacy of slavery, the effectiveness of protests and the role of the police.

Though the roundup below doesn’t feature conversations so much as individual posts, it is still easy to see how students handled these difficult topics thoughtfully and respectfully. We have published responses in thematic groups so that you can easily navigate the various points of view, but clicking on each student’s name will take you back to the original conversation so you can read it in that context if you like.

Thank you to all who participated and to the teachers who brought their classes to the discussion. As always, but especially for a forum as important as this one, we are grateful to be a place students can share their voices.

Please note: All student comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity, but we did not change individual words. Therefore, while it is Times style to capitalize “Black” when describing people and cultures of African origin , student uses of the word remain rendered the way they were originally submitted.

“As a black girl, I have experienced a lot of pain because of my skin color.”

As a black girl, I have dealt with a lot of comments from others over the years pertaining my skin color and other features that make me a person of color. I still remember girls telling me my hair looked “normal” after straightening it, or girls petting my curly hair calling it “different,” treating me not like a person, but an exotic object. During the summer, when moments like the Black Lives Matter protests took place, I realized how many of my “friends” weren’t willing to say anything. It made me feel sad knowing they decided to stay silent. I also couldn’t believe the city I was born in would later be known as the city where the life of Floyd was taken.

— Naomi, Georgia

As a black young man in America, I feel every day is a new worry. I’d like to be able to go out and not be afraid of something happening to me, my friends, my family or other people of color. When the death of George Floyd occurred, something definitely changed. People became more aware of the fear that people of color go through in everyday life situations. I’d love to one day see a country where skin color doesn’t contribute to how a human being is treated.

— Q, New York

As a young black girl, I’ve experienced racism numerous times. I’ve been called the N-word, been told that it should’ve been you instead of Breonna, etc. All things that hurt me. People wonder why these protests get so violent and so intense. It’s because racial inequality and all these problems aren’t being addressed.

— Camryn, New York

As a black girl, I have experienced a lot of pain because of my skin color. A lot of my childhood friends were nonblack, and I often was made to feel like an outsider with them. Once I was told by a white classmate, “Wow, your hair is finally normal!” upon having my hair straightened for picture day. Suddenly, I felt as though my natural curls were abnormal, and I never wanted to be abnormal again. So, the internalized racism began to grow and flourish within me. I was so ashamed to be black, so desperate to not be seen as “hood” or “ghetto” that I demeaned my own people in order to raise myself up …

Today, I am very pro-black; I love my hair, and I love my skin. But it’s still hard to find beauty in the mirror when I go to look. Sometimes it hurts knowing that lighter girls will always be seen as being prettier than me, that I don’t fit most people’s idea of being the “acceptable version” of blackness. But I have to remind myself that it’s OK, things will change. I’m still young enough to help create a future where no other black girl will suffer like I did, or how I sometimes still do.

— KJ, Texas

“This summer was really the first time that I was actually aware of the impact racism had.”

I am white, and I live in a predominately white suburban town. I have never been treated differently for the color of my skin because I am a product of white privilege. I was not very politically active until George Floyd was murdered and the Black Lives Matter protests began in May. Since then, I’ve tried to better understand the hardships that people of color endure as a result of racism. I think it is of the utmost importance to speak out against corrupt systems, especially if you are not affected by these systems. Because in my opinion, choosing not to speak up against something because it does not involve you is proof that the system is working. Turning a blind eye with the thinly veiled excuse “politics isn’t for me” can no longer mask selfish ignorance. This is not the time to be anti-political because silence is contributing to the blatant discrimination of black Americans. Hiding behind privilege instead of utilizing that very privilege to initiate change can no longer be justified.

— Annie, New Jersey

I think that this summer was really the first time that I was actually aware of the impact racism had. My parents have taught me, from a young age, that racism and injustice exist but I guess I did not understand to what extent. As a person who benefits from white privilege, I feel kind of guilty that I had not realized how it affected me before. Also, as a person who cannot yet vote, I am struggling to find ways that I can help make change. Do you have any suggestions?

— L, Pennsylvania

In ninth grade, before the pandemic and killing of George Floyd, I used to be thankful to the police officers who stood at our doors to prevent any school shooting. After hearing of the George Floyd incident, I remember suddenly feeling like the police hadn’t made our school safer at all.

To be honest, it infuriated me. I was raised in a bubble that taught me to think racism was extinct. To think that the police protected all of us as equals … George Floyd was a father, a son and a brother. Imagine seeing your son get murdered by the people that are supposed to protect you.

As a white person, I will never truly understand the horrors of being discriminated against for my skin color. I am privileged, not because of what I am, but because of what I’m not. The best thing I and other white people can do is listen and share. We will never completely know what racism will feel like, but we can listen and try to understand the pain of being harassed or attacked by the people who are supposed to protect you.

— Lindsay, North Carolina

As a kid with divorced parents, I have two sides of my family: My mom’s house, where we can have talks about racism and go to protests together; and my dad’s house, where the existence of white privilege is denied completely and even joked about. I’ve seen news, real and fake, about the police cases and the protests, and I’ve come to a few conclusions. The first is that people with privilege and power will do or deny anything to stay in that place, even when they have proof it’s hurting others. The second is that if it were only a few bad apples, those “bad apples” would be fired and arrested — but they’re not. The police system protects racists and always has, as a system born out of catching runaway slaves. Until we dismantle and rebuild every racist system in our country, racism will be a problem, and everyone will have the choice to educate themselves or stay ignorant

— Claire Elise, North Carolina

I am from France and I can tell that the death of George Floyd has touched everyone in the world and his death has awakened the spirits. Some demonstrations have been organized, and even though I couldn’t go, I have followed this history on the internet, on TV news and in magazines.

I believe that we can change the mentality at the moment. The new generation is respectful of each other and is able to change things. We are strong and determined to put an end to racism!

— Julie, Paris

“I never once thought in my life that the hatred for law enforcement would EVER go this far.”

As a daughter of a police officer and a granddaughter of a retired police chief, I never once thought in my life that the hatred for law enforcement would EVER go this far. I was raised to treat everyone equally no matter what. With that being said, I cannot speak for people of color. What I can say is that police officers are trained on how to handle situations like the one with George Floyd. Like both President Trump and Joe Biden said last night [at the debate], there are bad apples in every profession and more could be done to weed out the bad cops. The officer that killed George Floyd deserved to be put away. Did his actions deserve a protest? Maybe. Should the protest still be happening? Definitely not. Police officers provide safety in a community and have been a staple for ages. Law enforcement should never make you feel threatened unless you are doing the wrong thing. We should support everyone no matter their color or occupation. So I agree that all lives do matter and that we should not only back the blue but back all other first responders and essential workers.

— Kylie, California

In the case of George Floyd, I believe that what happened was a terrible tragedy and should forever be talked about when racism in this country is brought up. However, the cop that murdered George Floyd killed him on his own accord, showing an example of individual racism instead of systemic … How the murderers of George Floyd are tried will change my opinion of systemic racism and other cases the organization Black Lives Matter has brought to attention.

— Jason, New York

Systemically, the United States does not discriminate racially. Unfortunately, there are and always will be racist individuals in any and all countries. People of color disproportionately attend poorer schools because residents of a county must go to a school in that district, which is why many people generally leave poorer counties and move to richer ones …

I believe racism is a horrible issue at any given time, and legitimately racist individuals should be shamed. However, the word racism has lost meaning nowadays because of how commonly it’s thrown around. America is not a racist nation: it’s the world’s largest immigrant destination, but there certainly are racist individuals who need to change. So many people think that racism means stereotypes and saying “offensive” words, when legitimate racism (hate crimes and actual discrimination) is actually quite rare.

— Kai, California

I am a white male and am right leaning. I feel that there should be a change in our police forces and our opinions toward other people. At the same time there is different way to go about the situations than what the people of the Black Lives Matter movement are trying to accomplish. The Black Lives Matter movement is trying to defund the police, which is the opposite of what you want do. With less money, the less officers we can have to keep us as a people safe. I believe that we should fund the police forces more so the police can get more training, have therapists they can go to, and so we can keep the police in the correct state of mind. In turn there will be change and less police brutality. I also feel that it’s not just black lives that matter, it should be all lives matter. Having this mind-set you are able to bring everyone up to be equal, not just one race, so there is no “white privilege” or any other race getting more than another.

— Spencer, Utah

“The first time I began thinking about my racial identity was when my family and I moved into a predominantly white town.”

Being a Latina makes my perspective on the topic of racial inequalities quite sensitive. The first time I began thinking about my racial identity was when my family and I moved into a predominantly white town. I truly wish my parents had prepared me more for the environment that we were moving into, yet I believe that deep down they did not expect to encounter racism.

Witnessing and sometimes even experiencing all the issues and injustices around me has propelled my interest in history, in hopes of simply understanding and helping to educate others. As a little girl, I would witness racism against indigenous people in my home country, Ecuador. I began noticing it at about the age of 12. It was only after studying the age of exploration, the Incan empire and colonization that I began to make sense of such horrible actions.

With the death of George Floyd, I began wondering how racial injustices are manifesting during the Covid-19 pandemic. I began thinking about access to health care and unemployment benefits. According to The New York Times, 40 million people have lost their jobs since the start of the pandemic. How many of these people were minorities? How many of these minorities were able to receive relief from the government? Do all students have equal access to technology to facilitate their online learning?

After witnessing so many acts of racial injustice, I worry that little by little, humans are losing their empathy and love for one another.

— Paula, New Jersey

“Why are your eyes so small? Can you even see?” was my first experience with racial remarks. It was no big deal to me, thinking it was only fun teasing. I can vividly remember my first day of 6th grade, walking to my assigned seat and a girl laughs at me, pulling her eyes back to make them small. I didn’t know what to say and I thought I was being judged.

“So how does dog taste?” “Say hi to Uncle Kim Jong-un for me.” “Go back to North Korea.” When this was said, it created an image in my head that I wasn’t like anyone else, I didn’t fit into society …

While all my experiences were in the past, I considered the fact that society was changing and I wouldn’t receive any more racist comments but then Covid-19 hit. I no longer felt safe sneezing or coughing in public. Passing down aisles and places were frightening and my heart would race hoping I wouldn’t cough or sneeze. I would hold back the itch in my throat and the sniffle under my mask. People would back up against walls, trying their best not to touch me. This was my first experience with nonverbal racism. One step we can take to get closer to achieving racial justice is by starting in the household.

— Lauren, California

My race has been classified as the “model minority,” resulting in negative effects on the fight for equality.

The term model minority is based on the stereotype that Asian-American children are born “gifted.” It characterizes Asian-Americans as a “docile racial group that has achieved financial and educational success in the United States” …

It was only this year after discussing the protests occurring for George Floyd with other Asians that I had come to the realization that the ideas my family had perpetrated on me were the epitome of the “model minority.”

Putting Asian-Americans on a pedestal is destructive toward African Americans and the racial inequalities they face. It dismisses their struggles by using the Asian-American stories as testimonial representation to back up false claims against African Americans that classify them as “lazy” and “hostile.”

It is important to discuss these matters as the only true way to create change is through an open mind-set and discussion.

— Jay, New York

“The point of privilege is that you don’t feel that.”

So, I’m white, and I grew up in a town that I think is about 75 to 80 percent white. I grew up in an immense place of privilege — I never had to worry about being racially profiled, I’ve never experienced racial discrimination, and I don’t have relatives who have been unjustly shot or killed by police. And my guess is most white people, specifically white people in my community, haven’t. That’s why it was so frustrating over the summer, and especially after the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to hear many of my peers try to justify their deaths. I think, especially when it comes to the topic of racial justice, we need to amplify the voices of black people and people of color, instead of silencing them because we, as white people haven’t experienced the same. I find it completely ironic when kids in my grade talk about not experiencing harassment or discrimination by the police or our security officers while being white. Like, of course we haven’t. The point of privilege is that you don’t feel that.

— Eleanor, Illinois

I grew up with white privilege in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Racism was not evident in my everyday life, and even in school I was not exposed enough to what happened and was happening in the United States. Yes, we learned about slavery and racism in the United States, especially racism during the time of Martin Luther King Jr., but we kind of just stopped there. We learned nothing of police brutality, white privilege, systematic racism, generational wealth, etc. Last year I was a part of a club called Community-Wide Dialogue that discussed racism issues that I had never heard of before. It was eye-opening. Every school should incorporate those extremely important topics into their curriculum, to help promote change, understanding and empathy.

— Sarah, New York

4.9 million fathers, daughters, sons, mothers; humans were brought to Brazil to suffer a fate worse than death: slavery. 4.9 million lives were ended because of the color of their skin. And still, after centuries of pain and fighting to make their voices heard, black lives do not matter for some. Being a child from an upper-middle class white family, I never experienced prejudice in my own skin. I grew accustomed to the bubble in which I was raised, and it wasn’t until I reached a considerably advanced age that I started to look at my surroundings and realize how messed up our society is. Why I am privileged because my skin is lighter than someone else’s? It doesn’t make ANY sense … Even though the fight to end racism has followed us until this very date, the need to make even more civil rights movements makes me think that we did not advance as a society. We will remain frozen in time until equality is reached.

— Maria, Recife, Brazil

“Racism does exist in people … but America and the system as a whole is not racist in any way.”

I think the term racism is thrown around a lot in today’s society. America, as a country, is not racist. Go to almost any other country in the world and you will have it significantly worse. Today, there is not a single law that gives opportunity or rights to one race that is not given to another. In other words, everyone in America is treated equally. That doesn’t mean there aren’t racist people, because there always will be. There are racist white, black and Asian people, etc., but the system, as a whole, is not racist. My overall point is that racism does exist in people, and it always will, but America and the system as a whole is not racist in any way.

