Essay, Research Paper: Racism

I must admit that before I began taking this class I took for granted how much racism still exists in this country. I have started to put more thought in to the way the world really is, the topics discussed in class have started to catch my interest. When I first started reading the Tatum book I was mad when I read her version of the word “racism”. I thought to my self “I personally have never held down the black race, what does she mean?” As I progressed in the book I was starting to understand what she meant about the system of advantages that white people are given. I also understood this better when I read Elizabeth Munich’s list of examples of how there are advantages to being white. I couldn’t help agreeing with her argument based on what I have seen in my life so far. I have seen blacks harassed in stores and denied housing. At the time I simply felt it was too bad and forgot about it. According to Tatum I was practicing “passive racism” and I agree with her on that. I have never done anything to try and change the system and I do reap the advantages of being white whether or not I like it. I believe that reading this book has opened my eyes to how much racism still exists in this country that claims to uphold equal rights. Another argument that Tatum discusses is how everybody is prejudiced in one way or another. I also believe this is true, almost everyone I know has made a racist joke or laughed at one at least. I believe that this is because of the way we were raised, when we were young we had questions about other races that remained unanswered. This is another reason why it is hard for me to discuss race openly. Then of course there is influence by our peers that can help or hurt our beliefs.
As far as the “scientific” work on race is concerned I believe that the majority of the scientists had strong racist opinions and feelings before they even started thier research. All of the scientists who wrote the articles in reprint #1 appear to be white and have benefited from the racist society to get into their position in the first place, so why would it be logical for them to publish anything good about minorities that would affairs when people like this who have the power to teach use their power to spread a threaten this system of advantages that they have thrived on. These are the reasons why I think these people could try and pass this stuff of as scientific research. It is a sad state of racist message. These scientists were respected and I’m sure their word was taken literally by the general public. These men used their positions to spread their racist views in my opinion.
The main points that I have learned from my readings is that the society we live in today is not what it is cracked up to be. Minorities are constantly being taken advantage of and discriminated against. Until this system is changed or at least acknowledged by the majority of people living here these problems will remain.
From what I have read and seen in my life the relations between whites and minority groups has gotten better but still has a long way to go before we can truly say that are rights are equal.


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