Racism is a problem that has existed for centuries, the most prominent historical example evident in White men using African Americans as slaves. I feel that the argument that racism is primarily a belief or attitude and that anyone who unfairly judges another based on race is racist is more convincing than racism defined as overt acts of discrimination.
While racism can also result in racist actions and systemic discrimination, a person can be racist without any physical action or admitting that they are racist. For instance, a White teacher can outwardly treat all Black, White, and Asian students the same in class and grade everyone fairly. Yet, when she goes out with friends, she tells people that White people are smarter than Black people. Analyzing things from a different perspective, a White female parent can have Black friends. However, when her daughter announces that she is dating a Black man, the mother tells her daughter that she would prefer that her daughter dated a White man instead.
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Through her words alone with no specific actions taken, the mother is displaying racism against Black people. Some individuals feel that the White mother has done nothing wrong and is not racist. Yet, most individuals would probably feel differently if the same mother drove to the daughter’s boyfriend’s home and sprayed the word “nigger” on his house. While the latter is a more overt form of discrimination, the action probably would not have taken place without the strong belief that black people are inferior to white people, which is racism. Yet, the same mother only stating that she does not want her daughter to date a Black man is still racism. I feel that racist beliefs leads to systemic and societal discrimination based on race.
The documentary “Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes” showed evidence of how racist beliefs can be ingrained in a short time period, as well as actions that stem from racism. Only 15 minutes after teacher Jane Elliot instructed the class that blue eyes were better than brown and that only blue-eyed people could have a longer recess, get more lunch, and use the drinking fountain, the kids began to show signs of racism. On the playground, one boy called another kid “brown eyes,” and several of the brown-eyed kids felt as if they had lost friends. When Elliot reversed the experiment the next day, giving brown-eyed kids the new special privileges, similar results occurred. I doubt that the overt acts of racism would have occurred without the racist beliefs being ingrained into the kids. Elliot also stated that no racism and discrimination about eye color existed before Elliot’s eye color experiment, the class able to get along with each other (Peters, 1985).
Fortunately, the eye color lesson was a good thing, the children learning firsthand how discrimination occurs and why prejudice and racism are wrong and not good indicators of a person’s character. Through the documentary, viewers witnessed sociological imagination in action, seeing how each child’s beliefs about eye color contributed to the overall, larger atmosphere of the school environment, the class divided by racism. One individual, Jane Elliot, was able to create racism in several students (Peters, 1985). The documentary is an example of how individuals in society contribute to racism and prejudice against Black people and other minorities.
The opposing argument that people who have been the target of discrimination cannot be racist is weak. I have heard celebrities, who have been the target of discrimination, portray racism. Several years ago, singer Lauryn Hill stated that she would rather have one black person buy her latest album, versus 10,000 white people. In spite of apologizing, Hill, a person who has been a target of discrimination, still conveyed racism against White people by her album statement.
According to the book, “Race, Power, and Privilege,” racial prejudice constitutes, “values that elevate whiteness above color and the beliefs that whites are smarter. It also includes negative feelings about people of color. . .” (Johnson, 2006, p. 54). Based on this definition, racism would be a form of prejudice and fall under the prejudice category. However, racism is not the only form of prejudice that exists, sexism, heterosexism, and ageism all forms of prejudice that oppress society. Therefore, there is a difference between racism and prejudice.
While racism can lead to overt racist actions and societal discrimination, just believing that one racial group, such as Black people, is inferior to White people, is racism. The documentary “Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes” showed how easily racism and acts of discrimination can be ingrained in young children, these personal actions leading to greater racist beliefs and acts of discrimination in society. It is my hope that with continued education, advocacy, and commitment to ensuring equality for all, that racism and others forms of prejudice can be eradicated in our society.
- Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, power, and difference, 2nd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Peters, W. (Director). (1985). A Class Divided [Motion Picture].