— Nate, Ohio

First of all, I do not believe racism and systemic racism is a very big threat in America as compared to many other problems or even to other countries. As a Chinese immigrant minority, I have not experienced nor heard of any racism in my life in the United States. Instead, I think America is truly one of the most diverse nations made up of people of all different races, cultures and religions. The people here are all-encompassing, and the police are human too. As many police officers say, “No one hates a bad cop more than a good cop.”

— Jiayi, New York

Racism is a very strong topic and if I’m being completely honest, I hate talking about it. Me, personally, I think America is one of the most racially equal countries. A white man and a black man have the same opportunities to succeed and thrive. There has become a common stereotype that black people don’t have equal opportunity as white people. I love when I see black doctors, businessmen and other workers because I know how hard they have worked. Just as hard as a white man would have.

— Nicholas, North Carolina

Everybody knows America has had a troubled past with slavery, civil rights, racial discrimination, the whole nine yards. So in response to all that, “Does the United States owe the descendants of enslaved people an apology — or, as some argue, financial reparations?” No. Most, if not everyone, in the United States right now didn’t own slaves nor were they slaves. If somebody owed them an apology, it was owed a long time ago. It is irrelevant now. The United States especially does not owe them financial reparations. Why should today’s leaders pay back on something they never did, to people that were never slaves anyway? If the problem is trying to help people who came from a slavery background and has a poor family, well there are plenty of financial aid programs for them. They want equality, yet also wish to get special things because of actions our ancestors made, not us.

— Bella, Mississippi

“Police reform should most definitely be a priority.”

Police reform should most definitely be a priority. Personally, I think it should take a back seat to other issues such as equal opportunities and fixing our justice system, but it is still a top priority behind those issues. Although no one in my family is an officer, we know people that are officers. I do think that the police are necessary in our country, and without them our country could and would become a very dangerous place. However, there are still steps to be taken that would make our policing better.

For example, police need to be better trained in de-escalation techniques rather than resorting too quickly to force. Another important reform would be bringing a psychiatrist on 911 calls. There are times when tragedies could be avoided if a person was calmed down by a trained professional, rather than enraged by police threatening them. Police should also be more involved and engaged in their communities. In many places, police are simply there as law enforcement, and nothing else. However, if police were to get to know their community and be able to bond with them in certain ways, there would be much more trust on both sides. In my town, although I haven’t interacted with many officers in my life, I see things that the police do to support and engage with the community, and I think that’s one important reason why no one in my town really has an issue with our police force. With all these reforms, I think policing could be greatly improved.

— Jacob, Illinois

I personally don’t believe police reform should be a priority, police abolition should. There have been countless policies with the goal of reforming police departments and, clearly, reform movements have not stopped police brutality. This can especially be seen in the city of Minneapolis which had implemented many of the common reform policies before George Floyd’s murder. The first step to abolition would be defunding the police. A world without police or a defunded police department may be hard to imagine, but if you are like me and live in a predominantly white, wealthy suburban community, this is what that world would look like. The majority of resources are not going to criminalize members of the community, they are going to education and other ways of supporting the community.

— Mira, Illinois

I disagree with the idea that the police should be abolished. Unfortunately, humans are inherently selfish, and in a world without police or law enforcement to stop them, people of all races would steal things for their own gain and society would be a mess. I believe instead, that the police system should be completely redone from square one. This way, it actually has a good foundation to build upon, instead of it being a lost cause to try and fix.

— Devon, California

I feel that if law enforcement were defunded and there were a lot fewer cops, chaos would occur and nobody would be there to stop it. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely bad cops out there, but I feel as if the majority of cops are there to do good in the world, and to prevent chaos, not cause it … I do feel that cops are necessary and very important figures in everyday society because they keep order and try to make it fair for everyone. Although this isn’t always the case, most try the best that they can.

— Andrew, New Jersey

You have to keep in mind police budgets can be very large. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department has a budget of around $2 billion. Say you take only five percent of their budget and redirect it into funding schools, housing, health care, etc. That is $100 million, which barely affects their budget, yet it can make a large impact on the community. By creating a higher standard of living, in theory, the crime rate would drop. Now, there is no way to stop all crime, and yes, I believe police are important to stop the violence. However, another small fraction of their budget can go toward better training. Ultimately, the goal is to decrease the crime rate by putting more money into communities and having better trained police to handle issues in an appropriate manner.

— Lauren, Massachusetts

“I think systemic racism today is absolutely tied to slavery, Jim Crow and discrimination of the past.”

essays about racism

Related Article: What Is Owed

Racism is still widely present in the United States in 2020, and it is straight up deplorable. It is even worse that schools for the most part are not teaching about racism in their curriculum … Redlining is the practice of outlining areas where communities of people of color lived and refusing those people mortgages on homes. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 may have made redlining illegal, but that has not stopped race-based economic discrimination. According to statistics from 2017, African Americans get denied more than twice the percent of white people on mortgage applicants, with Hispanics being around twice the percent of white people, at 10.9%. There should not be a reason for those differences.

— Jordan, Arizona

Practices such as redlining, blockbusting, and higher mortgage and interest rates were used years after Jim Crow was made illegal, leading to incredibly segregated neighborhoods with less funding for education and infrastructure and more aggressive policing. This aggressive policing has led to police brutality toward Black Americans … Based on the continued dehumanization, criminalization, and discrimination Black people have continued to face, protests are more than reasonable responses. Even if property damage occurs, it does not carry the same weight as human lives.

— Aspen, New York

Racism is very much alive today. Even if you forget about racial prejudice within the justice system or the hiring process or policing, minorities are still at a disadvantage. Slavery, Jim Crow and redlining completely ruined black peoples’ chances of building generational wealth. Even when they were able to start businesses or own homes, they got that stripped away from them. Just look at the Tulsa Massacre (or Black Wall Street). This accounts for the racial wealth gap where white families have about 10 times the wealth of black ones. The neighborhoods that were redlined are still impoverished to this day, and when you’re born poor, there’s a 66% chance you’ll stay poor in America. Black people shouldn’t have to be truly exceptional or truly lucky just so they can be afforded the same chance at a good life as white people.

— Abraham, California

I think systemic racism today is absolutely tied to slavery, Jim Crow and discrimination of the past. Some people think slavery ended with the 13th Amendment, and while it may have ended in name, slavery-like practices and many discriminatory laws continued. The police system is built on a system of catching fugitive slaves. Many suburban neighborhoods, like the one I live in, are predominantly white because of redlining and racist practices that kept black families out of suburbs and restricted them to certain neighborhoods. Though racism and segregation may not be de jure anymore, it is certainly de facto and built into education, health care, policing, etc.

— Stefanie, Illinois

“I feel that there is no real definite solution to racism, but there are steps that can be taken to get closer to equality.”

As a young person, I have never really talked about racism due to the fact that many adults play it off or act as if there is no such thing. I am more privileged to be able not to hear about it. However, I really do disagree with the fact that adults and older figures try to avoid the topic. As a kid, I was taught to admire police forces as they protect me. But during times such as this, I have started to realize how unfair the police officers treat people due to race. So many kids are not taught such things because adults believe that kids should live a blissful life. I believe that the system should change as soon as possible, as informing others of racial injustice is so important … To be honest, I do not think racism will come to a complete end, unless humanity is gone. Yet, I still believe that there would be much less racism if people were educated and accepting of others.

— Natalie, California

I feel that there is no real definite solution to racism, but there are steps that can be taken to get closer to equality. Step 1 would be to teach your kids how to show compassion and how not to judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. By doing this, the next generation will grow up knowing how to not judge others by the way that they look but by the way they act and the decisions they make. Step 2 would be to educate this generation and the next about racism and the correct history behind it. It is mostly ignorance that causes people to make poor judgment on others and treat others unfairly and that is what I believe is one of the main causes of racism. Step 3 would be to enforce the change of history books and to encourage communities to work for each other not against each other.

— Aidan, Illinois

One of the relics of the racism that has been gaining more coverage recently is the lack of diverse narratives in our history curriculums. I am lucky enough to be a part of a new class in my district called Unites States History Perspectives, a class that focuses on the untold histories of oppressed peoples. I have already learned more about the culture of Indigenous people and the struggles of African Americans this year than I have in the other 11 years of my education combined.

— Isabela, Washington

I live in a mostly white town and before these seven months I knew about white privilege and police brutality, however I was ignorant to how large and deeply rooted the problem is. I think literature and stories are a great way of educating and learning about racism in our country. For example, during quarantine I got to read one of my new favorite books, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. I really like how it made me sympathize with the main character and helped me understand a little better how unfairly people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were treated. I wish people in this country who still believe America is handling racism would educate themselves about the oppression of African Americans. If everyone worked toward understanding American flaws then we might be able to make progress toward a country with true equality.

— Zoe, New Jersey

Nicole Daniels joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2019 after working in museum education, curriculum writing and bilingual education. More about Nicole Daniels

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Resisting Racism: Memoir & Essays

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‘My survival strategy was to make myself as nonthreatening as possible.’

Growing up black in America: here's my story of everyday racism

As a middle-class, light-skinned black man I am ‘better’ by American standards but there is no amount of assimilation that can shield you from racism in the US

I am a black man who has grown up in the United States. I know what it is like to feel the sting of discrimination. As a middle-class, light-skinned black man I also know that many others suffered (and continue to suffer) a lot worse than me. I grew up around a lot of white people. In elementary school, I remember being told that I was one of the “good ones” – not like the “bad ones” I was meant to understand; I was different.

I remember the way this kind of backhanded compliment stung me, but it took me a long time to understand why it hurt. In truth, though, the comment rings true. I am “good” by America’s standards, or at least “better”: my skin is light, most of the time I dress like a middle-class professional and my manner of speech betrays a large degree of assimilation in the white American mainstream (for example, I use phrases like “manner of speech”).

But as many others have learned, there is no amount of assimilation that can shield you from racism in this country. Throughout my life, something – the kink of my hair or my “attitude” – would mark me as inferior, worthy of ridicule, humiliation or ostracism. In elementary school I got the distinct impression that teachers didn’t like me. I got in trouble a lot, and one teacher actually wrote on my report card that I was “amoral”. In third grade, I had my first black teacher and the whole dynamic changed. Mrs Brooks decided it was OK if I squirmed in my chair. She taught us about discrimination and injustice and taught us to recite and interpret poetry from the black arts movement. (Thank you, Mrs Brooks!)

As I got older, I observed that my mother saw racism around every corner. She assumed that I would be the object of discrimination in school and maintained an intense, vigilant determination to protect me from it. She monitored everything about my treatment in school, ready to leap at the slightest slight. Sometimes I thought she went too far. I wasn’t chosen to give a speech to my middle school’s assembly, and so she inquired as to why I wasn’t chosen, and she insisted that I be given a shot. So, thanks to my mother raising a fuss I had to give a speech to my entire middle school. (Thank you, mom!)

‘Like many young black people, I internalized the idea that I would have be twice as good to get half as much respect.’

In high school I started wondering, as teenagers do, how people go about finding romantic partners. From what I could tell in movies and television shows – my principal sources of information – you had to be a rich and white to be worthy of love. I was neither, so I was worried. Like many young black people, I internalized the idea that I would have be twice as good to get half as much respect. Much to my dismay, my blackness seemed to be the salient thing about me. One of my classmates had a gift for inventing creative ways to make fun of my kinky hair, and he got enough people laughing to send me home in tears for a good part of my freshman and sophomore years of high school.

One year, one of the few black students at my high school found a noose hanging in his locker one day. The culprit – a white student – was quickly discovered, and all he had to do to get out of trouble was issue a lame apology. I thought his punishment should have been more severe. I convinced my best friend to wear black armbands in school to protest. This act earned me no greater respect, and actually greater ridicule. Several of our teachers thought it was funny and even prompted our classmates to laugh at our expense: “Look at Jones,” one teacher said, “starting a revolution.” (Thank you, Mr I forget-your-name!)

Looking back, I realize that, apart from my black armband episode, my survival strategy was to make myself as non-threatening as possible. I became so well-practiced in the art of not offending racist white people that I ceased to become outraged by them, at least when they affected me directly. I knew how to enter a store, to make eye contact with someone who worked there, to smile and say hello as if to say: “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal anything.” Somehow – I suppose from being followed in stores frequently – I learned not to carry books into a bookstore, not to walk through a store with bags that were not sealed or zippered shut, and so on.

Now that I’m older, with a graying beard and significantly less hair on my head, I probably don’t need to keep up this routine, as I’m probably the cause of less suspicion, but the habit has stayed with me. While shopping, I still assume that I am suspect. I am a middle-aged man, and yet I still habitually enter the grocery store, the book store, the clothing store, etc looking for the first opportunity to reassure the employees that I’m not going to be a problem.

At some point, I figured out (at least, intellectually) that it doesn’t matter how “good” I am – my fate is bound up with all of those who are “bad”. There was a moment in my adulthood when I decided that the present order is intolerable and a new world is both possible and necessary. In the grand scheme of things, my experiences of everyday racism are not that important. I am neither the most privileged nor most oppressed. I know that there are people of all stripes who are trying to survive on this planet with fewer resources than I have.

I am consistently inspired by the words of the early 20th-century socialist Eugene V Debs (a white guy!) who famously told a judge, after being convicted of sedition: “Your Honor, years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it, and while there is a criminal element, I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.”

Malcolm X: ‘Human rights! Respect as human beings! That’s what American’s black masses want.’

I am also inspired by the words of Malcolm X, who summarized the goals of the black movement as: “Human rights! Respect as human beings! That’s what American black masses want. That’s the true problem. The black masses want to not be shrunk from as though they are plague-ridden. They want not to be walled up in slums, in the ghettoes, like animals. They want to live in an open, free society where they can walk with their heads up, like men and women!”

