Racism in America

a persuasive essay that my class had to write in language arts

Dr. Martin Luthar King JR once stated in his famous I have a dream speech,

“[. . . ] I have a dream that all men with be treated equal [. . .]” (Martin Luther King, Jr.).

Now that time has progressed and slavery has ended, ask yourself is every man treated equally no matter what race they are? Well if you said yes you are wrong because people are treaty

unequally and are discriminated because of their race something no man or woman can help. According to Dictonary.com racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races and determines cultural or individual achievement,

usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

(Racism). For example people may look at Muslims as terrorist and say harmful and unpleasant comments about them just because of what happen on 9/11 because a group of people made the wrong decision to kill thousands and to hurt millions. Because of this many people have stereotypical beliefs on Muslims even though they may not have done anything bad and who knows that person could be the nicest human being on earth. As many people may know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and this same concept applies to this too you should make a judgment on someone if you don’t know them well enough. Also, many blacks maybe looked at as invaluable or even as dirt just because what happened in the early prospering times of America when Africans were imported as slaves to the Americas. But time has passed and they are different they are valuable and yes they are a somebody and have a say in what happens.

So then why do we and when I say we I mean whites treat other races lower than we are what is so great about white race, we are just human. In addition ask yourself what makes a

person different?  I repeat what makes a person different? I believe their skin color, their physical appearance and their beliefs?  But the question is why? In addition Alan Moskin a

speaker at three R’s Day who fought in the Houlicost said,

"Everyone, no matter what they look like or where they are from still have similarities. Their blood is the same color as everyone else’s, they eat sleep and drink and they are all

human beings (Alan Moskin)."

 This thing called Racism must vanish and it must vanish fast because it has been around for over a million years but it has become more well known ever since people started to settle in the Americas in the 17^th century. Ever since African slaves set foot on this so called land “The Land of the Free.” Some people may say that it is gone but it is still here, it is still hear. The truth is harsh but it is everywhere, it happens in Business, it happens schools, and it happens in society.

For example in 2003word press conducted a survey for job call backs and the results are shocking, very shocking. The results were that with no criminal record 34 percent of whites

would be called back compared to blacks where only 14 percent would be called back. Here is the shocking part with a criminal record I repeat with a criminal record 17 percent of whites would be called back which is more than blacks without a criminal record I repeat without a criminal record (Spagnoli, Filip). Why does a different pigment in someone’s skin mean that they should be treated differently even though they are just human beings just like the rest of us?

            Also everyday many boys and girls that go to schools just like Milika in the book, The Skin I Am In,  have to face the harsh, the unsanitary and the unjust comments that make fun of them because of the way they look because of their heritage and because of their race . In addition, put yourself in Milika’s position. How would you feel if you got those comment directed to you? The question is why? Why do people go out of their way to make fun of someone because of their race? It is plain wrong.

Finally in 2008 on ABC’s TV show, What Would You Do, did an experiment in Ridgewood, at the Duck pond. What the experiment essentially was, there were 3 black teens, 3 white teens and 2 blacks innocently sleeping in a car. In addition both the three black and white teens vandalized a car for the same time. The results were that the 3 black teens that vandalized the car had 10 calls to the police compared to the white kids that only got 1 call to the police.Finally the shocking part about this was that the three blacks that innocently slept in the back of a car got 2 calls because people thought they were about to rob something (ABC 20/20)

In conclusion, face it the majority if not all of the every one most likely said something racist to someone else at least one time in their life. I will be honest even I have said something that was racist to someone else that I regret but it happens and the important thing is you should recognized what you said and don’t do it again. There are two simple things that everyone can do and that one thing is that think before you say something and don’t say anything that you will regret. By doing this maybe it will allow the races of the world to conjoin together and unite as one. In addition we have to start thinking now, on how we are going to change racism for the better because we, are the generation of tomorrow. How nice would it be if people didn’t look at others differently and instead accept their differences?

Author's Note