Blue Eyed Discrimination has been a major issue in society for a long time, ever since the first white settlers, the settlers discriminated against American Indians and the first black slaves brought over from Africa. Discrimination is defined as unfair treatment of different categories of people based on their gender, race, age or physical characteristics over which they have no control. Discrimination occurs when one category of people think that they are superior to other categories of people in society. Discrimination is the focus of Jane Elliot’s blue eyed brown eyed exercise which is featured in Bertman Verhaags documentary blue eyed (1996). In the documentary Jane Elliot focuses on discrimination against women, homosexuals and mostly against African Americans and how society is biased to suit the oppressors.
It was much harder for blacks to get a job, and there employment position could be described as ‘the last to be hired, the first to be fired’. African Americans faced discrimination almost in every job, and they earned less, often due to the poor educational opportunities. The voting rights were different in the North from the South. In the North, almost all African Americans could vote. In the South however, the blacks were disfranchised, since the state governments introduced literacy tests, tests on the knowledge of constitution and Poll taxes, which African Americans had trouble with, because of poor education and financial problems.
The social impact of segregation was very damaging at the time for African American’s and America. In the south, “segregation was everywhere possible such as in places like schools, institutions for the blind, deaf, metal institutions, cemeteries, prisons, military units, boats, trains, hotels, waiting rooms, restaurants, elevators, hospitals, public bathrooms, pools, water fountains, churches, and a lot of other places.” (Segregation In The 1800's). This quote shows that many African Americans always had separate items as white people had. This quote also shows that the white people didn’t like having to share their environment with African Americans. Also, “No blacks were elected to office and black voters, especially in the Deep South had virtually disappeared” ( Brown, Nikki L. M., and Barry M. Stentiford,466).
Another thing portrayed prejudice in the novel, is the way whites talk to blacks. "I said come here nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickel for you”(Lee241). Referring to an African American as a "nigger" is completely disrespectful and making them seem like they are lower than the whites are, which is not the case. No person wants to be spoken to in that manner, white or black. This word is used immensely throughout the novel, especially during the trial.
Jim Crow is “the systematic practice of promoting the segregation of the Negro peoples” (North by South). “Jim Crow was the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s” (Pilgrim). The Jim Crow Movement was a prominent factor that led to the control of the black population in America. It was a system used to obstruct basic rights for African-Americans. Jim Crow was a way of life, not just a set of unjust laws.
Racial Micro-aggressions against Minorities Jose P. Polanco Carlos Albizu University PSYM 523-A Racial Micro-aggressions against Minorities The term micro-aggressions are consider a brief everyday exchanges that send demeaning messages to certain individuals because of their group memberships. The nature of racism has evolve over time from the old fashioned overt expressions of White supremacy and racial hatred to the more subtle, ambiguous, and unintentional expressions called aversive racism. Because most White people associate racism with hate crimes and White supremacist groups, they are unaware how racism has taken on an invisible nature to the extent that they have lost the perception of unintentional racism towards people of color. White Americans believe that discrimination is on the decline, that racism is not a significant issue that has an impact in their behavior and performance. In contrast, Black Americans perceive that racism is a constant reality in their lives, White individuals continue to respond toward them.
Jane Doe Mr. King Eng 93 November 8th, 2011 Authors Facing Colorism at a Young Age Colorism is a subject of great concern among many people of color. According to Jones, colorism is defined as self-hatred or “being rejected by your own people” because of your skin color. Colorism in the U.S. is rooted in the legacy of slavery, when white slave owners favored the lightered skinned blacks over the dark-skinned blacks. Because of this legacy, many blacks today have internalized the favoritism demonstrated by whites and so began intra-discrimination among blacks, resulting in a perpetuation of colorist antipathy. This legacy continues today, for minority groups such as Latinos, Asians, Philippines, and Indians discriminate against the members of their own groups.
From racial profiling to other issues such as affirmative action, police brutality against minorities and the history of slavery and the rising resentment against immigrants.” (Anup Shah 1998) I think this really does suit racism in the United States. Yes it has come a long way from what it used to be like but we still have problems just like this all over the world. Way back in the day American people didn’t have much racism towards them but Americans were very racist towards everyone who was not American. They had all sorts of racial groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, save our state, and gay groups. These groups of hate have died down over the years but there are still a few out
How did Martin Luther King campaign against prejudice and discrimination in USA? America in the 20th century was a highly racist society, especially in the southern states. Black people were treated unfairly and discriminated against, white people justified the situation by saying the black race were inferior. In 17 states throughout America, there were laws segregating the black from the whites in places like parks, cafes, buses, public toilets, swimming pools and even drinking fountains. Black people also had separate schools and universities, the white schools had more money.
The term race is usually referred as a way to categorize people based on their cultures and physical traits. Racism is the belief that humanity is divided into stratified genetically different socks called races; according to its adherent’s racial differences make one group superior to another. Throughout history, for hundreds of years, the Black race has been considered inferior to Caucasians. African Americans had to go through slavery, segregation, and racial comments of hatred; and they are still fighting for equality. That was in the 1800s and 1900s, and yet in 2009 Black people still have to face the discrimination.