Eugene Debs and Malcolm X are very different men from very different social contexts, and yet in my mind they are congruent.

Growing up in this country, my experience with everyday racism, although unique to my class and complexion, has nevertheless given me some access to the “second sight” that is a crucial part of black people’s gift to the world. To paraphrase WEB Du Bois, I believe that black history has a message for humanity. That message, to paraphrase activist Alicia Garza, is that the kind of equality black people need to be free is the kind of equality that will make everyone else free.

I write this as a black person who also knows the white American world. There is ignorance and prejudice there, but there is also pain, suffering and struggle. I am grateful to my parents and teachers who helped me to notice and name racism and discrimination. They have helped me to understand my personal experience and, just as importantly, to see beyond it. I have become convinced that black liberation is bound up with true human liberation. Look at me, with any luck, starting a revolution.

Brian Jones is an educator and activist in New York. He is the associate director of education at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

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372 Racism Essay Titles & Writing Examples

  • 🔖 Secrets of Powerful Racism Essay

🏆 Best Racism Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

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Looking for powerful racism essay topics? You will find them here! This list contains a great variety of titles for racism-themed papers. We’ve also included useful tips and plenty of racism essay examples to help you write an outstanding paper.

🔖 Secrets of a Powerful Racism Essay

Writing an essay on racism may seem easy at first. However, because racism is such a popular subject in social sciences, politics, and history, your piece needs to be truly powerful to receive a high mark. Here are the best tips to help make your racism essay stand out:

  • Consider the historical causes of racism. Papers on racism often focus on discrimination and equality in modern society. Digging a bit deeper and highlighting the origins of racism will make your essay more impressive. Check academic resources on the subject to see how racism was connected to the slave trade, politics, and social development in Europe. Explore these ideas in your paper to make it more compelling!
  • Show critical thinking. Racism essay titles often focus on the effects of racism on the population. To make your essay more powerful, you will need to discuss the things that are often left out. Think about why racial discrimination is still prevalent in modern society and who benefits from racist policies. This will show your tutor that you understand the topic in great depth.
  • Look for examples of racism in art. One of the reasons as to why racism spread so quickly is because artists and authors supported the narratives of race. If you explore paintings by European artists created in 17-18 centuries, you will find that they often highlighted the differences between black and white people to make the former seem less human. In various literary works, such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Shakespeare’s Othello, racism plays a vital role. In contrast, more recent works of art consider racism from a critical viewpoint. Examining how racism is reflected in the art will help you to earn an excellent mark for your analysis of the subject.
  • Discuss the influences of racism. Of course, one of the key racism essay topics is the impact of racism on black populations in various countries. It is true that discrimination plays an essential role in the lives of black people, and reflecting this in your paper will help you to make it influential. You can discuss various themes here, from police brutality to healthcare access. Support your claims with high-quality data from official sources. If appropriate, you can also show how racism affected your life or the lives of your friends and loved ones.
  • Show the correlation between racism and other social issues. Racism is connected to many different types of discrimination, including sexism and homophobia. This allows you to expand your paper by showing these links and explaining them. For instance, you could write an essay on racism and xenophobia, or find other topics that interest you.

Finally, structure your essay well. Write an outline first to determine the sequence of key points. You can check out a racism essay example on this website to see how other people structure their work.

Racism Thesis Statement, Main Body, & Conclusion

A typical essay should have an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. Each paragraph of the main body should start with a topic sentence. Here’s what a topic sentence for racism-themed essay can look like:

Racism continues to be a pervasive issue in society, with deep-rooted prejudices and discrimination that impact individuals and communities across the globe.

Don’t forget to include a racism essay thesis statement at the end of your introduction to identify the focus of the paper! Check out these racism thesis statements for inspiration:

Racism is pervasive social problem that manifests in various forms, perpetuating systemic inequalities and marginalizing minority groups. Through an examination of racism’s history and its psychological impact on individuals, it becomes evident that this pressing issue demands collective action for meaningful change.

In your essay’s conclusion, you can simply paraphrase the thesis and add a couple of additional remarks.

These guidelines will help you to ensure that your work is truly outstanding and deserving of a great mark! Be sure to visit our website for more racism example essays, topics, and other useful materials.

These points will help you to ensure that your work on racism is truly influential and receives a great mark! Be sure to visit our website for example papers, essay titles, and other useful materials.

