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Keara Tellis

Professor Pedrotti

English-1201

4 August 2019

Research Essay

Racism as we know it may not be as prevalent in society but is still very much so alive

today. I am half Caucasian and half African-American, so I am considered to be “mixed race” or

biracial. This is something that has impacted me through my entire childhood up till my present

adulthood. All my life I have been discriminated against due to the color of my skin and the fact

that my whole family is white and tend to have straight hair, whereas I have brown skin and

kinky brown hair. Growing up I did not truly understand racism, I honestly thought people did

not care what color of skin everyone had. I thought skin color was something as simple as not

liking vegetables or food touching, meaning it did not matter. I learned quickly that this was not

true, I would have teachers, friends’ parents, and even extended family treat me poorly for just

simply having a brown complexion. Today, I pick and choose my fights with people who have

racist tendencies and judgements. It is emotionally draining and tiring to attempt to correct each

and every racist comment or mannerism I hear/see. I overall want to research the topic of how

racism manifests today and how racism can affect diversity. The manifestation of racism takes

place when people form prejudices, lack education about others different from them, and are

passed through generational standards that are established.

I overall want to research this topic to understand why people believe the things they

believe based off differences in skin tones. I do not understand how the amount of hate someone
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can have for someone else, plainly because they have a different skin tone than them. Recently,

in the news and in the newspaper the story of the KKK who were traveling to Dayton to spread

their words of hate was covered via several news outlets. The whole week leading up to this

rally, the community came together in the most beautiful way. Local businesses, churches, and

even our own Sinclair Community College spoke out with messages that stated that “Hate is not

welcome here in Dayton”. Seeing this type of community gave me chills and so much pride for

our city. I know that love will always beat hate, but I want to understand how racist like the

KKK have even become about and why they still exist today in modern times.

People in society form opinions about everything, whether they be positive or negative

opinions. These opinions are not factual and are more than likely based off bias or prejudice

behavior. A common site for bias and prejudices to take place is within racism as a concept. An

enormous topic of debate in the media today is the treatment of people of color in the criminal

justice system. The article “Research Confirms that Entrenched Racism Manifests in Disparate

Treatment of Black Americans in Criminal Justice System” is by the Vera Institiute of Justice

from May 3rd, 2018 and discusses the treatment of Black Americans in the criminal justice

system. This article discusses the prejudice bias set by the law enforcement community that leads

to police brutality and lack of trust from the community. Racism continues to manifest due to the

state of the criminal justice system and the people of color it serves (Vera). People of color have

been viewed as having natural criminal behavior and tendencies sense the beginning of racism,

according to this article by the Vera Institute of Justice. This however is not a proven idea and

has been brought about by racist biases and unwillingness to understand the struggles people of

color face.
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Many believe the culture between the criminal justice system and people of color is due to

slavery. The impact of slavery has created a disadvantaged world for those who are ancestors of

slaves and people of color in general. A Ted Talk by James White and was posted on February

20 , 2019 and discusses a first account of how racism is constantly alive today, even if we do not
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personally witness it in or day to day lives. James White is an African American in the United

States who tells of a time when he was stationed in the Air Force away from his family and had

trouble finding a home for his family to come join him. “I was turned away by countless

apartment owners and trailer park owners for poor excuses” (White). He hints at the reasoning he

was turned away; he and his family are black. Many of the trailer and apartment owners told him

that his family’s presence would make the white, already living their residents uncomfortable.

One trailer park owner told him “I do not have a problem with your kind of people but....it upsets

some of the residents seeing you all and makes them scared in your presence. If I upset them,

they might all move out. I cannot help you, sorry” (White). James White’s family became fearful

they would have to spend the time he was in the Air Force away from him, for apartment owners

would not allow his family to reside in their complexes.

Eventually he finds a home for his family and they come to join him where he stationed in

Idaho. James White tells this story to cast light on how racism was and still is alive today in the

simplest aspects. He also discusses how he chooses to raise his children and grandchildren

regarding police brutally. Policies dating back to times of slavery have created a system that is

against minorities and people of color. The “War on Drugs” was an undercover way to target

people of color for doing what other groups of races were doing, but in turn having them arrested

(Vera). During the “War on Drugs” era African Americans were the most incarcerated

individuals and the numbers kept growing, known as mass incarceration. Mass incarceration is
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clear evidence of racism today and how it affects people of color. Racism in society leads to

over-incarcerated, over-policed, impoverished, and generational suffering in colored

communities.

Racism can be dated back to being created during the time of slavery here in the United

States. As explained by Charles M. Blow in “Reparations: Reasonable and Right” in the New

York Times, slavery began when the first enslaved person was brought here 400 years ago.

Slavery was the economic root of this country for 250 years and was the basis of how the United

States was created (Blow). The enslaved individuals who were forced to partake in slavery were

unpaid and poorly treated. The Constitution even said that African Americans were three fifths

of a person in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case decision (Blow). The author of this article calls for

reparations of those directly affected by slavery and oppression (ancestors). Charles M. Blow

states that “Ancestors of the formerly enslaved have received generational suffering, so should

receive some form of reparations”. These reparations would be believed to help bridge the gap

between people of color and their counterparts.

