Racism occurs through acts of harassment and abuse where one race is inferior to another. Racism includes discrimination, prejudice, or any hate directed towards another person because of their ethnicity, nationality, or color. Race has its root in historical events, especially in the 1500s, when society explicitly used it to identify a specific group. During the 17th and 18th centuries, philosophers started categorizing people as either white or black. By the late 18th century, people started viewing “white” people as smarter than people of color (Roediger, 2020). Philosophers used the idea of ‘white” in history to push against the increasing number of non-white people because of immigration and emancipation.
Racism is also a lived experience in many cultures through their skin color, ascribed race, and discrimination experiences that most people go through. Many people go through discrimination problems because of their skin color. Skin color is used by society to look at the impacts of social outcomes because of skin types (Garcia, 2015, 350). For example, from a financial perspective, African Americans with darker skin tend to make less money than light-skinned individuals or white people. Lived experiences also involve the external categorization of an individual by other people. Ascribed race refers to the racial category that society imposes on an individual based on different aspects such as hair, skin tone, or even language. Discrimination events also form a part of people’s lived experiences in society, such as workplace discrimination against black people.
Scientific methods can help reduce or advance racial problems and discrimination in society. Scientific advancement has helped progress specific communities while creating an imbalance in others. For example, people of color bear the burden of environmental pollution from uranium mining and the burning of coal products. However, society can use science to reduce and end inequality based on race. While searching for solutions that help improve food security, health outcomes, and the environment, scientists should ensure that their solutions do not benefit one race and prejudice another. Therefore, science can be used by researchers to end both racial and economic discrimination.
Racism affects people of color through structures and systems the government and society put in place. These are forms of racism that are found in social systems such as laws, policies, and regulations. The routines, procedures, and culture also result in systematic racial discrimination (Lander, 2015). For example, in some organizations, black people are not considered for promotion according to organizational rules. Structural discrimination also exists in the various systems of social aspects such as economy, education, society, and politics. The rules and laws in such systems affect people of color to varying degrees, with African Americans bearing the most significant burden.
References
Garcia, J., A., Sanchez, G., R., Sanchez-Youngman, S., Vargas ED, & Ybarra, V., D. (2015). Race as lived experience: The Impact of Multi-Dimensional Measures of Race/Ethnicity on the Self-Reported Health Status of Latinos. Du Bois Rev. Fall; 12(2):349-373. doi:10.1017/S1742058X15000120. PMID: 26681972; PMCID: PMC4678876.
Lander, V. (2015, June 30). Structural racism: What it is and how it works. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/structural-racism-what-it-is-and-how-it-works-158822
Roediger, D. (2020, July 20). Historical foundations of race. National Museum of African American History and Culture. https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/historical-foundations-race