  • Psychological Development: Racism, Affirmative Action and Health Care America is one of the most diverse countries in the world due to the high number of immigrants recorded as from the 17th through the 20th centuries.
  • Why it is Safe to Say that Northrop’s Book Exposes the Roots of Racism in America And, since America is an integral part of Western civilization, the fact that many white Americans continue to be affected by ‘subtle racism’ does not come as a particular surprise.
  • American Indians: Racial Segregation and Discrimination The ideology of segregation was also perpetuated by the leaders such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson who were of the belief that American Indians were savages who did not have the ability to cope […]
  • Attitude to Racism in Literature The author uses the temple, the caves and the mosque to deliver his knowledge on the tension between the British and the Indians.
  • Slavery, Racism, and the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade The advent of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the early modern period gives evidence of how old slavery is. In England, for example, the staff was thoroughly Black; hence the appearance of the idea of […]
  • Different Challenges of Racial Discrimination To add on, this paper describes why the vice should be avoided since no one is superior to the other and that the fight against racial discrimination should start from one person and then spread […]
  • Racism in the Penitentiary There are many factors that contribute to racism in prison and in most cases; the same contribute to racism in the free society.
  • Addressing the Racism in Society It is to create order and understanding in the same way that a biologist tries to understand the complexity of the natural world.
  • Racism By Thomas Jackson There is more reaction to the actions of the other races rather than a comprehensive argument of racism and its origin.
  • Contemporary Racism in Australia: the Experience of Aborigines To obtain the racial experiences of the participants, a questionnaire was used to record the in depth experiences of the participants.
  • Racism in the “Crash” It is worthy noting that, all the characters in the film are victims of crashes and none is free of sympathy. The wouldisappearance’ referred to by Graham is that of racism.
  • Have You Experienced Racism in Korea? The situation in Korea is no different from the one in America in regards to the relationship between whites and blacks.
  • Racism in America After the Civil War up to 1900 This paper highlights the abolitionist views on race and change since the civil war to the year 1900 and how they affected the American view on race.
  • Institutionalized Racism From John Brown Raid to Jim Crow Laws This paper provides a historical account of institutionalized racism in the United States from the 1850s through the civil war up to the repeal of Jim Crow laws.
  • Racial Discrimination in America It is noted that the blacks were especially very handy in the farm jobs and generally the American society did not like the immigrants and went to all levels to discriminate the blacks and the […]
  • Australian Identities: Indigenous and Multicultural Australia is one of the many regions in the world that has encountered racism fast hand and this has prompted the government to come up with legislations and policies to curb this menace.
  • Racial Discrimination at the World Bank In addition, leveraging on an employee in a diverse population always end up with a particular race being victimized through work termination as employers tend to match the contact race of an employee to that […]
  • Comparison of Ethnicity and Racism in “Country Lovers” and “The Welcome Table” In both cases, the texts have devoted their concerns to the plight of a black female who is deposed off her meaning within the realms of the society.
  • The Problem of Global Racism in Modern World For instance, the most renowned instance of racism in human history is the issue of slavery where the blacks were regarded as sub-human only fit to be traded as properties and most importantly, to labor […]
  • The Anatomy of Scientific Racism: Racialist Responses to Black Athletic Achievement Miller is of the view that it is the white scholars that are responsible for impeding the success of black athletes and performers.
  • Institutionalized Racism and Sexism In order to control races and maintain white supremacy in the hierarchy system, the dominant groups of the society were to make up lies about people of color that black males are immoral and sexually […]
  • The Civil Rights Movement: Ending Racial Discrimination and Segregation in America Finally, the paper will look at both the positive and negative achievements of the civil rights movements including an assessment of how the rights movement continues to influence the socio-economic and political aspects of the […]
  • Racism in Play “Othello” by William Shakespeare Since Othello is dark-skinned, the society is against his marriage to the daughter of the senator of Venice. In summary, the play Othello is captivating and presents racism as it was.
  • Racism in the American Nation Racism can also be defined as the unfair practice of showing undue favor to a certain class of people and denying the same for other people who equally qualify to receive the same treatment either […]
  • Racial Stereotypes in Movie Industry The character of Tom Hanson in the movie thought he was not racist but at a subconscious level he too was affected by the racial stereotypes just as many of us are unaware of how […]
  • Achebe’s Views on Racism When they went to Africa, the whites found Africans a little too awkward in culture and the fact that they managed to manipulate them in their own continent was a proof enough that their way […]
  • Reducing Racism in the University of Alberta and University of York The aspect of racism in institutions of higher learning is dealt with in its early stages considering that the universities shape the discourse of the society as a major agent of socialization.
  • Racism in the “Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka Generally, one is to keep in mind that Baraka is recognized to be one of the most important representatives of the black community, and the theme of racism in The Dutchman has, therefore, some historical […]
  • The Problem of Racism and Injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee In the novel, Harper Lee demonstrates her vision of the question of the social inequality with references to the problem of racism in the society based on prejudice and absence of actual principles of tolerance […]
  • Racism as a Central Factor in Representing Asian American History To enlarge on the issue, it should be stressed that “in the telling and retelling of their stories, the elderly immigrants reclaim the authorship of their own history”.
  • Racial Profiling: Discrimination the People of Color The way in which the justice system handled the circumstances behind the death of the black teenager represents a society that is less concerned with the plight of the black minority in the nation.
  • The Policy Status Quo to Prevent Racism in American Schools Racism in the American schools can be observed in many forms which are the different attitudes of teachers to the representatives of minorities or the discriminating attitudes of the classmates in relation to the other […]
  • The Theme of Liberation From Racism in Two Plays by August Wilson Further, the feasibility and relevance of the short stories in the life of Wilson will be well outlined. The discussion will outline the clearer way in which the author could have better presented the theme […]
  • The Concept of Racism For instance, skin color, texture of the hair, as well as shape of the face and body are some of the major determining factors that divide people across the world.
  • Racism in American Schools: A Critical Look at the Modern School Mini-Society According to the recent research on the problem, the instances of racial profiling are still a sad yet obvious part of everyday school reality despite all the attempts to establish the relationships based on equality […]
  • Analysis on Religion, Racism and Family Conflicts He believes in salvation through Jesus and condemnation for non believers The novel enlightens the issue of hypocrisy in the church.
  • Evidence of Racism in the American Schools In addition, experienced teachers have taken advantage of the existence of seniority rules to transfer to schools that are more affluent with students that are perceived as easier to teach.
  • Racism in the USA In the USA, such minorities as African Americans, Latin Americans, and Asian Americans are affected by racism because of their biological differences, for instance skin color, and because of the developed social stereotypes and prejudices […]
  • Racism and Anti-Semitism in the United States: The Issues Which Are Yet to Be Solved Thesis statement: the racist issues are still there despite all the efforts Because of the lack of knowledge on the Jewish and African American culture and the existing prejudices concerning the above-mentioned ethnicities, as well […]
  • The Root Cause of Racism and Ethnic Stratification in the US African Americans form the bulk of ethnic minorities of immigrant origin in the US. For that reason, African Americans are one of the most important ethnic groups in the US.
  • Racism and Segregation in the United States The laws and relationships between the modern day Native People of America and citizens of the United States have not always been the way they are now.
  • Racism and Discrimination: White Privilege Further, they have coined the term “white privilege” to refer to the advantages, benefits, rights, and immunities granted to and enjoyed by white people, which are not available to other people in the community.
  • Why the Philosophy of King is More Effective in Fighting Racism than Malcolm’s? The idea of harmony and respect of all human beings is a result of his Christian foundation as well as the philosophy of Gandhi that he encountered later on in his life.
  • Slavery and Racism: Black Brazilians v. Black Americans Manumission was a common practice in Brazil than in the United States showing that the Masters of the slaves in Brazil were more concerned with the rights of the slaves than those in the United […]
  • Racism, Colonialism and the Emergence of Third World According to Strong the superior race is the Anglo-Saxon, a race formed by the interbreeding of the Americans and the English people.
  • Racism in U.S. Criminal Justice System Despite the small number of African American in comparison to the whites in the United States, the number of blacks imprisoned is very high.
  • Promotion of Racism in US Through Sports The dominant minor groups include the Indians, the African Americans, and the Hispanics among others. Contemporarily, the minor groups and other human rights groups are fighting to end the reign of racism in the US.
  • The Role of Racism in American Art During the 1930s and 1940s The system of chattel slavery established at the very outset generated intense debates for over two hundred years even in the framing of the major founding documents of the nation.
  • Racial or Ethnical Discrimination Different groups of people remain somewhat hostile to others, as this is a part of the human perception. According to these sociological and psychological perspectives discrimination and prejudice are indispensible parts of the human society […]
  • Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism in the United States Members of the society should be allowed access to equal opportunities, for example, education, medical care, sports and in many other spheres.
  • Racism Is Not All About Individual Attitude Solomos.argues that the Report has a vague definition of what constitutes institutional racism as “the definition reflects the frustrations of activists involved in the Stephen Lawrence campaign with the everyday racism and plain ignorance that […]
  • Maya Angelou: Racism and Segregation in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” An example is that, as she fails to recite her poem in church, she notes that her dress is probably a handout from a white woman.
  • The Historical Roots of Racism in Australia In the new forms of racism, people who do not belong to the majority culture are looked at as aliens and treated with some disdain.
  • English Racism During World Cup Written by Jon Garland in 2004, the Same Old Story Englishness, the Tabloid Press and the 2002 Football World Cup, explores issues surrounding the world cup of 2006, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of […]
  • Comparison of Racism in the United States and South Africa The major forms of racism that are evident in the country are discrimination, and marginalization, with the African-American, Latin- American and the Muslims being the victims: the dominant people are the Native American who was […]
  • Racism and Male Dominance in Education This concept as advanced by George Die; is that it refers to the ideological and symbolic significance of groups in the images seen by the dominant groups.
  • The Issue of Racial Segregation in the United States Despite the fact that United States is one of the economically stable countries in the world, its historical roots of racism was based on slavery and genocide.
  • Racism in Native Son He is drawn to the whiteness and buys into the notion that their life is the best. Mary is the character that the author uses to show the repercussions of a crime between Black and […]
  • Society Moral Standards: Racism and Its Harmful Effects The belief in the superiority of one race over the other is normally used to justify the unequal treatment of different races.
  • Racial Discrimination Effects in Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody The vivid description of events from the beginning gives the reader a clear picture of a girl who was born in problems and in spite of her intelligence she always became a victim of circumstances.
  • Current Day Racism vs. Traditional Day Racism While formally agreeing with the validity of socio-political policies, based upon the assumption of people’s equality, regardless of what happened to be the particulars of their racial affiliation, symbolic racists nevertheless do subconsciously believe in […]
  • Globalization and Racism Although racism is on the decline, the lifestyle of the minority groups in the United States of America is below standards.
  • Is Racism and Anti-Semitism Still a Problem in the United States? Historians indicate that racism was a core foundation of the United States of America as a white society and it resulted in the destruction of the native Indian population and the usage of Black slaves […]
  • The ‘Peopling’ Process of Australia Since 1788 With Influence of Racism Initially, at the arrival of the British, the aborigines suffered displacement from the productive parts of the country to the non-productive regions.
  • Racial Discrimination in the US Due to the large number of members of the communities in the US, competition for the scarce resources has been stiff.
  • The Roma Problems and the Causes of Racism 3 Is it any wonder that the insular, superstitious, monolithically Catholic or Orthodox communities of Europe and Eastern Europe, eager to recapture the civil order and peace of the golden age of the Roman Empire […]
  • Racism in Family Therapy by Laszloffy and Hardy The authors of the article are sure that the awareness of the type of the racism people suffer from may help in solving some problems concerning discrimination.
  • Black or White Racism When one listens to the “Black or White” song, it is clear that Michael Jackson is not expecting his audience to be either white or black people to listen and learn the message he is […]
  • Ethnicity: Oppression and Racism Some of the instances that can be compared to the bars of the cage include scenarios where the people who are oppressed assume that nothing is happening, and participate in their oppression either directly or […]
  • Social Construction of “Race” and “Racism” and Its Relationship to Democratic Racism in Canada This is ideology withdraws the ideas of multiculturalism in Canada due to the lack of social and political support to alter structures and organizations of social institutions, including justice system, education, and police.
  • Democratic Racism in Canada The Canadian residents and institutions function on the basis of collective denial of the existing racial confrontation, which admits the presence of democratic racism.
  • Relationship Between Institutionalized Racism and Marxism The owners of the means of production utilize their power to subjugate and dominate the inferior class, which is the minority race in the US.
  • Young Australians and Racism Most of the migrants into the country continue to face higher chances of experiencing a racist incident in the country. From the very start, most of the migrants into the country will always find it […]
  • How Fake News Use Satire as a Medium to Address Issues on Racism? The show offers a critique of authority by challenging the decision that was made by the jury. The decision that was finally made by the jury in itself is also a mockery of justice, and […]
  • Multicultural Psychology: Cultural Identity and Racism It is a branch of psychology that tries to comprehend and represent the psychology of different people, groups and organizations adequately for the purpose of equal treatment due to the fact that there is a […]
  • Psychological Impact: Stereotyping, Prejudice and Racism Considering stereotyping, prejudice, and racism as the part of a psychological development, distress, and behavior on a culturally diverse individual, the changes in human being are going to be discussed under the influence of these […]
  • The Racial Discrimination Among Employers The following discussion ascertains the statistical findings of the aforementioned researchers on the inconsistency of employment opportunities, between the African-Americans and the whites.
  • ‘Animal Rights’ Activists and Racism Nevertheless, while being thoroughly comfortable with the idea that it is fully appropriate to exploit the ‘eatable’ representatives of the animal kingdom, the ‘animal rights’ activists deny the same right to those, who due to […]
  • Racism and Ethnicity in United States Indeed, most of the people living in the country can trace their origins from the various races of the world. The entrance of new races into the country led to the assimilation of the predecessor […]
  • Racism, Stigma, and Eexism – Sociology The sense of belonging to a community is paramount to the achievement of national and international cohesion and integration. The subject of sociology is wide and can be discussed from different angles.
  • In Australia, Are Cultural Rights a Form of Racism? The “superior” group of people perceives their culture, way of life, color, and language to be over and above others and expect the inferior group to emulate them if they are to be accepted in […]
  • Understanding Race and Racism The worst forms of homophobia are the stigmatization and isolation or exclusion of homosexuals and lesbians from the society. The defining criteria in the formation of the two groups include race, ethnicity and skin color.
  • Racial Discrimination in Organizations It is the work of the management to provide a neutral working environment within any organization, as well as ensure equal treatment and opportunities for all employees regardless of their race.
  • How Different Young Australians Experience Racism? Though racism is a global dilemma, young Australians are particularly faced with this problem due to the diverse nature of Australia’s population. The effects of racism are not limited to the mental health of the […]
  • How Obama’s First Election Has Been Affected by Racism? The election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America heralded the beginning of a new chapter in the country.
  • Problems of Environmental Racism This is one of the arguments that can be put forward. This is one of the main similarities that can be identified.
  • “Globalization and the Unleashing of New Racism: an Introduction” by Macedo and Gounari Nevertheless, it is probably relevant to resort to the plight of the blacks, given that they have been historically oppressed due to racism and continue to face the same racist treatment from their “masters”.
  • Adolf Hitler: From Patriotism to Racism He was also forced to live and work in the city and it is was the cultural and social shock that he experienced as he transferred from the rural to the urban that changed the […]
  • Imperialism and Racism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness He lauds “the book’s anti-imperialist theme…a stinging indictment of the callous and genocidal treatment of the Africans, and other nationals, at the hands of the British and the European imperial powers,” and also details the […]
  • Obama’s First Election and Racism For African Americans, the march of Barack Obama towards the American presidency was the culmination of a long journey that started in the farmlands of the South during times of slavery.
  • Racism Against Native Americans He uses a number of racial and cultural abuses that are used in a derogatory way to refer to people of other cultures, races, sexual orientation and religious affiliations to make the point that the […]
  • Racism: Impact on Minorities in American Society Takaki suggests that reminding people of their diversity and enabling them to understand the positive side of different cultures is the way forward in the journey to eradicate racism in the US.
  • The Challenges of Racism Influential for the Life of Frederick Douglass and Barack Obama However, Douglass became an influential anti-slavery and human rights activist because in the early childhood he learnt the power of education to fight inequality with the help of his literary and public speaking skills to […]
  • Racist America: Current Realities and Future Prospects They had school buses to take the children to school and schools were many, thus reducing the distance that children had to walk to school.
  • Racism in American Schools To support the success made by the program, George Miller, a strong NCLB proponent, believes that the biggest impact of the program is addressing the thorny issue of the achievement gap between poor and middle-class […]
  • Humanism, Racism, and Speciesism Cultural imposition within the context of the Spanish, British and other members of the European continent came in the form of the complete erasure of cultural predilections, values, behaviors and even methods of speaking of […]
  • Racism and Segregation in American History The whole population of residents of North America was disgracefully and unreasonably disvalued in their traditions and beliefs, and people were forced to move out from the land that belonged to them in the first […]
  • Racism as a Case of Ignorance and Prejudice Racism refers to the act of ascribing certain traits and stereotypes to individuals based on their race. According to a report titled Race for Equality, the National Union of Students revealed that 1 in 6 […]
  • Conflict and Racial Hostility Using the conflict lens to assess the situation in Jena, it is evident that the white students along with the white power structure in the city and the school are in a privileged position of […]
  • Racism and Sexism Ethical Problem According to Reich, many of the proponents and antagonists of racism are merely playing their part in a bigger game that they are unaware of and the inherent nature of the capitalist system will always […]
  • Racial Discrimination at the Workplace The main change that is discussed in this essay is the introduction of legislation that will see the creation of a special authority that is aimed at guaranteeing the freedom of all workers at the […]
  • Racism in Michigan University The majority opinion was that a state law school might use racial preference in student admissions because the diversity of the student body is a necessary state interest.
  • Racism and Education in the United States An examination of the current system of education based on the experiences of the researcher reveals three distinct factors: that there is discrimination even though the system says there is not, opportunities for social advancement […]
  • Intersectionality and Gendered Racism The intersectionality concept enables people to understand the different experiences with regard to the social categories of a person. Intersectionality brings in revolution of the extent in which gender racism affects women, and the rational […]
  • Racism in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain The character of Pap is used to advance the theme of racism in the book. In the closing chapters of the book, Huck and Tom come to the realization that Jim is not property but […]