Some individuals believe reparations are in order for those directly affected by slavery and

oppression. At one point every former enslaved person was promised forty acres of land and a

mule but ended up receiving nothing except pain and suffering. After the salves were freed, they

were left with nothing and many died from sickness or starvation. Ancestors of slaves where in

turn acquired with more hardships than other races and ethnicities (people of color in general).

After the Jim Crow laws were no longer in affect, a new epidemic called mass incarceration

came about. This is considered to be another legal form of oppression for African Americans and

people of color. The author, Charles M. Blow states that America must accept responsibility for
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the pain inflicted on people of color and provide reparations for the people they hurt on this land

and the people they stole this land from.

Many people know that slaves had to overcome several hardships to become “freed slaves”

during the end of slavery. In the documentary “African Americans Many Rivers to Cross”, by

Henry Louis Gates provides a first-person account of an enslaved man and his fight for freedom.

The documentary begins by covering the walkthrough of slavery and the effects of slavery in

present time. “Slaves were brought to what is now North America to begin what was considered

to be the “New World” and thought it would lead to bright new beginnings (Gates). As we know,

these “bright new beginnings” did not occur for the enslaved people for quite some time and was

actually filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair. The documentary discusses how slavery

hardships has led to the manifestation of racism through different generations. The author

highlighted that many people today still feel the effects of slavery, whether that be having family

in other countries, facing financial burdens from the previous generation, or simply not feeling

accepted in their day to day lives. Societal standards have created institutional racism through

generations within society, and still is affecting ancestors of formally enslaved people. A prime

example of have generations after slavery are still affected by history, is that society is extremely

intolerant of people who are different.

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Caption for image related to research- This image is of two fists with several words

describing how racism begins and its effects on people and society as a whole. The claim is that

society and the people in society are being directly affected by racism and the way it manifests

today. The image has some words bolder than others along with different colored font. Poverty is

one of the bolder words and is a direct effect of racism in society, for racism creates more

families and individuals who are in poverty. Classism is also another word that is bolded and is a

way that racism manifests today, for it is based on prejudices. Something else that stands out is

that violence is present several times in the image. Violence allows racism to manifest and is a

result of racism, for people who are racist tend to have violent tendencies against a certain group

and people who are being discriminated against can get violent when situations arise.

Pathos is very prevalent in this image, for it showcases a few words that are tough to

handle and come to terms with. PTSD, depression, and child abuse are examples of the words

being used to reflect pathos. Logos is determined based on comparing and contrasting these
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words and their meanings. As you sit and analyze the words used, begin to relate the words to

racism and the effects of the words on people in society. This image also raises some ethical

questions regarding ethos, for example are we allowing people to get away with being bluntly

racist? Are we leaving those affected by racism to cope alone, leading to different types of

mental illnesses and behavior? People effected by racism and the communities around them

should unite to overcome the hate inflicted by individuals who are themselves full of hate (which

is something that I am proud to say my community and the community of Sinclair did so

recently).

Intolerance is known to be present in several aspects of life. People are intolerant towards

people of different race, religion, and even social class. Specifically, racism is manifested

through the act of intolerance in society. Several people believe that society is the least intolerant

towards black men, including speaker Verna Myers in her TED Talk “How to overcome

biases?”. Verna Myers speaks about a call to action to stop fearing black people, but specifically

to stop fearing black men. The speaker signifies that intolerance will continue until we learn to

be tolerant or even understanding of one another. In this example, she speaks on how as a society

we should “look at our biases about racism and intolerance head on and comfort them” (Myers).

We must become uncomfortable in order to get comfortable with new ideas and concepts. If we

keep running afraid of people who are different than us, we will repeat history again and again.

People become bystanders and lose our humanity if we become quiet. Verna Myers asks

three things of us: no more denial, find awesome people who are different than you and surround

yourself with them, and lastly to say something when you see something. She discusses that

society will keep failing young black people, if we allow it to. There can be no more denial of

having bias and intolerance towards others she says, for we all have biases and intolerant traits
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whether we know it or not. As a society we must create unity in order to move forward as one. In

the article “Teaching Hard History” by Teaching Tolerance, the publisher shares how intolerance

in terms of racism has become a social construct that affects people of color in terms of fairness,

equality, and opportunity.

In this article by the publisher Teaching Tolerance, it also provides an account of how

racism began here in the United States and its influences today. Slavery began before the

settlement of North America and started outside of what is known as the United States, when

settlers stole African people from their land and forced them to come here (Teaching Tolerance).

The enslavement of the African people and the trade of them was used as an institution of power

and created profit for the enslavers and to break the will of salves, as told by Teaching

Tolerance. Slaves were used for labor and financial gain across the world. The slaves that

attempted to resist their enslavers were met with punishments of violence and pain. As many

know slaves were freed by President Abraham Lincoln, but only in free states. It was not until

the passing of the 13 amendment and the end of the Civil War that all slaves were truly free
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(Teaching Tolerance). Even after being freed, former slaves still faced hardships and tragedies.

