Formal Education
Racism has been a controversial issue for decades and up to date it is still a part of the society we live. Racism is a scenario that has been in existence since time immemorial. It exists because of the way different people perceive themselves. In most cases, racism divides people along social cultural, geographical and biological lines. It often describes hostility that perhaps exists between two ethnic groups.
It is evident from research conducted in the past that racism has both positive and negative effects on the groups of people under consideration. The most outstanding positive impact is that of unifying people. For a group of people to be tightly united, they must identify themselves with a single thing. This bond must not be broken by their individual differences. However, it is a sad reality to note that the negative effects of racism vastly outweigh its merits.
We have an example of Claudine Chiawie O’Hearn, whose birthplace was Hong Kong. She grew up in Asia and Europe, but she resides in New York City. She is an author who currently narrates a story of her encounter with a giant woman who had wiry hair running amok. She says that she never spoke about her race, as it was a mixed one. Her brother and other kids from minority groups had to show his passport as his proof of citizenship.
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She also gives an account of her American friend, who once criticized the Chinese gold-digging women for trying to trap their Western men. When Claudine went to the United States to study at college, she recalled her friends locking her out of their discussions and telling her that she could not understand since she was not from there, i.e. the United States. This can be blamed on poor socialization of people from different racial backgrounds. It is clear that the place of birth of a person and his skin color is not enough proof of his race or his culture.
It is right to conclude that in the real sense people from various world parts are not different in any way. The difference develops due to the different ways in which those people socialize. The variance in their skin color could be due to differing climatic conditions found in various world parts. It could also be a way to adapt to biological differences and evolution. However, irrespective of the differences that may exist, people should realize that we are all equal.
History clearly indicates that the African countries that were under the colonial powers of the West experienced discrimination along racial lines. The colonizers fought Africans and took over their administrative responsibilities. We learn that these administrative systems were highly informal. The colonizers took over African fertile land and gained control of mines and economic resources. Africans became slaves in their own countries. These colonies took slaves to their home countries.
The white people from western countries perpetrated these immoral acts since they perceived black people as inferior to them. They denied the black people access to their social amenities, such as schools and churches. It was so since they believed that black people were not worthy to use such resources. The white children learnt and socialized to rule over the blacks. Therefore, these children could not learn to appreciate black people later. The slaves who went abroad did not get any better treatment.
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The perception of people about others is all that racism entails. The early social scientists Eurocentric scientists referred to Africans and Indians as the lowest race of humanity. Malcolm Gladwel asserts that being bi-racial frees one from cultural and racial discrimination. When a person migrates from one place to another, he becomes confused about his racial identity. For example, a black man who migrates to America may not know what to identify himself with – his place of origin, his skin color, or his new country. He ought to be called an American, but due to people’s racist nature, we call him a Black American. This renders him incapable of getting absorbed in to the American system. Cited below are some of the possible suggestions.
People from communities that appear to be inferior should be encouraged to appreciate themselves as equal to their otherwise seemingly superior counterparts. From the book of Half-and-Half, we remember of an anthem that James Brown popularized. It emphasized the pride of being African. They recited this anthem to be able to overcome the inferiority feeling. In time, the Black Americans have developed self-confidence such that they can compete fairly with all the other Americans. They have even been able to get leadership posts, such as the presidency. President Obama has African roots that are Kenyan ancestral home.
We should encourage intermarriages. A case study in America shows that in the seacoast state of Georgia, as well as in South Carolina, there was a racial mixing through intermarriages for two centuries. These intermarriages took place between slaves, masters and lovers. They comprised Whites, Indians and the Blacks. The resulting race is not a purely black race. Participation in social activities is a yet another way of unifying people who have different racial backgrounds. Games such as athletics and football unite so many countries, thus enabling people from all parts of the word to realize that they are the same.
Formal education has also played a crucial role in enlightening the world on the importance of unity. Research has provided scientific evidence that with equal opportunities people from all over the world can perform a task equally. Good examples can be found in Africa, or otherwise known as the Dark Continent. Today, we have exceptionally reliable innovations created by the Africans. An excellent example is a money transfer system developed in Kenya and based on M-Pesa mobile phone.