  • Racism Issue and Solutions This article offers some of the best ideas towards dealing with racism in our society. The article “Dealing with Institutional Racism on Campus: Initiating Difficult Dialogues and Social Justice Advocacy Interventions” explains how different institutions […]
  • Racism in Music: “(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue” The extreme popularity of the song among the black population can be explained with references to the fact that Armstrong changed the original lyrics to accentuate the social meaning of the composition and elaborated the […]
  • Racial Discrimination Against Asian American Students According to Chan, the issue of racial discrimination has persisted in the United States for years despite the efforts that have been put in place by several people and groups to fight it.
  • Educational Attainment and Racial Discrimination In addition, this report will be useful to educational stakeholders in their quest for finding a lasting solution to the issues of educational attainment and racial discrimination. All these factors can be traced back to […]
  • Rodney King’s Case of Racial Discrimination King was brutally beaten by officers belonging to the Los Angeles Police Department after a car chase that resulted in a court case in which the officers involved were charged and acquitted for assault. The […]
  • Ethnicity and Issues of Racism in the United States The core of the notion of colorblind racism is that even in the post-Civil Rights era, wouldiffering’ realities still apply to both the majority and the minority races in the United States.
  • Racism as a Reality of Modern American Society Such a shift of personality was designed to emphasize the drastic diversity of the way society treated white people and people of color.
  • Racism in USA: Virginia Laws on Slavery The provided laws emphasize the differences between the English, the Indigenous people, and the African slaves juxtaposing the former to the others as superior.
  • Racism Manifests in the Contemporary Society The present paper reviews two major works that deal with the issue of racism to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments presented.
  • King’s and Obama’s Views on Racism in America If this assertion is made today, Barack Obama will disagree with MLK’s statement, as seen in the excerpt to the speech entitled A Perfect Union: The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that […]
  • Racial Discrimination in Social Institutions The problem though with this particular concept that was being espoused was that after digging a little deeper into the article and examining the context of the situation, it can be seen that the development […]
  • Racism in the USA: Causes, Consequences and Solutions Starting with the most embarrassing pages of the American history compose of slavery, and moving to the Civil War, Jim Crow’s segregation laws, followed with race bus protests and resulting in desegregation, racism have been […]
  • Racial Discrimination and Its Effects on Employees Racial discrimination will lead to reduced commitment to the organization by the affected employee. Due to racial discrimination, the chances of employees from minority groups advancing in the organization are reduced.
  • Asian American Communities and Racism in the USA Thinking about Asian community, Americans do not think about people, the situation discussed in the article and the case considered in the video are the specific examples which led the Asian community to riots.
  • Jerrell Shofner’s Views on the Racial Discrimination Thus, the illegal treatment of the colored workers, their oppression, and the issue of the forced labor in relation to the absence of payments, the developed system of fines, the impossibility to break the agreement, […]
  • Racism and Discrimination as Social Constructs This is because the concept of race has a negative connotation in the society. For example in some societies, especially the western society; the concept of race implies un-fair treatment and discrimination of a particular […]
  • English Literature Impact on Racism Among Africans Examining the topic of race and racism in language has not been a grave issue in the recent years, particularly because most of the discourse experts are whites.
  • The Voting Rights Act and Racial Discrimination However, the very nature of a constitution as a legal document implies that its main aim is to outline the most important underlying concepts and principles that the society should be guided by.
  • Does Racism and Discrimination Still Exist Today? This fact explains why racism and discrimination are inseparable in many parts of the globe. Sex discrimination continues to affect the goals and expectations of many women in our society.
  • Darwin’s and Galton’s Scientific Racism Overall, it is possible to say that the ideas of these people were largely based on the misuse of scientific methods and lack of anthropological knowledge.
  • The Effects of Racism on Learners Academic Outcomes Many studies that have been conducted to investigate the causes of poor performance outcomes among African-American students, especially those who come from poor economic backgrounds.
  • Racism in the Setting the Rising Sun Postcard Analyzing the postcard entitled: “Setting the Rising Sun” requires background information on racism and the significance of the surprise attack of Pearl Harbor on the general consciousness of the American people. It is easy to […]
  • Racism: Theoretical Perspectives and Research Methods The few cases of racism in the current generation occur because of the desire to have the best at the expense of feeble people.
  • Racism in Film “Savages” by Oliver Stone It is necessary to mention that the Chicano community had to deal with numerous issues such as racism and discrimination over the years, and the way the people are portrayed in all types of media […]
  • Racism and Discrimination in Religion Context It is based on these passages, as well as numerous others, that the stance of the church has been one of tolerance of differences, the celebration of the unique and the acceptance that we are […]
  • Does Unconscious Racism Exist by Lincoln Quillian The country, however, has made tremendous progress towards stemming from the vice, which culminated in the election of Barrack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. In the article, the author reviews some […]
  • Social and Cultural Diversity and Racism The best and experienced teachers were always taken to the schools of the whites, while on the other hand, the black kids had the most inexperienced teachers.
  • “Nigger” as a Racially Directed Slur The word ‘nigger’ is derived from a Portuguese word ‘negro’ that is used to refer to black. On the other hand, the use of the N-word today is not connected to slavery, which happened many […]
  • Racism History in No Name on the Street by Baldwin It is believed that the publication of the book was inspired by the death of Martin Luther King and in the first part of it the author makes a short insight into his personal reaction […]
  • Racism Elimination and Sociological Strategies The analysis of sociological theory exploring racism and sociological strategies for combating it helps to understand that sociology plays an important role in reducing the manifestations of racism in communities across the globe.
  • Racism in “To Kill Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee The family is transformed from poverty to wealth, but it remains one of the few white families ready to accommodate and recognize the black people as a part of the society, while other Whites oppress […]
  • Racism in “Passing” and “Uncle Tom’s Children” Novels Therefore, the evolution of the society gave rise to the reconsideration of the approach to racism and promoted the increase of the level of consciousness of the discriminated people.
  • Racism in Media and Objective Coverage Sanders, for example, indicates that the portrayal of black people in the media in the 1980s and 1990s was “demonizing,” and the outcomes of such demonization included the negative attitude to the people of color […]
  • Racial Discrimination in Employment in the US Another problem is that some individuals believe that it is necessary to make sure that additional measures of safety are taken in case people of color are present in the workplace.
  • Colin Powell and the Fight Against Structural Racism When donating his uniform to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Powell stated that the museum is a “treasure” the significance of which extends borders of the country.
  • Obama’s Presidency and Racism in the USA Irrespective of this criticism and even disappointment, it is possible to note that the presidency of Barak Obama is an important milestone that can eventually lead to the era of true racial justice in the […]
  • Racism in Trump’s and Clinton’s Campaigns The Catholic Church stated that racism should not be a part of our social consciousness since it promotes ideas and concepts that are against the teachings of brotherhood and solidarity that church leaders actively promote.
  • Racism and Society: Different Perspectives In the case of racism, there is a bias in more than one way that leads to the disenfranchisement of the disadvantaged groups.
  • Racism in “The Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison The “Battle Royal” chapter in the novel brings rather controversial reactions and thoughts, due to its being a blend of relief for the main character, the shame for the abusive white society, and the pain […]
  • Racism and Prejudice: “Gone With the Wind“ and “The Help” The current paper will discuss the issues of racism and prejudice in two brilliant pieces of art: Kathryn Stockett’s novel “The Help” and the movie “Gone with the Wind” directed by Victor Fleming.
  • Racism in Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” The main focus of the story is the problem of racism, particularly to African-American people in the United States. In terms of other issues that “Battle Royal” demonstrates and that are further developed in the […]
  • Racism as the Epitome of Moral Bankruptcy The phenomenon of racism does not stand any criticism as the principle of a social hierarchy form all ethical frameworks, including Kantian and Utilitarian philosophies since it undermines the very basis of inherent worth as […]
  • The Problem of Racism and Injustice In particular, I agree with his determination to change the situation and to eradicate racism, however, I partially agree with his opinion about faith and making what he thinks is right, and, finally, I do […]
  • Baldwin’s and Coates’ Anti-Racism Communication James Baldwin, in his Notes of a Native Son, writes about his experiences with people from different parts of America and the world and investigates the ideas of hatred and violence.
  • Racism in the United States: Before and After World War II The U.S.government went from supporting racism against African Americans in the New Deal era to fight against racism by the 1960s because of World War II.
  • The Problem of Racism in Brazilian Football Skidmore describes it as the relationships that could result into conflict and consciousness and determination of the people’s status in a community or a particular group. In football, racism damages pride of the players and […]
  • Impact of Racism as a Social Determinant of Health In the context of the direct and indirect impact of racism as one of the contributors to shaping social determinants of health, it has been identified that health outcomes of Aboriginal Australians were directly influenced […]
  • Racism Against Roma and Afro-American People The government proclaimed wars on drugs and criminality, which eventually lead to the incarceration of people of color. These people were unable to get a well-paid job and had to seek other income sources because […]
  • Kansas State University Community’s Racism Issues It is good that the management of the institution moved with speed and expelled the students as a way of reassuring the public that racism is not tolerated in this institution.
  • Racism in Rankine’s “Citizen” and Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad” Both of them focused on similar problems but used entirely different methods to deliver their ideas while having clear benefits and disadvantages of their choices.*One the one hand, novels like Citizen help build an emotional […]
  • Racism, Privilege and Stereotyping Concepts A privilege can be described as an unearned benefit or a set of those, which one group of people is given with, and the other one is deprived of.
  • White Privilege and Racism in American Society It is also possible not to notice that White people are widely covered in the media, and the color of their skin is viewed as “normal” and “usual”.
  • Racial Bias and Discrimination in Law Enforcement After reading the letter to the US Department of Justice and Civil Rights Division, in particular, the findings from the investigation of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office are defined as compelling and credible sources of […]
  • Racism in The Paper Menagerie Essay Also, it is a tragedy of the society the influence of which can be too devastating to heal.”The Paper Menagerie” teaches the audience how ungrateful and cruel a child can become under the pressure of […]
  • Racial Discrimination in Employment This discussion focuses on the issues surrounding the problem of racial discrimination in the workplace. The main law that illegalizes this kind of discrimination is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  • The Origins of Racial Hierarchy in Colonial America
  • Pressing Issues in Femininity: Gender and Racism
  • Racism in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”
  • Racial Discrimination Forms Against Afro-Americas
  • Racial Discrimination in Australian Society
  • Thomas Jefferson on Civil Rights, Slavery, Racism
  • Racism in Australian Football League Sporting Clubs
  • Racism in Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders
  • Racism vs. “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself”
  • Islam and Racism: Malcolm X’s Letter From Mecca
  • Racism in African American Studies and History
  • Racism in the “Do the Right Thing” Movie
  • Scientific Racism: the Eugenics of Social Darwinism
  • Everyday Racism in C. Rankine’s “Citizen” Novel
  • Racism Effects on Criminal Justice System
  • Environmental Racism and Indigenous Knowledge
  • How Racism Makes Us Sick: Public Talk That Matters
  • Racism: “Get Out” Film and “Screams on Screens” Article
  • Racism: Once Overt, but Now Covert
  • Racism: World Politicians Discussion
  • Racism in Media: Positive and Negative Impact
  • Sexism, Racism, Ableism, Ageism, Classism
  • Appiah’s Ideas of Racism, Equality, and Justice
  • “A Genealogy of Modern Racism” by C. West
  • Racism in the United States of the 21st Century
  • Social Psychology: Racism in Jury Behaviour
  • Racism Effects on the Premier League Players
  • Racial Discrimination in Song ‘Strange Fruit’
  • Problem of Racism to Native Americans in Sport
  • Racism and Ethnicity in Latin America
  • Racism, Minorities and Majorities Analysis
  • Anti-Racism Policy Statement in Australian Schools
  • AIDS in a Different Culture Review: Cultural Differences, Prejudice, and Racism
  • Hurricane Katrine Exposed Racism in New Orleans
  • Racism Issues: Looking and Stereotype
  • Racial Discrimination in “A Raisin in the Sun”
  • Social Construction of Race and Racism
  • Racialism From a Biological Point of View
  • Racism and White Supremacism in the American Government
  • Primary School Teaching: Challenging Racism
  • Racism and Civil Rights: Then and Now
  • Philosophy of Human Conduct: Institutional Racism
  • Obama, the First US Black President: Is Racism Over?
  • Modern Racism in American Society
  • Rasism in “No Telephone to Heaven” by Michelle Cliff
  • American Racism: So Why Isn’t Obama White?
  • White Supremacy as an Extreme Racism Group
  • Facing Racism: A Short Story
  • The Issues of Racial Discrimination in US
  • Racism: Resolving by Means of Education
  • Racism Concepts: Influence of Politics
  • Racism in Movies: Stereotypes and Prejudices
  • Racism Among Students of Swinburne University
  • Racism Cannot Be Unlearned Through Education
  • Exploring and Comparing Racism and Ethnocentrism
  • The Problem of Racism in Canada
  • Racism: Definition and Consequences
  • Racism in Employment Practices
  • Racism Without Racists in Patriarchal Society
  • “Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison: Themes of Racism and Unequal Opportunity
  • Racial and Gender Discrimination in the Workplace and Housing
  • Racial Discrimination of Women in Modern Community
  • Racism in Contemporary North America
  • Institutional Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism
  • Racism in “The Black Table Is Still There” by Graham
  • Racism: Term Definition and History of Display of Racism Remarks
  • Race, Class and Gender. Racism on Practice
  • Racism in America and Its Literature
  • How Can the World Unite to Fight Racism?
  • Protecting George Wallace’s Organized Racism
  • Environmental Racism in the United States: Concept, Solution to the Problem
  • Racially Insensitive Name-Calling in Classroom
  • Race and Racism in the USA: The Origins and the Future
  • The History of Immigration to the United States and the Nature of Racism
  • Racism Experiences in the Workplace in the UK
  • Racism and Gender in Beyoncé’s Lemonade
  • Subjective Assumptions and Medicine: Racism
  • From “Scientific” Racism to Local Histories of Lynching
  • Racism and Tokenism in Bon Appetit: Leadership and Ethical Perspective
  • The Development of a Measure to Assess Symbolic Racism
  • Racism and Sexism as a Threat
  • Anti-Racism in Shakespeare’s Othello
  • Institutional and Interpersonal Racism, White Privilege
  • Policing in America: The Issue of Violence and Racism
  • Racial Discrimination in the US Criminal Justice System
  • Colonialism and Racism in Foe by J. M. Coetzee and Small Island by Andrea Levy
  • The History of Racial Discrimination and Its Effects on the American Races
  • Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch Discrimination Racism Lawsuit: An Analysis
  • Criminal Justice: Racial Prejudice and Racial Discrimination
  • Critical Social Problems Research: Racism and Racial Domination
  • Racism: US v. The Amistad and Dred Scott v. Sandford
  • Rio Tinto: Case Study About Racism and Discrimination
  • Racism and Motherhood Themes in Grimke’s “Rachel”
  • Profit and Racism in the Prisons of the United States
  • Racism in Canadian Medical System
  • What Stories Can Teach Us About Racism
  • Contribution of Racism to Economic Recession Due to COVID-19
  • Root Causes and Solutions to Racism
  • Origins of Modern Racism and Ancient Slavery
  • American Healthcare in the Context of Racism
  • Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism in the US
  • Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism
  • Flint Water Crisis: Environmental Racism and Racial Capitalism
  • The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Racial Discrimination
  • Black as a Label: Racial Discrimination
  • The Reflection of Twain’s Views on Racism in Huck Finn
  • Citizen: An American Lyric and Systemic Racism
  • How Does Racism Affect Health?
  • Western Scientific Approach as a Cause of Racism
  • The Problem of Racism in the Police Force
  • Temporary Aid Program: Racism in Child Welfare
  • Popular Music at the Times of Racism and Segregation
  • Solving Racial Discrimination in the US: The Best Strategies
  • Racism and Statistical & Pure Discrimination
  • Issue of Racism in Healthcare
  • Racism in Healthcare and Its Implications
  • America: Racism, Terrorism, and Ethno-Culturalism
  • US Immigration Policy and Its Correlation to Structural Racism
  • Problem of Racism in Schools Overview
  • Racism: Do We Need More Stringent Laws?
  • Indian Youth Against Racism: Photo Analysis
  • Battling Racism in the Modern World
  • How the Prison Industrial Complex Perpetuate Racism
  • Summary of the Issue About Racism
  • The Bill H.R.666 Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021
  • Legacy of Racism Against African American Women and Men
  • Colorblind Racism and Its Minimization
  • Racism as Origin of Enslavement
  • Significance of Perceived Racism:Ethnic Group Disparities in Health
  • Racial Discrimination and Residential Segregation
  • The Problem of Explicit Racism
  • Racism Evolution: Experience of African Diaspora
  • Racial Discrimination Through the Cosmetics Industry
  • The Black People: Sexuality and Racial Discrimination
  • American Culture and Its Racism Roots
  • British Colonial Racism for Aboriginal Australians
  • White Counselors Broaching Race and Racism Study
  • Healthcare Call to Action: Racism in Medicine
  • Racial Discrimination in Dallas-Fort Worth Region
  • Confronting Stereotypes, Racism and Microaggression
  • Latin-African Philosophical Wars on Racism in US
  • Contrast Between Tituba and John Indian and Countering Racism
  • Culture Play in Prejudices, Stereotyping, and Racism
  • Evidence of Existence of Modern Racism
  • Racism in America Today: Problems of Today
  • Issue of Institutional Racism
  • Beverly Tatum’s Monolog About Injustice of Racism
  • A Problem of Racial Discrimination in the Modern World
  • How Parents of Color Transcend Nightmare of Racism
  • Minstrels’ Influence on the Spread of Racism
  • Capitalism and Racism in Past and Present
  • Historical Racism in South Africa and the US
  • Beverly Greene Life and View of Racism
  • Origins of Racial Discrimination
  • Racism: Healthcare Crisis and the Nurses Role
  • The Mutation of Racism into New Subtle Forms
  • Role of Racism in Contemporary US Public Opinion
  • Institutional Racism Through the Lenses of Housing Policy
  • Cause and Effect of Racial Discrimination
  • A Cause-and-Effect Analysis of Racism and Discrimination
  • Contemporary Sociological Theories and American Racism
  • Racism: “The Sum of Us” Article by McGhee
  • The Problem of Racism in America
  • The Unethical Practice of Racism in a Doctor’s Case
  • Racism and Intolerance: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
  • Social Problems Surrounding Racism, Prejudice and Discrimination
  • Abortion-Related Racial Discrimination in the US
  • The “Racism and Discrimination” Documentary
  • Environmental Racism: The Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan
  • The Racism Problem and How to Fight It
  • Issue of Racism Around the World
  • Tackling Racism in the Workplace
  • Aspects of Socio-Economic Sides of Racism
  • The Racism Problem and Its Relevance
  • Systemic Racism and Discrimination
  • Racism and Related Issues in Canadian Society
  • Racism Towards Just and Holistic Health
  • Care for Real: Racism and Food Insecurity
  • How to Talk to Children About Racism
  • Rhetoric in Obama’s 2008 Speech on Racism
  • Racism in Education in the United States
  • Institutional Racism in the Workplace
  • How Has Racism Changed Throughout History, Starting From the Emancipation Proclamation to Today?
  • Do Racism and Discrimination Still Exist Today?
  • How Did Ideas of Black Stereotypes and Racism Become Embedded in American Culture?
  • How Does Racism Affect the Way of a Caste Like System?
  • What Connection Is Between Globalization and Racism?
  • Why Do Exist Discrimination and Racism?
  • How Do Educational Institutions Perpetuate Racism, Sexism, and Patriarchy?
  • How Do Racism and Exclusion Shape the Social Geography of Race and Ethnicity?
  • What Ways Does Cultural Racism Manifest Itself?
  • How the Media Maintains Racism?
  • Why Slavery and Racism Issues Still Affect America Today?
  • How Racism and Ethnicity Affect the Sector of Education?
  • How Has Racism Impacted Immigrant Families and Children?
  • When Did Racism Begin?
  • Racism: Why It’s Bad for Society and the Greater Health Issues It Creates?
  • How Have Evolutionary Ideas Shaped Racism?
  • Why Is Racism Bad for Society?
  • What Effect Does Color-Blind Racism Have On Minorities in Society Today?
  • How Does Sports Helped Diminish Racism?
  • How Does Both Individual and Institutional Racism Impact Service Provision and the Experiences of People Receiving Services?
  • Did Slavery Cause Racism?
  • When You Think About Racism, What Do You Think About?
  • What Does Racism Mean?
  • Does Affirmative Action Solve Racism?
  • Did Racism Precede Slavery?
  • How Does Racism Affect Society?
  • Does Racism Still Occur Today and Why People Can’t a Change?
  • Between Compassion and Racism: How the Biopolitics of Neoliberal Welfare Turns Citizens Into Affective ‘Idiots’?
  • Does Racism Play a Role in Health Inequities?
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, December 21). 372 Racism Essay Titles & Writing Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/racism-essay-examples/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "372 Racism Essay Titles & Writing Examples." December 21, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/racism-essay-examples/.