African Americans face wage disparities, wealth inequality, and even unemployment due to

modern racism. This modern-day racism is a direct result of slavery and proves that racial

tensions still exist.

Today, diversity is affected by racism in housing opportunities, education, and workplaces.

A general problem with racism is that it can lead to why people feel like they cannot express

themselves in new environments. This can mean that someone may not act like their true self at

work. In the article “How racism and a lack of diversity can harm productivity in our

workplaces” by a publisher called The Conversation, it discusses what lack of diversity

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knowledge and training can do to a workplace environment. According to this article racial

discrimination biases still exist in workplaces and other spaces. Productivity at jobs for people of

color can go down due to racial tensions. This could mean mental health issues, physical health

issues, or even poor attitude. These types of issues are created due to racism and will lead to a

lack of diversity among colleagues. Ethnic diversity within spaces can assist with poverty,

economic inequality, and corruption. Places where diversity has been higher, productivity and

wages increase (The Conversation). As a society, businesses need to become more aware of the

different cultures their business serves and how to better reflect the acceptance of different

ethnicities. This article provides a clear connection between the presence of racism leading to the

lack of diversity.

There are a few groups and individual people who believe that people of color have created

the concept of racism. These people think that people of color are the root of their oppression,

because they will not “forget” the past. They believe that racism would not exist or be as

prevalent if people of color just forgave and forgot. They impose that people of color play

“victim” too often in terms of racial issues. The people who think this also believe that people of

color, especially black people make everything about race. These individuals want people of

color to forget that their ancestors were enslaved, killed, and humiliated for generations.

They claim people of color mention history too much, meaning that it should just all be

forgotten. This leads to forgetting all the people who sacrificed everything for people of color to

be free. When people of color play a “card” it is due to being oppressed and trying to draw

attention to the issue or issues at hand that are backed by discrimination. These same individuals

believe that white people are more oppressed than people of color and are more likely to be

discriminated against. This is inaccurate, because they will never be oppressed or discriminated
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solely due to their skin color. All of the stated arguments do not check out in regard to real

statistics and facts. Overall, the people who believe the mentioned statements are a small percent

and should honestly be ignored. These are the type of individuals that keep racism alive and well.

The people that choose to keep racism alive have yet to understand that everyone is mixed

with something. No one is one race or “pure” raced as some say. At the end of the day everyone

is human, and we are all defined by the same characteristics. People need to accept that

humankind may present itself differently among individuals, but at the end of the day we are all

the same on the inside. To take steps moving forward to combat racism and the overall

oppression of minorities is to make our differences known, but to accept that our differences are

what make us all great. There is no simple answer to “fix” these types of behaviors and thinking,

but acceptance and tolerance are the key to creating harmony. Once society admits that there are

tough issues and experiences regarding minorities, that will be the biggest step in the right

direction. People must get uncomfortable regarding racism and discrimination, in order to get

comfortable with one another.

Racism manifests today when people form prejudices, lack education and knowledge about

people different than them, and are passed through generational standards time and time again.

People who form biases and prejudices regarding race, usually form poor opinions towards

particular races. Lack of education and knowledge about different races than one’s self, can lead

to racism starting at the core. Since slavery, people have developed a reasoning behind their

racial discrimination tendencies that have led to the concept of racism. As a society we must be

the change we wish to see in the world and help to stop racism in its footsteps.
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Works Cited

Blow, Charles M. “Opinion | Reparations: Reasonable and Right.” The New York Times, The

New York Times, 20 June 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/opinion/reparations-

reasonable-and-right.html?rref=collection/timestopic/Race.

Gates, Henry Louis. “African Americans Many Rivers to Cross.” PBS, Public Broadcasting

Service, www.pbs.org/black-culture/shows/list/african-american-history-many-rivers-to-

cross/.

Myers, Verna. “How to Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly toward Them.” TED,

www.ted.com/talks/verna_myers_how_to_overcome_our_biases_walk_boldly_toward_them

?referrer=playlist-talks_to_help_you_understand_r.

The Conversation. “How Racism and a Lack of Diversity Can Harm Productivity in Our

Workplaces.” The Conversation, 28 June 2019, theconversation.com/how-racism-and-a-

lack-of-diversity-can-harm-productivity-in-our-workplaces-73119.

Teaching Hard History, Teaching Tolerance, www.tolerance.org/frameworks/teaching-hard-

history/american-slavery.

Vera. “Research Confirms That Entrenched Racism Manifests in Disparate...” , 22 Mar. 2019,

www.vera.org/newsroom/research-confirms-that-entrenched-racism-manifests-in-

disparate-treatment-of-black-americans-in-criminal-justice-system.

White, James A. “The Little Problem I Had Renting a House.” TED,

www.ted.com/talks/james_a_white_sr_the_little_problem_i_had_renting_a_house.
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