Racial Discrimination

10 min readMay 9, 2021

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What is racial discrimination and what is the history of it?

You obviously must have seen that all humans don’t have your skin type. Some people have darker skin, while others have lighter skin. But why does this make “white” people more superior than others? What exactly is racism? The answer to this can be seen when an article says, “Racism is the belief that some racial groups are better than other groups, and that how a person acts is due to that person’s race. Racism leads to people being treated unfairly. This includes treatment from other people and from society, such as laws. Often the majority race makes laws and holds personal beliefs that harm or suppress racial-ethnic minority groups” (“Racism.” Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/DXDLIK032872385/SUIC?u=san07545&sid=SUIC&xid=961abb07. Accessed 12 Nov. 2020). This text tells us that racism is the belief of groups being rated based on color. It’s the thought of being more superior and better than others. Usually shown in society, its people, and the law. Racist thoughts are one’s personal beliefs and aren’t at all factual. Now that we know what racism is, let’s see how it started! It all started in Europe. The first sign of racial discrimination can be seen, when the text states, “Christian Europeans believed that God favored them because of their Christian faith. Many Christians even questioned whether Black people and Native Americans were humans with souls” (“Racism.” Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/DXDLIK032872385/SUIC?u=san07545&sid=SUIC&xid=961abb07. Accessed 12 Nov. 2020). This text tells us that Europeans thought they were superior due to their religion. They thought God liked them for being Christians. After that theory, they started questioning whether people with black skin had souls! That means that Europeans thought Africans didn’t have feelings! They thought they weren’t human! But, even though whites thought they were the best, other groups were slowly accepted as white. However unfortunately many weren’t. For example, the article states that Irish and Italian immigrants weren’t considered white. They were treated differently due to this reason. But over years people started considering them as whites. However, people like the Chinese weren’t considered the same over time. It started with the Chinese Exclusion Act, and people didn’t accept them as white after many years (“Racism.” Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/DXDLIK032872385/SUIC?u=san07545&sid=SUIC&xid=961abb07. Accessed 12 Nov. 2020). This evidence shows an important concept. It shows how now discrimination isn’t just about religion, it’s now about color. This evidence tells us that whites over time changed and accepted Italians and Irish as white, but didn’t accept Asians. So basically, racism, or in other words racial discrimination, started due to a misunderstanding the Europeans made which started with cultural differences and slowly turned into discrimination based on skin color. Over time though whites accepted people, many were not. Especially not blacks. Whites for that reason are looked at as more superior than other races to this day in some people’s opinions, though there is no fact to this. Racism is simply just one’s belief.

What are the different types of racial discrimination, and what are the effects of them?

Wouldn’t it be ironic for a Sikh man to be a barber? Because in the Sikh religion you aren’t allowed to show or cut your hair. But if that Sikh person couldn’t get a job due to his religion, that would be a problem. This is a type of Racism called Indirect racism. According to an article, “ This happens when an organization has a particular policy or way of working that puts people of your racial group at a disadvantage” (“Race Discrimination.” Race Discrimination | Equality and Human Rights Commission, www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/race-discrimination. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020). This part of the article tells us that Indirect racism isn’t “direct”. In this type of racism, indirectly a rule makes life hard for certain skin color or religion. Another type of racism is Direct racism. According to the article, direct racism is when “ someone treats you worse than another person in a similar situation because of your race” (“Race Discrimination.” Race Discrimination | Equality and Human Rights Commission, www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/race-discrimination. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020). This tells us that when someone treats a person differently than another person of different color or religion, it is called Direct racism. These causes also have effects. A few of the effects can be seen when the text in the articles says, “People who experience racism may be turned down for lucrative jobs or they may be offered less money for working in the same position. Racism also affects the quality of education a person receives, thus impacting the types of employment that is possible for that person. Over time and generations, the negative impacts often compound. Racism also has a large psychological impact on people who experience it. Racism often causes a stress reaction in people of minority race populations. Over time, the stress reaction in the body can cause physical and psychological problems, including heart conditions and depression” (“Racism.” Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2181500086/SUIC?u=san07545&sid=SUIC&xid=ddcd7df8. Accessed 14 Nov. 2020). This tells us that people who deal with racism tend to have a hard time getting a job, have problems with education, have heart conditions, depression, and other mental health issues. They are also very stressful. So basically, the causes of racism are broken down into two main types of racism: Indirect and Direct. This each leads to putting a certain race or color at a disadvantage. The effects of these racisms are mental health issues and career/ education issues.

What does society think of racial discrimination?

Have you heard of George Floyd’s death? He was a criminal who was being arrested. But instead of simply putting cuffs and taking him in, the police officer pinned him to the ground with his knee on George Floyd’s neck. He wasn’t able to breathe and begged for the police officer to let him go and promised he wouldn’t run. A few minutes later, George Floyd died. There are many sides of the black lives matter argument, and many ways people look at this. Let’s see how people respond/think about racism. People have different points of view towards racial discrimination… This can be seen through surveys. For instance, an article states, “Most people in the U.S. are not blind to modern racism. In a June 3rd survey of almost 7,000 people across the country, the vast majority acknowledged inequity.