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Chapter Five: Essays for Discussion- What is Racism? In A Nutshell

Sometimes it is difficult for White people to truly understand racism. The main reason is because they do not want to learn about this country’s ugly past. They don’t want to hear about slavery, Jim Crow, lynching or the civil rights movements. They certainly don’t want to hear about how they are currently prospering from all the horrible things that happened to Black people and people of color in the past, or the things currently happening. Unfortunately, the problem is, until White people truly understand racism, they can do nothing to stop it. Therefore, racism will continue until the end of time. Just saying that gives me the creeps! However, I know it to be true. As you read my writings you will begin to understand why I put the power of stopping racism squarely on the shoulders of White people.

Racism in America started as a financial arrangement. Africans were merely property used to produce financial wealth for White people. Don’t forget many people already had or understood the concept of indentured servitude. So, the idea of having someone else do your hard work was not a new concept. In America racism became an attitude, labeled and tagged by skin color. The African had the most distinguishable skin color. The Native Indians knew the land too well. It was difficult to capture and keep them. White indentured servants could escape to another town and mix in with all the other whites. The owners didn’t have the technology to put out an all-points bulletin on a white male or female. There was no place for black-skinned people to hide. Often, if you were a breathing Black person, you belonged to someone. Escaping this was difficult to do. This made black-skinned people prime, permanent slavery prospects.

Slavery didn’t have to become what it became, but like the old saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The greed for power and the corruption of power led to the demonization of Black people. To keep their slavery enterprises up and running the slave owners had to get into the heads of other whites. They did this by convincing whites that the slaves weren’t completely human. This meant that Black slaves must be part animal. This mentally gave slave owners a psychological out, regarding the mistreatment of Black people. If Black people weren’t humans, slave owners felt they could do anything they wish to them. However, classifying slaves as animals was an evil mind trick. One of the main reasons there are light-skinned Black people in this country has to do with White slave masters having sex with Black slave women. So, were the White slave masters purposely having sex with animals? No. The main reason for declaring Africans only part humans was to be able to count them and treat them as animals. The African male presented a different problem, even though some males were sexually assaulted. This was an act to belittle their manhood. The slave owners had to control him from the outside in. Other times, he was beaten to submission and then his mind was ready to be worked on. It was sort of the opposite of Jesus’ way of teaching the five thousand. He fed their stomachs, in order to feed their souls. The slave owners beat the black male physically, so he could enslave and control him mentally.

The mental aspect of enslaving the Black man affected the White man. He began to truly believe that he was superior. He passed that superior attitude to his kids, generation after generation. After slavery was abolished and even until this day, the attitude of white superiority remains. My overall opinion from living amongst White people is that in general, they truly believe they are superior to anyone who isn’t white, but this is especially true when it comes to Black people. As a Black man, to understand this is the first step to understanding the true effects of racism. By understanding their superiority complex I can show most White people where they lost their identity, culture and heritage. Once they understand what they have lost, I can show them how they are still taking advantage of their whiteness. I can show them how by using their whiteness to their advantage, they are continuing to contribute to racism.

Don’t get me wrong, I know many White people who do not have a racist bone in their bodies. Still, a lot of them unknowingly use their white superiority. I see it all the time when it comes to dealing with the poor and disadvantaged. In my own personal life, I’m able to use white folks’ white superiority against them. Because I’m a big Black man, with a loud voice, they don’t see me as someone who has an above average-education (doctorate level). In the field of education, I get talked down to almost every day of my life. I’ll say this right now. Next to religion, education is one of the most racist institutions in America! After I earned my doctorate, I was having a conversation with a White guy I knew. He told me that I would probably not get a position at the university we worked at, because I went and got a degree that put me on the same level as the White men in the good ole boys club. They were already afraid of my experience but saw themselves better than me because my experience didn’t equal up to their education. At age fifty, I got the education (doctorate) to complement my experience. This White guy told me that with both experience and education I scare the White men at our university. To this day I have never held a position at this university, which would be considered commensurate to my education and experience level. This is one covert manner in which racism continues. The very people who consider themselves to be non-racists, do more harm than good because they need to move to the next level–anti-racist.

From Racist to Non-Racist to Anti-Racist: Becoming a Part of the Solution Copyright © 2001, 2020 by Keith L. Anderson, PhD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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  The Heart of the Uprising in Minneapolis , by Luke Mogelson.  New Yorker , June 15, 2020.

A look at how the response to the murder of George Floyd is connected to the history and future of the black community in Minneapolis.

1619 Project , New York Times 2019. 

A series of essays that examine the ongoing legacy of slavery from economics to health care to politics.

Making Black Lives Matter in the Mall of America , by Erik Forman.  New Inquiry , June 3, 2016.

A look at how race and labor intersect with modern commerce.

The Case for Reparations , by Ta-Nehesi Coates.  The Atlantic , June 2014.

How the historic debts from slavery, Jim Crow laws, housing discrimination and unequal pay must be redressed. 

How to Cool It , by James Baldwin.  Esquire , July 1968. 

A classic essay that, sadly, could have been written about current circumstances – racism, police brutality, and unequal opportunities for Black America. 

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11 Essays To Read About Racism & Police Violence

From literary leaders like Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Ibram X. Kendi

Essays on anti-Black racism and police violence in America

Nearly one year after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police , the former police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes has been found guilty on all counts. A Minnesota jury delivered a unanimous verdict that found Derek Chauvin, 45, guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Following the verdict, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden addressed the country with a pointed reminder: the fight for change is far from over. “A measure of justice isn’t the same as equal justice,” Harris said. “This verdict brings us a step closer, and the fact is we still have work to do.”

Roughly 1,000 people killed by American police annually. On April 11, Daunte Wright , a 20-year-old Black man, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb. On the heels of the Chauvin verdict, 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant was fatally shot by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio. Black Americans are killed by law enforcemen t at more than twice the rate of white Americans.

This is not a new epidemic. Instead, the violence is now being filmed. Communities of color experience these traumas over and over, in public forms and in private grievings. There’s no federal database tracking the occurrences; the information that local agencies report to the Federal Bureau of Investigation is voluntary. Most states don’t require officers to attend deescalation training .

Bustle created a reading list of scholars, reporters, and intellectuals who help us think about American racism, police violence, and their recent manifestations.

1. " Alton Sterling And When Black Lives Stop Mattering ," by Roxane Gay

In the 2016 op-ed, author Roxane Gay discusses the tiring repetition of police violence against Black men. “I don’t think we could have imagined that video of police brutality would not translate into justice,” she writes.

2. " The Black Journalist And The Racial Mountain, " by Ta-Nehisi Coates

In his 2016 essay, Ta-Nehisi Coates looks at racial disparities within the media industry, shining a light on tokenism, the historical suppression of Black voices, and the challenges of being a Black writer during cycles of violence.

3. " George Floyd Could Not Breathe. We Must Fight Police Violence Until Our Last Breath ," by Derecka Purnell

Human rights lawyer Derecka Purnell analyzes the contrast between how activists respond to abuses by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement versus how they respond to abuses by police.

4. " How Does A Steady Stream Of Images Of Black Death Affect Us? " by Sherri Williams

After the death of Philando Castile, a Black man killed in his car by a police officer , American University assistant professor Sherri Williams asks about the short- and long-term impacts of seeing so many videos and images of violence against Black people.

5. " How White Women Use Themselves As Instruments Of Terror ," by Charles M. Blow

Columnist Charles M. Blow looks at the historical precedent of white women using their power to harm Black men. He points to the recent example of Amy Cooper, a white woman who called the police on bird-watcher Christian Cooper . “I am enraged by white women weaponizing racial anxiety,” he writes.

6. The New York Times ’ " The 1619 Project "

The ongoing collection, originally published in 2019, won a Pulitzer Prize for reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones. The project looks at the lasting legacies of slavery across American society, including its impact on the criminal justice system.

7. " Racism Wears Down Pittsburgh’s Reporters Of Color ," by Letrell Deshan Crittenden

Assistant professor of communication at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Letrell Deshan Crittenden studied how Black journalists and journalists of color feel about disparities in coverage and opportunity. He contrasts the global response to the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting with a 2016 shooting where five Black people were killed.

8. " There's One Epidemic We May Never Find A Vaccine For: Fear Of Black Men In Public Spaces ," by John Blake

CNN writer John Blake analyzes what recent events like Floyd’s death and Amy Cooper's racism have in common: an inherent fear of Black men. “Why are black men still so feared in 2020?” he asks. “And what will it take for it to stop?”

9. " The Viral Video Of Ahmaud Arbery’s Killing Shows Whose Deaths We Afford Privacy And Whose We Don’t ," by Sarah Sentilles

Sarah Sentilles has been studying imagery of violence for 15 years. She argues that society’s willingness to show images of Black and Brown bodies, but not white ones, is rooted in racism.

10. The Washington Post ’s " Fatal Force " Database

Sparked by the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown, this interactive project has been tracking police killings since 2015.

11. " Who Gets To Be Afraid In America? " by Ibram X. Kendi

Bestselling and award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi interrogates white fear, and how it often leads to the dehumanization of Black men. “They don’t see themselves in me,” he writes. “They certainly don’t see their own innocence in me.”

This article was originally published on May 29, 2020

essays about racism

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Racial Discrimination — The Impact of Racism on the Society

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Racism in Society, Its Effects and Ways to Overcome

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14 min read

Published: Jun 10, 2020

Words: 2796 | Pages: 6 | 14 min read

Table of contents

Executive summary, the effects of racism in today’s world (essay), works cited.

