Is racism a thing in the 21st century?
Yes! And here’s why.
Racism is violence involving one's race or ethnicity. Racism is not something that ended during the civil rights movement. There are many forms of racism such as xenophobia (fear of someone from another country), stereotypes (exaggerated generalizations about groups of people), horizontal racism (racism among people within the same minority), systemic racism, (racism enforced by the government) etc.
I once asked a current member of the U.S. Air Force if he felt that kneeling for the national anthem was a proper way of protest and he replied that there is no racism going on worth fighting for. He then stated that until his black friends were hung for the color of their skin, then he would fight for them. Why do people of color have to be hung for people to fight against an injustice that most of us face? Racism is not limited to violence.
Not "seeing color" is not a solution. When someone says they don't, "See color", they usually refer to being blind to the idea that someone has a different skin color than their own. The difference among the color of our skin makes our country diverse and beautiful. Each of our differences must be recognized and celebrated. Acknowledging someone's skin color is not hateful, the prejudice involved with that observation is hateful and wrong.
Although we don't see "Whites Only" signs anymore and slavery was ended after the civil war, people of color, including me, fear for their lives and are careful to avoid racially stressful situations. If someone hasn't personally felt oppressed because of their race/ethnicity, they should use their platform to fight for those that do. Fighting does not necessarily mean joining the Black Lives Matter movement, but with simple acts such as educating people that think less of people from a certain race/ethnicity and leading by example.
Yes! And here’s why.
Racism is violence involving one's race or ethnicity. Racism is not something that ended during the civil rights movement. There are many forms of racism such as xenophobia (fear of someone from another country), stereotypes (exaggerated generalizations about groups of people), horizontal racism (racism among people within the same minority), systemic racism, (racism enforced by the government) etc.
I once asked a current member of the U.S. Air Force if he felt that kneeling for the national anthem was a proper way of protest and he replied that there is no racism going on worth fighting for. He then stated that until his black friends were hung for the color of their skin, then he would fight for them. Why do people of color have to be hung for people to fight against an injustice that most of us face? Racism is not limited to violence.
Not "seeing color" is not a solution. When someone says they don't, "See color", they usually refer to being blind to the idea that someone has a different skin color than their own. The difference among the color of our skin makes our country diverse and beautiful. Each of our differences must be recognized and celebrated. Acknowledging someone's skin color is not hateful, the prejudice involved with that observation is hateful and wrong.
Although we don't see "Whites Only" signs anymore and slavery was ended after the civil war, people of color, including me, fear for their lives and are careful to avoid racially stressful situations. If someone hasn't personally felt oppressed because of their race/ethnicity, they should use their platform to fight for those that do. Fighting does not necessarily mean joining the Black Lives Matter movement, but with simple acts such as educating people that think less of people from a certain race/ethnicity and leading by example.