Racism

836 Words2 Pages

Racism has been a major global issue in our world’s history. Racial discrimination has been a driving force in the United States since the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, builds upon the global issue of racism and racial discrimination (Lee).
The truth of racism lies behind the history of mankind. Yet it is commonly assumed that racism originates back to when human society began. Jacob Silverman states, “The philosopher and writer Kwame Anthony Appiah traces the origin of the term "racism" to the 1930s.” Technically, racism began as soon as people faced other races. It is said that racism began as hereditary. Back in the 1930’s, when racism was at its highest point, races separated themselves. This was just how it was. Before the inventions of transportation and experiencing other racial groups of people, many predominantly stayed in their own areas with their same kind of people (Lauren 1).
Slavery began in the US slightly after the English colonists arrived in Virginia. It lasted until the Thirteenth Amendment was passed by congress in 1865.Many blacks were taken from their origin and sold to farmers. They were set to work on plantations and do what they were told. If not, they were punished with being whipped or worse. Slaves were not treated with respect. They were treated cruelly and unhumanlike.
Racism began the social problem of denying rights, representation, or resources based on racial differences. Colored races were denied many of the rights that whites were allowed. Blacks were often separated from the whites in multiple places. Whites had a bathroom, and often the blacks had their own also. With being allowed to ride on buses with whites, they had to either sit in the back of ...

... middle of paper ...

...s. Looking back on the history of the 1800s, racism was everywhere. America made it steps to becoming one with whites and African Americans. It took much effort for our society to round itself around the issue but it was worth getting rid of most racial discrimination. Racism isn't common anymore, but that doesn't mean that racist thoughts or comments don't exist (Nguyen). Although some progress has been made toward racial equality, America remains a very racist country.

Works Cited

To Kill a Mockingbird
"Racism and Its Affect on Society." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
"Background on Racial Discrimination." Do Something. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
"Racism in North America, Then and Now." Ontario Human Rights Commission |. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.
"The American Vision: Modern Times © 2008." Your Page Title. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.

Open Document