  • The current platform of social media has given many of the minorities their voice; they can make sure that the world can hear them and their opinions are made clear. This phenomenon is only going to rise with the rise of social media in the coming years.
  • The diversity of race, culture and ethnicity that has been seen as a cause of rift and disrupt in the society in the past, will act as a catalyst for social development sooner rather than later, with the decrease in racism.
  • Racist view of an individual are not inherited, they are learned. With that in mind, it is fair to assume that the coming generations will not be as critical of an individual’s race as the older generations have been.
  • If people dismiss the concept of racial/ethnical evaluations and instead, evaluate an individual on one’s abilities and capabilities, the economic development will definitely have a rise.
  • A lot of intra-society grievances and mishaps that are caused due to misconceptions of an ethnic group can be reduced as social interaction increases.
  • As people from different ethnic backgrounds, coming from humble beginnings, discriminated throughout their careers, manage to emerge successful to the public platform, the racist train of thought is being exposed and will continue to do so. This will inspire people from any and every background, race, language, ethnicity to step forward and compete on the large scale.
  • Racism and prejudice are at the root of racial profiling and that racial bias has been interweaved into the culture of most societies. However, these chains have grown much weaker as time has passed, to the point that they are in a fragile state.
  • Another ray of hope that can be witnessed nowadays that people are no longer ashamed of their cultural identity. People now believe that their cultural background is in no way or form inferior to another and thus, worth defending. This will turn out to be a major factor in minimizing racism in the future.
  • Because of the strong activism against racism, a new phenomenon has emerged that is color blindness, which is the complete disregard of racial characteristics in any kind of social situation.
  • The world is definitely going in the right direction concerning the curse that is Racism; however, it is far too early to claim that humankind will completely rid itself of this vile malignance. PrescriptionsRacism is a curse that has plagued humanity since long. It has been responsible for multitudes of nefarious acts in the past and is causing a lot of harm even now, therefore care must be taken that this problem is brought under control as soon as possible so as not to hinder the growth of human societies. The following are some of the precautions, so to say, that will help tremendously in tackling this problem.
  • The first and foremost step is to take this problem seriously both on an individual and on community level. Racism is something that can not be termed as a minor issue and dismissed. History books dictate that racism is responsible for countless deaths and will continue to claim the lives of more innocents unless it is brought under control with a firm hand. The first step to controlling it is to accept racism as a serious problem.
  • Another problem is that many misconceptions or rumors that are dismissed by most people as a trivial detail are sometimes a big deal for other people, which might push them over the edge to commit a crime or some other injustice. So whenever there is an anomaly, a misconception or a misrepresentation of an individual’s, a group’s or a society’s ideas or beliefs, try to be the voice of reason rather than staying quiet about it. Decades of staying silent over crucial issues has caused us much harm and brought us to this point, staying silent now can only lead us to annihilation.
  • One of most radical and effective solution to racial diversity is to turn it from something negative to something positive. Where previously, one does not talk to someone because of his or her cultural differences, now talk to them exactly because of that. If different cultures and races start taking steps, baby steps even, towards the goal of acquiring mutual respect and trust, racism can be held in check.
  • On the national level, contingencies can be introduced and laws can be made that support cultural diversity and preach against anything that puts it in harm’s way. Taking such measures will make every single member of the society well aware of the scale of this problem and people will take it more seriously rather than ridiculing it.
  • Finally, just as being racist was a part of the culture in the older generations, we need to make being anti-racist a part of our cultures. If our children, our youth grew up watching their elders and their role models dissing and undermining racism at every point of life, they will definitely adopt a lifestyle that will allow no racial discriminations in their life.

Methodology

Findings and results.

  • Is racism justifiable?
  • Is the current trend of racism increasing in your country?
  • Do you have any acquaintances or friends that belong to a different ethnical background?
  • Would you ever use someone’s race against them to win an argument?
  • Would you agree to work in a diverse racial environment?
  • Will humankind ever rid itself of racism?
  • Have you ever taken any measures to abate racism?
  • Racism has changed the relationship between people?
  • Racial discriminations are apparent in our everyday life.
  • One racial/ethnic group can be superior to another
  • Racial/ethnic factors can change your perception of a person.
  • Racial diversity can cause problems in one’s society.
  • Racial or Ethnical conflict should be in cooperated into the laws of one’s society.
  • Are you satisfied with the way different ethnic groups are treated in your society?
  • ABC News. (2021). The legacy of racism in America. https://abcnews.go.com/US/legacy-racism-america/story?id=77223885
  • British Broadcasting Corporation. (2021). Racism: What is it? https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53498245
  • Chetty, R., Hendren, N., & Jones, M. R. (2020). Racism and the American economy. Harvard University.
  • Gibson, K. L., & Oberg, K. (2019). What does racism look like today? National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/04/what-does-racism-look-like-today-feature/
  • Hughey, M. W. (2021). White supremacy. The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Sociology.
  • Jones, M. T., & Janson, C. (2020). Racism and health: Evidence and needed research. Annual Review of Public Health, 41, 1-16.
  • Krieger, N. (2019). Discrimination and racial inequities in health: A commentary and a research agenda. American Journal of Public Health, 109(S1), S82-S85.
  • Kteily, N., Bruneau, E., Waytz, A., & Cotterill, S. (2021). The psychology of racism: A review of theory and research. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 479-514.
  • Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Postmes, T., & Garcia, A. (2014). The consequences of perceived discrimination for psychological well-being: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 921-948.
  • Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2013). Racism and health I: Pathways and scientific evidence. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(8), 1152-1173.

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How to Talk About Race on College Applications, According to Admissions Experts

A proponent of affirmative action signs a shirt during a protest at Harvard University

R afael Figueroa, dean of college guidance at Albuquerque Academy, was in the middle of tutoring Native American and Native Hawaiian students on how to write college application essays when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the race-conscious college admissions processes at Harvard and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional .

Earlier in the week, he told the students that they shouldn’t feel like they need to talk about their ethnicity in their essays. But after the June 29 Supreme Court ruling , he backtracked. “If I told you that you didn’t have to write about your native or cultural identity, you need to get ready to do another supplemental essay” on it or prepare a story that can fit into short answer questions, he says he told them.

For high school seniors of color applying to colleges in the coming years, the essay and short answer sections will take on newfound importance. Chief Justice John Roberts suggested as much when he wrote in his majority opinion, “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise.” That “discussion” is usually in an essay, and many colleges have additional short-answer questions that allow students to expand more on their background and where they grew up.

“The essay is going to take up a lot more space than maybe it has in the past because people are going to be really trying to understand who this person is that is going to come into our community,” says Timothy Fields, senior associate dean of undergraduate admission at Emory University.

Now, college admissions officers are trying to figure out how to advise high schoolers on their application materials to give them the best chance to showcase their background under the new rules, which will no longer allow colleges or universities to use race as an explicit factor in admissions decisions .

Shereem Herndon-Brown, who co-wrote The Black Family’s Guide to College Admissions with Fields, says students of color can convey their racial and ethnic backgrounds by writing about their families and their upbringing. “I’ve worked with students for years who have written amazing essays about how they spend Yom Kippur with their family, which clearly signals to a college that they are Jewish—how they listened to the conversations from their grandfather about escaping parts of Europe… Their international or immigrant story comes through whether it’s from the Holocaust or Croatia or the Ukraine. These are stories that kind of smack colleges in the face about culture.”

“Right now, we’re asking Black and brown kids to smack colleges in the face about being Black and brown,” he continues. “And, admittedly, I am mixed about the necessity to do it. But I think the only way to do it is through writing.”

Read More: The ‘Infamous 96’ Know Firsthand What Happens When Affirmative Action Is Banned

Students of color who are involved in extracurriculars that are related to diversity efforts should talk about those prominently in their college essays, other experts say. Maude Bond, director of college counseling at Cate School in Santa Barbara County, California, cites one recent applicant she counseled who wrote her college essay about an internship with an anti-racism group and how it helped her highlight the experiences of Asian American Pacific Islanders in the area.

Bond also says there are plenty of ways for people of color to emphasize their resilience and describe the character traits they learned from overcoming adversity: “Living in a society where you’re navigating racism every day makes you very compassionate.” she says. “It gives you a different sense of empathy and understanding. Not having the same resources as people that you grow up with makes you more creative and innovative.” These, she argues, are characteristics students should highlight in their personal essays.

Adam Nguyen, a former Columbia University admissions officer who now counsels college applicants via his firm Ivy Link, will also encourage students of color to ask their teachers and college guidance counselors to hint at their race or ethnicity in their recommendation letters. “That’s where they could talk about your racial background,” Nguyen says. “Just because you can’t see what’s written doesn’t mean you can’t influence how or what is said about you.”

Yet as the essay portions of college applications gain more importance, the process of reading applications will take a lot longer, raising the question of whether college admissions offices have enough staffers to get through the applications. “There are not enough admission officers in the industry to read that way,” says Michael Pina, director of admission at the University of Richmond.

That could make it even more difficult for students to get the individual attention required to gain acceptance to the most elite colleges. Multiple college admissions experts say college-bound students will need to apply to a broader range of schools. “You should still apply to those 1% of colleges…but you should think about the places that are producing high-quality graduates that are less selective,” says Pina.

One thing more Black students should consider, Fields argues, is applying to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). (In fact, Fields, a graduate of Morehouse College, claims that may now be “necessary” for some students.) “There’s something to be said, for a Black person to be in a majority environment someplace that they are celebrated, not tolerated,” Fields says. “There’s something to be said about being in an environment where you don’t have to justify why you’re here.”

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50+ Essay Topics on Racism for students

Why choose racism essay topics for writing purposes .

There are many reasons why someone might choose to write an essay on racism. For some, it may be a way to explore their own personal experiences with racism. Others may want to raise awareness about the issue, or explore the history of racism in America. Whatever the reason, there are a number of potential essay topics to choose from. One potential topic is to explore the origins of racism in America. This could include a discussion of the slave trade, and how racism has been perpetuated throughout history. Another possibility is to discuss the current state of racism in America. This could include a discussion of the recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, and how racism is still a very real problem in our country. No matter what topic you choose, it is important to remember that your essay should be well-researched and well-written. Be sure to support your claims with evidence, and be sure to cite your sources. With a little effort, you can write a compelling and thought-provoking essay on racism.

Racism Essay Topics

How To Choose Racism Essay Topics? 

There are a lot of racism essay topics to choose from. However, it can be difficult to decide which one to write about. Here are some tips to help you choose the right topic for your essay:

  • Pick a topic that you are passionate about.
  • Choose a topic that you know something about.
  • Make sure the topic is something that you can research.
  • Be sure to choose a topic that is controversial.
  • Be sure to choose a topic that is interesting to you.

Best Essay Topics on Racism

  • Racism is a social construct that has been used to justify discrimination and violence against certain groups of people
  • Racism is a form of discrimination that is based on the belief that one race is superior to another.
  • Racism can be manifested in the form of individual prejudice, institutional discrimination, or hate crimes.
  • Racism is often used as a justification for xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment.
  • Racism has a long history in the United States, dating back to the colonial era.
  • Racism is a global problem that affects people of all races and ethnicities.
  • The rise of Donald Trump and the alt-right has emboldened racists and white supremacists in the United States.
  • The Black Lives Matter movement has brought renewed attention to the problem of racism in America.
  • Racism is a complex issue that cannot be solved overnight.
  • Education is key to combating racism and promoting social justice.

Good Racism Research Topics

  • Racism in America: A History from Slavery to Today
  • The Impact of Racism on African Americans
  • Racism and Discrimination in the Workplace
  • The School-to-Prison Pipeline: How Racism Contributes to the Mass Incarceration of African Americans
  • The Role of Media in Promoting Racism
  • The Impact of Racism on Mental Health
  • Racism and the Criminal Justice System
  • How has racism changed over time?
  • What are the different forms of racism?
  • How does racism affect people?
  • What are the causes of racism?
  • How can racism be prevented?
  • What are the consequences of racism?
  • What are the solutions to racism?
  • Is racism a global problem?
  • How does racism affect society?
  • What is the history of racism?

Easy Racism Essay Topics

  • The history of racism and its impact on society.
  • The different forms of racism and their effects on individuals and society.
  • The role of race in shaping individual and group identity.
  • The ways in which racism is perpetuated through institutional policies and practices.
  • The impact of racism on economic, social, and political life.
  • The challenges of living in a racially diverse society.
  • The role of the media in perpetuating or challenging racism.
  • The impact of racism on personal relationships.
  • The role of education in combating racism.
  • The challenges of addressing racism in the workplace.

Research Questions About Racism

  • How has racism impacted the lives of people of color in the United States?
  • What are the origins of racism in the United States?
  • How has racism changed over time in the United States?
  • What are the current manifestations of racism in the United States?
  • How do people of color experience racism in the United States?
  • What are the psychological effects of racism on people of color in the United States?
  • What are the economic effects of racism on people of color in the United States?
  • What are the educational effects of racism on people of color in the United States?
  • What are the health effects of racism on people of color in the United States?
  • What are the social effects of racism on people of color in the United States?

Argumentative essay topics about racism

  • Racism is a major problem in our society today and it needs to be addressed.
  • Racism is a major barrier to social cohesion and harmony.
  • Racism is a major cause of discrimination and prejudice.
  • Racism is a major source of tension and conflict in our society.

Topics about racism for essay

  • Racism as a social problem.
  • The history of racism and its impact on society..
  • Racism in the criminal justice system.
  • The different forms of racism.
  • Racism in the media.
  • The causes of racism.
  • Racism in the workplace.
  • The effects of racism on individuals and society.
  • Racism in education.
  • Racism and its impact on mental health.

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essays about racism

Black History Month: What is it and why is it important?

Black History Month - A visitor at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington.

Black History Month is an opportunity to understand Black histories. Image:  Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

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This article was originally published in February 2021 and has been updated .

  • A continued engagement with history is vital as it helps give context for the present.
  • Black History Month is an opportunity to understand Black histories, going beyond stories of racism and slavery to spotlight Black achievement.
  • This year's theme is African Americans and the Arts.

February is Black History Month. This month-long observance in the US and Canada is a chance to celebrate Black achievement and provide a fresh reminder to take stock of where systemic racism persists and give visibility to the people and organizations creating change. Here's what to know about Black History Month and how to celebrate it this year:

Have you read?

Black history month: key events in a decade of black lives matter, here are 4 ways businesses can celebrate black history month, how did black history month begin.

Black History Month's first iteration was Negro History Week, created in February 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, known as the "father of Black history." This historian helped establish the field of African American studies and his organization, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History , aimed to encourage " people of all ethnic and social backgrounds to discuss the Black experience ".

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” ― Carter G. Woodson

His organization was later renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and is currently the oldest historical society established for the promotion of African American history.

Why is Black History Month in February?