60% of people think racial discrimination is an “extremely serious” or “very serious” problem for the country, and only 5% don’t believe that it is a problem at all.
86% of people think that white people have societal advantages that Black people don’t have
76% of people believe that police officers treat some groups differently from others
86% of people say they followed the news coverage of George Floyd’s case closely

Unsurprisingly, Black respondents were the most cognizant of the problem, but even among white people (who made up the majority of the survey takers, since our polling research is balanced to reflect the U.S. population), very few would deny that a problem exists” (“Most People Think Racism Is a Serious Problem-and They Want Businesses to Speak Out.” SurveyMonkey, www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/most-people-think-racism/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020). This tells us that most people think racism is a big, or as mentioned, “extremely serious” problem in this nation. Very few think it’s not a problem at all. It also tells us that 86% of people think whites have more opportunities and privileges than black people have. 86% also stayed followed the latest trending George Floyd news and analyzed it. And 76% believe that police officers treat blacks unfairly. The evidence also mentions that black people were the most to show that racism is a problem. But lots of whites too thought the same way. This data was pretty predictable as our country is very modern. But the data in a survey taken on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day was a bit surprising. This can be seen when the text states, “In our Black Women’s Equal Pay Day study in August of 2019, sentiments looked a little different.

43% of the respondents in that research said that “the obstacles that made it harder for Black women to get ahead are now largely gone”
50% of respondents said they thought Black women made the same amount of money as white men for doing similar work (the reality is that Black women make 62 cents for every dollar a white man makes doing similar work)” (Colette Des Georges).

This tells us that 43%, meaning a little less than half the people taking the survey, think/said that it is hard for Black women to move forward… as mentioned in the article there are “obstacles”. 50% think Black women earn the same as white men for the same job, but actually, they don’t. The ratio given in the article is 62 cents to a dollar. This next evidence adds more to our Black Women’s Pay Day data. In the article, it says, “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core parts of any healthy, ethical business, but there is still a long way to go until they become the norm, as the Black Women’s Equal Pay Day data makes clear: While 31% of white men and 27% of white women have had a mentor or sponsor at some point in their career, just 2 in 10 black women have had a similar advocate or role model. White men and women (33% and 30%) are far more likely to have ever had a job or executive leadership training than Black women (19%). Just 27% of Black women have worked for companies that have policies in place to support balancing work and family demands” (“Most People Think Racism Is a Serious Problem-and They Want Businesses to Speak Out.” SurveyMonkey, www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/most-people-think-racism/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020). This tells us that after seeing the data on Black Women’s Pay Day black people aren’t seen as equal yet. The data shows that very few white men and women have had someone who helped them in their career as a mentor or sponsor who was black. Only 2 out of 10 black women have had that same type of person. White men and women according to the data are more likely to have leadership roles. Very few black women have worked in places that have rules that mutually help their work and family. So basically, the results of the survey given after the George Floyd incident was more supportive to black people. However, the survey given on Black Women’s Pay Day was not as supportive of Black rights. An equal amount of people thought that black women were given the same opportunity and treatment as White men and women. However, research says that’s not true. All people have different points of view. These surveys show it.

I chose to write on this topic because I think it is a very non-logical social issue. I think it’s important we know all the details about this. I can relate to this topic because I have seen racism. And I see it everywhere. In tv, stories, and our daily life. Why are people of color pointed out if they don’t work in the same field that most people their color do? Why do some people think fair skin is the prettiest? Why are certain colors judged/made fun of upon certain features they have? This is a huge problem in our society that puts barriers between people in our neighborhood. What may seem funny to one may not seem funny to others.

Interesting facts:

Racism can be seen in the movie snow white. Why are they asking to be the fairest? It’s not like being fair is being beautiful.
“ “In New York City, 88% of police stops in 2018 involved Black and Latinx people, while 10% involved white people. (Of those stops, 70% were completely innocent.)” (New York Civil Liberties Union. “Stop-and-Frisk Data.” https://www.nyclu.org/en/stop-and-frisk-data. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020).
From 2013 to 2017, white patients in the US received better quality health care than about 34% of Hispanic patients, 40% of Black patients, and 40% of Native American patients (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.” https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/research/findings/nhqrdr/2018qdr-final.pdf. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020).
Black Americans and white Americans use drugs at similar rates, but Black Americans are 6 times more likely to be arrested for it (NAACP. “Criminal Justice Fact Sheet.” https://www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/. Accessed Feb. 4, 2020).
In the US, Black individuals are twice as likely to be unemployed than white individuals. Once employed, Black individuals earn nearly 25% less than their white counterparts (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. “Discrimination in the Job Market in the United States.” https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluation/discrimination-job-market-united-states. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020).” (“11 Facts About Racial Discrimination.” DoSomething.org, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-racial-discrimination. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020).

Works cited:

Articles

“Racism.” Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/DXDLIK032872385/SUIC?u=san07545&sid=SUIC&xid=961abb07. Accessed 12 Nov. 2020
“Race Discrimination.” Race Discrimination | Equality and Human Rights Commission, www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/race-discrimination. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020
“Most People Think Racism Is a Serious Problem-and They Want Businesses to Speak Out.” SurveyMonkey, www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/most-people-think-racism/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020

Interesting facts

“11 Facts About Racial Discrimination.” DoSomething.org, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-racial-discrimination. Accessed 30 Nov. 2020

Images/charts

Let’s fight for equality together! #blacklivesmatter

Racial Discrimination

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Written by Flora Dixit