Written by Shelby Scott
Racism didn’t die when slavery was abolished, nor when MLK recited his powerful I have a Dream speech. We may even have a black president, but racism is still very alive and it is much more deeper than it’s Google definition. It is a system of oppression based on race and ethnicity that promotes white supremacy; it creates advantages for the oppressors.
Racism is the ultimate cause of racial profiling and generalization. Black people are generalized as thugs, Muslims are terrorist, and Mexicans are criminals. Because of this stereotype, research shows that people of color are more likely to be stopped, frisked, questioned, charged, and arrested. People of color are considered guilty with out even opening their mouths.
Many of the recent shootings in America have been fueled by racism. For example, The Charleston shooting committed by Dylan Roof was a terrorist act targeted specifically on the black community and took the lives of 9 innocent African-Americans. The shooter admitted that he chose to attack Emmanuel AME church because of it’s black history. There are countless more African Americans, Muslims, and Latinos who have been targeted, shot, and killed for nothing but their skin color. How many more lives will Racism take?
Racism is still prevailing mainly because it has been passed down through generations of white supremacy. There are over 5,000 white supremacist groups across the US in which that number exploded drastically after President Obama was elected in 2008. These organizations favor pro-segregation movements, condemn racial diversity, wave the confederate flag, and exercise hateful and offensive language. The partakers of these groups remain anonymous for the same exact reason the KKK wore mask; its members go back to being our leaders, politicians, police officers, teachers, neighbors, judges, lawyers, and even our pastors.
