OK. Let's talk. Now that you have learned about the economic dynamics, the political decisions, the social characteristics of racism, and the personal lives of slaves themselves, let's have a discussion on the issues involved.
Feel free to introduce new topics if they are related to our central themes above.
Let's begin with some basic questions and jump off from there. 1) What have we learned from our slave past? 2) Slavery ended but racism persists. Do you agree or disagree? What evidence can you use to support your position?
2) Racism is alive in the world today, there's not doubt about it. You need to look no further than this school to see the proof. Look no farther than the excessive use of color in jokes.
2) Racism is alive in the world today, there's not doubt about it. You need to look no further than this school to see the proof. Look no farther than the excessive use of color in jokes.
Hey, where do you think that comes from? Is it the same source of racism then (during slavery) or different?
Racism today constantly refers to slavery, with racist jokes and quips about an African-American student or other person 'pickin the cotton' of a person above them, or being used as a minority. Like hispanics are used in factories as was the case with the immigrants in the Michael Bianco factory. That could even be called a form of bond labor- forced to work under a bond like a loan or the promise of a little food and shelter in exchange for their work.
Jim Crow laws are laws that were passed(mostly in the South) that denied African Americans in a roundabout way so that they would not be found unconstitutional as long as the majority of Southerners were racist against the African population. Jim Crow was a character that was a 'typical' African, stupid, etc, etc, that was used in a traveling show that went throughout the South.
racism really does still exist. not just in jokes but in public, and a lot of the time too. just ask any person who is black, most of them will say, that at least once they've been payed more attention to in a store compared to the other people, or a situation similar to that. racism is more common than people think, its just not as blatant as it used to be.
Not only is there racism against blacks, but racism both for and against whites, in much the same way.
Stereotypes remain a form of racism, not matter how funny they are. Racial slurs are also common. (Beaner, Chink, apparetnly Mr. V. got to this site as I can't put N * I * G & G & E % R normally as an example)
1. There's more than one "we." Businessmen would exploit people for financial gains learned to be more subtle than outright enslavement, such as by blocking the formation of unions and giving very low pay. Or, failing that, to move slave labor and exploitative labor to countries that are more likely to look the other way. People who study the conditions that American slaves had and the system they were a part of learn interesting, yet disturbing things about human societies. Although the abolitionist movement eventually grew, around 200 years in what became the United States passed with little or no significant opposition to slavery. If enough people feel tradition supports something, or they can find ways to support it through pseudoscience and religious texts, they may allow terrible things to happen. The rights of the people who were enslaved or who, although free, had had their lives torn apart by slavery, came second to the economic and political order they were the backbone of. Policymakers learned, or ought to have learned, that the will of the masses is not necessarily the best ethical policy. Slavery was vastly supported in the South, and yet was still highly unethical. Even in the North, slavery did not have a large, considerable opposition for the two centuries that it had existed in North America. This does not change the inherent cruelty of the system, nor the effect it had on its victims. 2. Racism still exists in America. If you need evidence, just have a look around the internet. You can find sites by "patriotic Americans" calling people from the Middle East or of Middle Eastern descent any number of slurs. There is clear malicious intent in comments like these. Even when there isn't necessarily malicious intent, like in humor that concerns race, a subtle racism is still present. While one who makes a racist joke may not believe that the people they are joking about are truly inferior, they often still perpetuate stereotypes which hold a large effect over people. It has been proven in multiple psychological and sociological studies: people who get stereotyped, if it is done by a trusted figure or enough people around them, can and sometimes do give in and believe the stereotypes themselves. The causes of modern racism are numerous. Slavery and the subsequent lower-class status of many African-Americans play a role in it, no doubt. Stereotypes formed during the era of slavery and the era of segregation have proven very difficult to shake. However, there are more forces than that at work. To given an example of another, the exploitability of newly-arrived immigrants also plays a significant role. Whether Chinese rail workers a century and a half ago or Mexicans and Latin American immigrants now, the need that many immigrants face to get a job can create a backlash. Tensions develop when immigrants of another social group are seen as "stealing" jobs from people who were born in this country. This has been shown numerous times across history.
It is obvious that racism still exists today. Just look at different cults that still exist. Today, there are about 5000-8000 members of the kkk and an estimated 179 chapters across America. According to the official kkk website, you can still join the klan (for a small fee) and participate in various kkk activities. There are many local and national meetings still held today. This is a solid piece of evidence that racism still exits in the world today.
-- Edited by joel the not so brave at 16:41, 2008-11-01
2) It obvious that racism exists today. As James said, you don't need to look any further than the halls of our school, although it extends much further than that. For example, Rush Limbaugh, an american radio host and political commentator. In an e-mail he wrote about the current presidential election he said,"Obama is now stoking racism in the country. Obama is a disgrace - he wants the public to think he is Mr. Nice Guy while his thugs are in Alaska looking for dirt on Palin and he runs race-baiting ads and lies about what he has done and what McCain has done." Also, in Vermont a group of high school students fomed a racist club, called NHRA. The name alone includes a threat of violence an a racial epithet. Sudents have been arrested for hate crimes as well as other crimes. Signs have been found with 'NHRA' and 'KKK' written on them in the city of their school. There is also today's basic stereoypes that are racist in one way or another. People often thing that bacuse someone is black, and wears a certain type of clothes that they must be in a gang, live in the projects, and be into drugs and whatnot. It may be true, or it might not. Either way it also holds true for people of all other ethnicities, but for some reason it is a basic stereotype of today.
