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Katie Vidrine

Ms. Layton

English 1010

04 May 2020

Racism In America

Topic Introduction

Children in the average American elementary school are supposed to be taught the basics

of their education. They learn colors, how to read, and they’re taught basic math. Imagine a child

at their school, unaware of how their peers make fun of them because they have darker skin than

the other kids. Unaware of how their teacher blames only them for any fight that the kid

might’ve been in. The child might assume that this is normal behavior, simply because it has

been their life since they started school. Once the child grows older, they realize what is going

on, and realize that they haven’t been treated fair since they were born. Even though their peers

weren’t directly taught by the teachers to hate on someone because of their appearance, the

students in the class have learned from example that it’s okay to treat someone unfairly simply

because they look different.

When the average American is asked about the topic of racism, there are many different

ideas or stories that could pop into their head. Racism has been one of the most prominent

problems in society for the past hundreds of years, even though it was not fully recognized as a

problem for countless years. Racism is now considered abnormal and cruel in today’s society,
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and a portion of people believe that racist behaviors and ideas are entirely over, especially in the

United States of America.

Over past generations, society as a whole has been trying to improve and wipe out

racism, but they’ve gotten to the point where many people don’t even believe in modern day

racism. These people seem to forget underlying racism, or the non-traditional racism in everyday

life. They don't recognize that the racist behaviors that they were taught as a child are still racist.

The fact is that racism has not entirely been forgotten and has not been completely dealt with in

an effective way. “Racism occurs on a daily basis and comes with both physical and

psychological costs to its targets” (Patrianakos), which shows us that society’s efforts to stop

racism has done a decent amount, it is still affecting those who are victims to everyday racism.

Some people haven't realized the effect of everyday racism, and some simply haven't

heard the news stories of the poor children who were discriminated against. As said by Jamie

Patrianakos, “this type of discrimination typically encompasses offensive comments and subtle

behaviors, such as staring, bad service, and other forms of disrespectful behavior.” From this

simple sentence, Patrianakos is attempting to inform people about common, racist behaviors that

are found in many people. These behaviors, even though they seem small, have a large effect on

how people of color go about their lives.

To discuss further, healthcare and racism have been tied together in research; racism

affects our countries healthcare. “Effects of racism in other settings can spill-over into the

healthcare environment” (Alang, Hardeman), which can be seen through research showing the

percentages of what race is more likely to have healthcare, and which race is less likely to seek a

doctor when having health issues. When looking at the statistics of seeking help for mental
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illnesses, white people are the most common to actually see a mental health expert. People who

are already discriminated against feel that if they become diagnosed or treated for a mental

illness, they will be discriminated against more, or simply accused of being a stereotype. These

side effects from racial discrimination are a big deal for the country. This shows us what society

as a whole needs to become more educated on, especially if racist behavior is affecting a

person’s quality of life. This may not be a traditional racist example that someone may think of

when asked about racism, but it’s certainly a type that affects people of color in day-to-day life.

Expanding on that idea shows that there’s more to racism than the traditional actions that

the majority of America classifies as racism. Most Americans believe that racism means

harassing or physically abusing someone because of their skin color, but it’s more than that. It’s

discrimination in the workplace, in schools, and in many different places and settings. In the

United States today, there are many news stories and articles written about how innocent people

of color have suffered from false assumptions based on appearance. Not only are the adults

suffering, but the children suffer from discrimination too.

Black kids realize from a young age what double standards are, and how it’s simply not

fair for them. As a teenager, these children make the decision of if they are going to work harder

to be treated equally, or if they’re going to give into the stereotypes that come with their skin

tone. Additionally, they have already been raised getting used to the little forms of racism; the

stares, the police pulling them over with simply no reason other than “suspicion;” or even the

simple jokes made in schools or workplaces which vary from race to race. When focusing more

on the idea of racism still being present in the United States, people can really get to see how

different people of color are treated than the average white person.
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There are many ideas on why racism is still a problem in today’s society, despite all of

the attempts and laws to stop racial discrimination; but the most popular idea is that children are

still being raised to have slight racial inequity. These children grow up believing that racism is

gone, because they were told that from a young age, but they still show signs of a racial bias.

These people are the ones who are harder to convince that there is still racism in today's world,

since they simply say that racism was demolished many years ago. There are many approaches

on how to inform someone of the racial injustice in the United States; those approaches will be

discussed further into this essay.

As this paper explores more on the ideas of everyday racism, and ways to prevent racism,

there are a few ideas that need to be remembered. These ideas include the knowledge of racism

being not only to one race, but to all persons of color; and another thing to remember is that

many people aren’t aware that they have underlying racist tendencies. Further discussions and

readings will include how racism affects health, experiments on confronting racism, and the

history of racial injustice in this country.

Major Debates and Commentary

Racism is a very important topic for our society to be focusing on, even in America.

