The Many Faces to Racism | Teen Ink

The Many Faces to Racism

April 29, 2014
By kaylalauren BRONZE, Coral Springs, Florida
kaylalauren BRONZE, Coral Springs, Florida
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

A man of middle eastern decent took a selfie in an airport with his back to security stating, “Bout to get randomly selected.” Racism has evolved. There was a point in our history that most considered people of other races “un-human.” Many practiced and defended slavery. Today, racism is a more of a social issue. The way we look has influenced the way we interact with one another. The mishaps of one person within a culture can influence the perception of all others within that culture or with similar physical attributes. Some roles in racism have transitioned; it is wrong for a domestic person to direct a racist comment at someone of foreign decent. However, it is often socially acceptable for such comments to originate from foreigns and be directed at domestic persons. There is little hope for converting the beliefs of all civilians. There is even less hope for converting them when the people we look up to, our political leaders and everyday role models, do not support the progression of egalitarianism.

Most of the world has politically overcome issues regarding race. Though, political change does not completely eliminate the issue. Humans are entitled to their own opinions and citizens of our country are granted the freedom of speech. Governing social issues regarding verbal racism goes against our rights. Donald Sterling, former coach of the Clippers, was morally wrong in his demand. However, he is entitled to his own opinion and ability to speak it. Controversial issues like this pose a question: how much political interference is too much?

I am a female caucasian in the process of applying for colleges and scholarships. I've devoted hours of my time towards identifying scholarships that I qualify for. Policies promoting diversity have reduced my chances of being accepted into a university and scholarship eligibility. Many financial aid opportunities, based on my research, are only available to those whom are african american, at least one-eighth native american, or of foreign decent. I've had substantial difficulty locating a scholarship that doesn't rely on race, that I eventually decided to conduct a search for scholarships in favor of my gender. Despite a high GPA and test scores, I still had very little luck. In the effort towards ending racism, the issue of reverse racism is emerging.

There are many faces to racism today. What once was an issue regarding whether or not african americans or other races are property (i.e., slavery) is now an issue of social equality. Politics has created policies to battle modern racism, which has it's pros and cons. It is unclear how much regulation is in the country's best interest. Too much regulation can cause other issues such as interference with our rights and reversed roles in racism. There is no perfect solution, but our nation, along with others, needs to address racism in a matter that considers all races.



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This article has 1 comment.


on Jun. 3 2014 at 6:44 pm
elliebell SILVER, Lewes, Other
6 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinon without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy

A brilliantly written article! Thank you for writing it.