February was chosen by Woodson for the week-long observance as it coincides with the birthdates of both former US President Abraham Lincoln and social reformer Frederick Douglass. Both men played a significant role in helping to end slavery. Woodson also understood that members of the Black community already celebrated the births of Douglass and Lincoln and sought to build on existing traditions. "He was asking the public to extend their study of Black history, not to create a new tradition", as the ASALH explained on its website.

How did Black History Month become a national month of celebration?

By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil-rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, Negro History Week was celebrated by mayors in cities across the country. Eventually, the event evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History month. In his speech, President Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.

Since his administration, every American president has recognized Black History Month and its mission. But it wasn't until Congress passed "National Black History Month" into law in 1986 that many in the country began to observe it formally. The law aimed to make all Americans "aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity".

Why is Black History Month celebrated?

Initially, Black History Month was a way of teaching students and young people about Black and African-Americans' contributions. Such stories had been largely forgotten and were a neglected part of the national narrative.

Now, it's seen as a celebration of those who've impacted not just the country but the world with their activism and achievements. In the US, the month-long spotlight during February is an opportunity for people to engage with Black histories, go beyond discussions of racism and slavery, and highlight Black leaders and accomplishments.

What is this year's Black History Month theme?

Every year, a theme is chosen by the ASALH, the group originally founded by Woodson. This year's theme, African Americans and the Arts .

"In the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression, the African American influence has been paramount," the website says.

Is Black History Month celebrated anywhere else?

In Canada, they celebrate it in February. In countries like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Ireland, they celebrate it in October. In Canada, African-Canadian parliament member Jean Augustine motioned for Black History Month in 1995 to bring awareness to Black Canadians' work.

When the UK started celebrating Black History Month in 1987, it focused on Black American history. Over time there has been more attention on Black British history. Now it is dedicated to honouring African people's contributions to the country. Its UK mission statement is: "Dig deeper, look closer, think bigger".

Why is Black History Month important?

For many modern Black millennials, the month-long celebration for Black History Month offers an opportunity to reimagine what possibilities lie ahead. But for many, the forces that drove Woodson nearly a century ago are more relevant than ever. As Lonnie G. Bunch III, Director of the Smithsonian Institution said at the opening of the Washington D.C.'s National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016: “There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honouring our struggle and ancestors by remembering".

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Former Harvard Medical School dean claims ‘anti-racism' and ‘social justice jargon’ is hurting future doctors

F ormer Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey Flier has spoken out against the current implementation of "anti-racism" policies in healthcare training and suggested "potentially harmful" versions of social justice threaten to compromise patient care.

In an essay published by The Free Press this week, Flier recounted his initial interest in working with colleagues to combat racism and bias in medicine and his eagerness to read a 2020 paper from his alma mater's educational leaders addressing such problems.

He was disappointed to find that the final publication lacked significant analysis and instead offered "dramatic" and "unsupported" generalizations about inherent racism in medical education and practice.

Flier concluded the paper denigrated people's accomplishments and focused on the race of physicians and patients rather than a commitment to providing exceptional and equal care for all.

CRITICAL RACE THEORY-RELATED IDEAS FOUND IN PROGRAMS AT 108 OF 155 TOP AMERICAN MEDICAL SCHOOLS

Last January, the former dean logged on to Zoom for Mount Sinai's "Chats for Change Workshop," where he said he was immediately inundated with explanations about "Whiteness" and "White supremacy." He said the administrator leading the session continued by asking questions that "undermined the necessity of collecting unbiased evidence."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

According to his essay, questions included: "Why is anything that is documented or published valued more highly than other forms of knowledge and communication?" and "Are clinical trials more valuable than patient's clinical experiences?"

"The session failed to stimulate productive discussion about racism and responses to it that might improve health or enable transformative change. Instead, it advanced a highly questionable ideology about White supremacy and its relationship to modern medicine," Flier said.

Things only degraded in a second online workshop titled "Anti-Racist Transformation in Medical Education," he claimed. When Flier suggested the term "anti-racist," the school's Racism and Bias Initiative discussion leader responded it was simply a term for opposition to racism and "anyone with a terminal degree should know what." The leader also said the program was not about "encouraging pointless discussion" about the term's meaning.

CRITICAL RACE THEORY TAUGHT AT MANY OF AMERICA’S 50 MOST ELITE PRIVATE K-12 SCHOOLS, ACCORDING TO NEW STUDY

Flier disagreed and stressed that unclear terms can lead to unclear solutions.

"If we can't agree on what race, racism, diversity, inclusion, and equity actually mean, the initiatives based on these terms are likely to be ineffective," he said. "But the message of the sessions I attended was clear: much like a devotee accepting holy writ, we were to forgo questions and simply embrace the doctrine, even without knowing what it means."

Following the anti-racism workshop, Flier submitted a paper to Academic Medicine which outlined some of his concerns. It was rejected two days later with no peer review and without explanation.

The former Harvard Medical School dean noted that in 2021, the institution announced a task force to review racism in medical education and create responses to mitigate harm. While the school revealed a 72-page report had been completed, it was never made public.

Flier found this surprising. During his time as dean, report conclusions were published by appointed committees and faculty would later have an opportunity via meetings and town halls.

WASHINGTON U LECTURER WARNS MEDICAL STUDENTS NOT TO ‘DEBATE’ HER ON ‘SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION': 'SHUT THAT' DOWN

"In conversations with faculty members at both schools, concerns about the approach to anti-racism, not unique to me, are typically met with requests to discuss the topic 'off the record' and without attribution," he said. "Faculty concerned about the ideological capture of anti-racism initiatives are reluctant to express this openly for fear they will be labeled insufficiently anti-racist, causing reputational damage they prefer not to risk."

Flier surmised that students and trainees were being imprinted with "contestable ideological notions" and bringing less rigor to issues of racism versus other serious topics.

The goal, he said, should not be "performative discussions" and "empty virtue signaling" but better healthcare outcomes for all people. He also warned that a drift from evidence-based practices towards "ideological dogma" would only lead to graduates proficient in "social justice jargon" rather than expert care delivery.

"Sadly, I fear that diluting rigor and precision with ideological agendas will degrade the quality of medical education," he added. "In a rush to embed vague, contestable, and potentially harmful versions of social justice into medical education, we risk compromising the very foundation of medical training, and ultimately, patient care."

Harvard Medical School did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

Original article source: Former Harvard Medical School dean claims ‘anti-racism' and ‘social justice jargon’ is hurting future doctors

Jeffrey S. Flier became the 21st Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard University on September 1, 2007. His term as Dean ended in 2016 after nine years. Harvard Medical School/Screenshot/iStock

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    4 Pages Better Essays Preview Racism : Racism And Racism This issue of racism is popular by name but tends to be sugar coated by the way people see it. In order to truly understand racism you need to take a bite into the topic in order to get a taste of what it is really like.

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    racism, the belief that humans may be divided into separate and exclusive biological entities called "races"; that there is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, intellect, morality, and other cultural and behavioral features; and that some races are innately superior to others.

  3. Opinion

    July 22, 2021 The New York Times 1532 By David Brooks Opinion Columnist One question lingers amid all the debates about critical race theory: How racist is this land? Anybody with eyes to see and...

  4. Essays and Commentary on Race and Racism

    Essays and Commentary on Race and Racism | The New Yorker Essays and Commentary Reflections and analysis inspired by the killing of George Floyd and the nationwide wave of protests that...

  5. Black Americans' Views of Racial Inequality, Racism, Reparations and

    Black adults were asked in the survey to assess the current nature of racism in the United States and whether structural or individual sources of this racism are a bigger problem for Black people. About half of Black adults (52%) say racism in our laws is a bigger problem than racism by individual people, while four-in-ten (43%) say acts of ...

  6. Racism in the Structure of Everyday Worlds: A Cultural-Psychological

    The term racism is often used synonymously with prejudice (biased feelings or affect), stereotyping (biased thoughts and beliefs, flawed generalizations), discrimination (differential treatment or the absence of equal treatment), and bigotry (intolerance or hatred). This practice implicitly conceptualizes racism as a set of basic social-psychological processes underlying the psychologies of ...

  7. PDF Racism, Sociology of

    Abstract. The sociology of racism is the study of the relationship between racism, racial discrimination, and racial inequality. While past scholarship emphasized overtly racist attitudes and policies, contemporary sociology considers racism as individual- and group-level processes and structures that are implicated in the reproduction of ...

  8. Racism in America: Resources to help you understand a history of

    Stories, videos, photo essays, audio and graphics on black history, progress, inequality and injustice. ... As consensus grows about the existence of systemic racism in American policing and other ...

  9. Full article: Resisting racism in everyday life: from ignoring to

    Resistance to racism. Racialized people respond in a variety of ways to racism, including active opposition and more passive or hidden reactions (Carter Andrews Citation 2012).A US study reports a broad spectre of emotional responses, most common were feeling disrespected and anger, followed by a feeling of being insulted, disappointment, frustration, outrage, hurt and shock (Carter and ...

  10. Racism Essay Examples

    Introduction: What is Critical Race Theory? Critical race theory (CRT) is a framework for examining the effects of race and racism. We use CRT to dissect the systems of racism, including how it affects those being oppressed by cultural representations of race.

  11. What Students Are Saying About Race and Racism in America

    Yes, we learned about slavery and racism in the United States, especially racism during the time of Martin Luther King Jr., but we kind of just stopped there. We learned nothing of police ...

  12. Resisting Racism: Memoir & Essays

    We Gon' Be Alright by Jeff Chang. ISBN: 9780312429485. Publication Date: 2016-09-13. In these provocative, powerful essays acclaimed writer/journalist Jeff Chang (Can't Stop Won't Stop, Who We Be) takes an incisive and wide-ranging look at the recent tragedies and widespread protests that have shaken the country.

  13. Growing up black in America: here's my story of everyday racism

    Growing up in this country, my experience with everyday racism, although unique to my class and complexion, has nevertheless given me some access to the "second sight" that is a crucial part ...

  14. 372 Racism Essay Titles & Writing Examples

    30 min Table of Contents Looking for powerful racism essay topics? You will find them here! This list contains a great variety of titles for racism-themed papers. We've also included useful tips and plenty of racism essay examples to help you write an outstanding paper. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts

  15. Chapter Five: Essays for Discussion- What is Racism? In A Nutshell

    Chapter Five: Essays for Discussion- What is Racism? In A Nutshell Sometimes it is difficult for White people to truly understand racism. The main reason is because they do not want to learn about this country's ugly past. They don't want to hear about slavery, Jim Crow, lynching or the civil rights movements. They certainly don't want to ...

  16. Race, Trauma, and Social Justice

    Psychological research has shown that racism and racial discrimination—at both the interpersonal and systemic levels—are barriers to human development and psychological wellbeing. This page showcases research on racism, discrimination, and social justice to improve psychological outcomes for underrepresented communities. expand all.

  17. Racism Essay

    February 14, 2024 by Prasanna Racism Essay: Racism can be defined as the belief that individual races of people have distinctive cultural features that are determined by the hereditary factors and hence make some races inherently superior to the others.

  18. Research Guides: Racism: Essays

    The Atlantic, June 2014. How the historic debts from slavery, Jim Crow laws, housing discrimination and unequal pay must be redressed. How to Cool It, by James Baldwin. Esquire, July 1968. A classic essay that, sadly, could have been written about current circumstances - racism, police brutality, and unequal opportunities for Black America.

  19. 150 Essay Topics On Racism to Help You Compose an Essay

    Here's a list of 150 essay ideas on racism to help you ace a perfect paper. The subjects are divided based on what you require! Before we continue with the list of essay topics on racism, let's remember the definition of racism. In brief, it's a complex prejudice and a form of discrimination based on race.

  20. 11 Essays To Read About Racism & Police Violence

    A roundup of essays, from writers like Roxane Gay and Ibram X. Kendi, on anti-Black racism and police violence in America.

  21. The Impact of Racism on the Society: [Essay Example], 2796 words

    The purpose of this research essay about racism in society was to find the different ways our society is being affected by racism and what steps and measures the society is taking to overcome racism. Our hypothesis is that "Racism is a vile malignance that is leeching our society of its life-blood. However, as time has passed, the society has ...

  22. College Counselors on Writing About Race in College Essays

    Maude Bond, director of college counseling at Cate School in Santa Barbara County, California, cites one recent applicant she counseled who wrote her college essay about an internship with an anti ...

  23. Systemic Racism in Crime and Housing

    Disparate housing and crime outcomes clearly exist among races. Systemic racism may not be the cause of this, though. As with education and healthcare, even if systemic racism is indeed a cause, it might not be the only one.Other factors are at play. Minorities in general attend inferior schools in poorer neighborhoods, which leave students unprepared for today's labor market.

  24. 50+ Topics About Racism For Essay

    Racism is a form of discrimination that is based on the belief that one race is superior to another. Racism can be manifested in the form of individual prejudice, institutional discrimination, or hate crimes. Racism is often used as a justification for xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment.

  25. Black History Month: What is it and why do we need it?

    Black History Month is an opportunity to understand Black histories, going beyond stories of racism and slavery to spotlight Black achievement. This year's theme is African Americans and the Arts. February is Black History Month. This month-long observance in the US and Canada is a chance to celebrate Black achievement and provide a fresh ...

  26. Summary: Racism and Slavery Problems In The Adventures Of ...

    Essay Sample: In the book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is the main character who is just a boy. Huck is a good-hearted boy who is looked down on by society. Free essays. My List(0) About us; Our services. Essay topics and ideas ... But underneath all that is a lot of racism and slavery problems. It is hard for Jim to go on land on their ...

  27. Former Harvard Medical School dean claims 'anti-racism' and 'social

    In an essay published by The Free Press this week, Flier recounted his initial interest in working with colleagues to combat racism and bias in medicine and his eagerness to read a 2020 paper from ...