Realistically, many people believe that people of color don’t experience racism in the U.S.A.,

partially because the country has had one black president. Other people have simply called that a

form of ignorance, as there are many forms of racism that can be seen, if someone looks a little

more closely.
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Those who believe that racism is still an issue in the United States have pointed out many

examples of ongoing racism in today’s society. There are some well known groups who are

prime examples of more extreme racism in America, such as the Ku Klux Klan, White

Nationalists, and Black Separatists. There are certain people who are currently fighting against

migrants and immigrants in their country, who are also labelled as racist in today’s society. Other

groups labelled racist include those who think the country should not allow most Mexicans past

the border, or even those who are fighting against Native Americans getting government help.

Even the current President of the United States of America is known for wanting Mexicans out

of the country, and people support that due to believing that Hispanics are stealing American

jobs. This is just a more stereotypical form of racism that is growing to be seen as an acceptable

idea for Americans to believe in.

What needs to be done is to educate on all forms of racism, the subtle and undisguised

forms of racism in America. “Dismantling racism requires calling it out in all its forms. Subtle

and overt racism still exist in US society, and it is known that the cumulative effect of such

slights has a deleterious influence on the physical, emotional, financial, and psychological

welfare of its victims” (Combs); which shows that while many people are putting in the effort to

call out all forms of racism, there is the percentage that fights against it, and those are the people

who need to be more educated on the topic.

There are many forms of discrimination in different aspects of life in America. The first

one that stands out to many people who research this topic is the health care among people of

color in America. According to multiple studies, “Blacks tend to receive poorer health care than

their White counterparts, which results in elevated mortality rates” (Patrianakos), which is
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generally ignored or not known about by many of those who have healthcare. It’s not that they’re

blatantly treated badly when being seen by doctors, but it’s that the health community already

has ongoing money issues around it. Those who are afraid of being belittled or discriminated

against don’t want to risk the fights between doctors and insurance companies, even if it’s simply

to get basic treatment for an illness.

Additionally, the mental health community is something that most people of color are

afraid to be around. The discrimination that people of color already face is so huge to them, that

they are simply afraid to be mixed in with getting treatment for mental illness, or even being

included in the mental heath community as well. These people don’t want their lives to become

harder simply from trying to get help from suspecting a mental illness, so this group usually

attempts to suppress any mentally ill conditions, and continue on with their lives. It’s easy to see

how these communities are afraid to have a worse image around them, which shows that

something truly needs to be done so these people aren’t as afraid to get the help they need to

become healthy again. Moreover, people of color aren’t treated as seriously as white people

when they do reach out for help for their mental health. According to a study done in early 2019,

“blacks are also less likely to utilize psychiatric services, and if they receive care, it is usually of

lower quality than care provided to whites. Consequently, unmet need for mental health care is

greater among blacks than whites.” (Alang 1). This demonstrates that when reaching out for

help, but not receiving the care that is needed, is a factor in why people of color are hesitant to be

part of the mental health community.

Another aspect of everyday life that is majorly different for minorities is the protection

citizens get from the police force. Police brutality is something talked about greatly among many
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people who live in America. This instance of racism is one of the most popular forms that are

brought up since people see the news surrounding any form of injustice involving the police. The

news occasionally broadcasts the stories involving a person of color and a police officer, but not

all of the stories are given enough attention. According to the 2010-2014 statistics from the

Lethal Force by U.S. Police report, “the number of deaths per million population among

non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic males were 2.8 and 1.7 times higher, respectively, than among

White males” (Buehler), which surprisingly isn’t known by many non-hispanic or black people

who are asked.

Discrimination can start at even a young age for many black or colored children. They

grow up hoping for a bright future, but once these kids start going to school, they’re bait for

discrimination and racist jokes. Most of these kids eventually learn how to ignore the racist

jokes, or how they’re expected to cheat or start fights in school, but other kids take it worse.

Some of these kids’ situations become worse than others. As said by Travis Riddle in the

National Academy of Sciences, “Students who are subject to the disciplinary actions examined

here are at substantially higher risk for negative life outcomes” (Riddle). His research

demonstrates that people of color react to racism in many different ways, but almost all are in

negative ways.

Additionally, there have been thousands of cases since 2010 of non-white kids being

arrested or being victims of police brutality while under 10 years of age. A more recent case that

spiked a lot of controversy was when a police officer arrested a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old at

an Orlando charter school. As said before, racial bias involving police force at such a young age

can severely affect how these kids end up in their lives. “These disciplinary actions put students
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at higher risk for negative life outcomes, including involvement in the criminal justice system”

(Riddle), which is easily understood when a person looks into how fragile a child’s mind is in

early stages of development.

What should be done to prevent these forms of racism? That is a more difficult subject, as

research isn’t entirely sure how racism can be reversed or prevented. Most researchers have just

come to the conclusion that our people need to stay informed on modern day racism. America as

a whole needs to acknowledge the history and present situation surrounding racism and

discrimination. Racist behaviors need to be called out and stopped immediately in order for this

country to make further progress in ceasing everyday racism.

