Are You a Racist? Understanding the evils of Racism to Eliminate it

By Saksham Narula

• Racism exists even today as we move towards a global society
• In order to eradicate this evil, it becomes important to understand what it is

July 01, 2017: Racism is an age old phenomenon. It is so historic that people actually believe racism is innate in human nature. This is false. Racism has developed over time. Its evolution has been consistent with the evolution of human society in general. Racism exists in different forms over a period of time; Slave trade, feudal serfs, labor, etc.

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Simply put, racism is the discrimination of an individual or a group on the basis of their racial identity. The United Nations (UN) also puts ethnic discrimination under racism. Flipping through the history books, we will come to understand the instances during which racism was practiced and how. Romans used the Jews as forced labor. Adolf Hitler's atrocities were committed against people of the Jewish race. The slave trade from Africa against the African race. The appalling system of 'Apartheid' in South Africa where racism was blatantly institutionalized. The ethnic cleansing of Rwanda and Yugoslavia was an extreme act of violence. These events are dark moments in the history.

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) hence was a move by the UN which was later adopted by the General Assembly in 1948. Racism was gradually abolished, however, its elements still exist today. The UDHR promoted political, social, cultural, economic equality regardless of the race, identity, ethnicity, descent of the individual.

In the 1968 Olympics, the famous Black Power Salute incident took place when two Afro-American athletes raised a black gloved fist high in support of black freedom movement in America.

Racial discrimination on the basis of color became popular during the European conquest in different parts of the world. Today, it can be observed in the form of 'Black Lives Matter' in United States of America, which was a huge uproar in the Presidential Elections of 2016. Black Lives Matter highlighted a certain myth. The movement began with good intentions. However, when some violent incidents took place, it was heavily criticized. The critics stated that discrimination against an individual or group from white race is equal discrimination.

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The practice of racial discrimination can be seen in work, society, sports, entertainment and media. It can be said that the long history of racism is embedded in the modern day society and institutions. Surely it is not as violent or radical in its approach as it used to be, but it still aims against the inequality of a certain section of society.

It is indeed complicated to deal with the evils of racism. The issue cannot be tackled overnight. But it is the community as a whole that can show solidarity as one common race.

– by Saksham Narula of NewsGram. Twitter: @Saksham2394