Prejudice and Racism in Canada

Racism in Canada

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a

nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by

the content of their character" (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Ku Klux Klan. Neo Nazis. The Aryan Nations. The American Nazi Party.

What are these groups? Why are they present in a land of supposed

equality of all men? They are there because there are millions of

Americans that believe in their message of white pride. The African

American population is growing and Americans are now a mixed group of

people. Black people are white people's neighbours, doctors, friends.

With a growing unity between the two races, why does racism continue? The

answer is simple. Racists from many years ago raise their kids in clans

and white supremacy groups and teach them the ways of hatred. These kids

grow up "brain-washed" that black people are their enemies and, taught by

example, will continue this trend (The Volume Library; 1988).

The Ku Klux Klan has been around since the end of the civil war. It is a

roller coaster of a history. From extreme power, to rapid decline, and

slow reemergence (Software Toolworks Encyclopedia; 1992). The clan, who is

notorious for its violence, has a relatively innocent beginning. It was

formed from some veterans from the confederate army and was first called

the Kuklos Clan which, in Greek, meant Circle Clan.

One person thought it would be a good idea to call it the "Ku Klux Klan"

as a parody of the fraternity names which always had three Greek alphabet

letters in it. They created the Clan to be mischievous and to do it

without anyone knowing who they were which accounts for their costumes and

masks. They, like most whites, were upset that the black people were

free because black people were a constant reminder of the bitter defeat of

the South. So to have fun they terrorized black people. Eventually the

group grew, fluctuating, but grew to become the first white supremacy

group in America and with that growth, their hatred grew as well into what

was seen in the early and middle 1900's and what is seen today.

Along with the KKK, other anti-black, pro-white groups formed and stemmed

out all over the U.S.A. The Neo Nazis who are more commonly know by the

term "Skin Heads", are a growing force in hate groups. There hatred of

Hispanics, Jews, Blacks, and others are now the fastest growing force in