Areas of Further Inquiry

Racist behavior is something that a large percentage of Americans assume they can

recognize if it happens around them, but they later fail to realize it when they witness a portion

of everyday racism. Even if it’s witnessed, many people don’t think that they could stop it or

help fight against it. This is an example that shows why racism still needs to be a conversation

people are having in today’s world. According to studies, research shows that “the success of self

confrontation approaches relies heavily on both awareness and motivation. That is, people must

be able to recognize their biased responses, and they must be motivated to correct them”

(Czopp), explaining that one of the ideal ways to fight against racist behaviors is to raise

self-awareness and give more information on the effects everyday racism has. In order to

decrease people experiencing everyday racism, society as a whole must be informed about the

problem and possibilities on how to stop it.

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One person can make a big difference in someone else’s life, just by doing one of many

ideas on how to confront racism. In “Standing Up for a Change: Reducing Bias Through

Interpersonal Confrontation,” by Alexander Czopp, it was explained as “opportunities for

confrontation occur not only on such a grand scale but frequently take place in everyday life [...]

Maybe it is a comment about how ‘Blacks need to get off welfare’ or perhaps something more

subtle like a racial joke intended to elicit a chuckle from the group” (Czopp). This is a common

example of a racist behavior that someone might hear or see in America. When someone believes

that another person is below them, or doing things wrong specifically because of their skin color

and appearance, that is defined as discrimination. It’s important to call people out on behavior

such as that. It is one of the many ways a single person could prevent cases of everyday racism in

their life.

Those who are confronted, but don’t believe that they are racist, need to be shown how

their behavior doesn’t match up with their beliefs. An experiment showed that “when individuals

were confronted with the fact that their egalitarian self-concept was inconsistent with their

prejudiced values, attitudes, and behaviors, they experienced feelings of self-dissatisfaction. To

reduce the negative effect associated with these contradictions, individuals often changed their

attitudes and behaviors to be more consistent with their self-concepts” (Czech). This could be

used as an effective way to reduce prejudice behaviors in the United States, and should be

encouraged to be used as a way to fight against everyday racism.

Another idea to end everyday racism would be to start educating children from a young

age about the history and problems behind racism. This would mean teaching more about the

history of people of color and including making schools a zero tolerance zone for discrimination.
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Research done between different elementary classrooms has concluded that “the road to greater

equity in schools requires more professional development about race talk in elementary schools.”

(Coles & Smith). This shows that if we want to end racism in further generations, the schools

need to be open and non-discriminatory when it comes to race.

To put it simply, racism needs to be confronted in all situations in order to make a

change. The main way the country can fight against or bring down racism is to acknowledge the

problem and encourage a zero tolerance behavior among everyone. The United States needs to

begin teaching younger generations more about racism, while also informing the general public

on ways the country could heal from this as a whole. It won’t be a quick or easy task, but it can

eventually be done.
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Works Cited

Alang, Sirry M. “Mental Health Care among Blacks in America: Confronting Racism and

Constructing Solutions.” Health Services Research, vol. 54, no. 2, Apr. 2019, pp.

346–355. EBSCOhost.

Alang, Sirry M., Rachel Hardeman.` “Police Brutality and Mistrust in Medical Institutions”

Researchgate.net. Jan. 2020.

Bouie, Jamelle. The Racism Right Before Our Eyes. The New York Times. 2019.

Budhwani, Henna and Prabal De. “Perceived Stigma in Health Care Settings and the Physical

and Mental Health of People of Color in the United States.” Health Equity, Mary Ann

Liebert Inc, 2019.

Buehler, James W. “Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Use of Lethal Force by US Police,

2010-2014.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 107, no. 2, Feb. 2017, pp. 295–297.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303575.

Coles-Ritchie, Marille & Smith, Robin.“Taking the risk to engage in race talk: professional

development in elementary schools.” International Journal of Inclusive Education,

172-186.

Combs, Barbara Harris. “Everyday Racism Is Still Racism: The Role of Place in Theorizing

Continuing Racism in Modern US Society.” Phylon (1960-), vol. 55, no. 1 & 2, 2018, pp.

38–59., www.jstor.org/stable/26545018.

Czopp, Alexander & Monteith, Margo & Aimee, Yau. “Standing Up for a Change: Reducing

Bias Through Interpersonal Confrontation.” Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, American Psychological Association.

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Daniels, Jessie. “Race, Civil Rights, and Hate Speech in the Digital Era." Learning Race and

Ethnicity: Youth and Digital Media. The MIT Press, 2008.

Jones, Russell, “A More Perfect Nation: Ending Racial Profiling,” Valparaiso University, 2007.

Patrianakos, Jamie, "Effects of Affiliative Motivation and Confrontation Style on Anti-Black

Attitudes and Social Consequences" 2018. ​Master's Theses.​

Riddle, Travis, and Stacey Sinclair. “Racial Disparities in School-Based Disciplinary Actions

Are Associated with County-Level Rates of Racial Bias.” PNAS, National Academy of

Sciences, 23 Apr. 2019, www.pnas.org/content/116/17/8255.

Weissinger, Sandra and Dwayne Mack. “Law Enforcement in the Age of Black Lives Matter”

2018, Lexington Books.