How Engrained is Racism in our Society?

By: Aleq McMullin

Sociology 160
Billy Miller
Race and Ethnicity

How Engrained is Racism in our Society?

Abstract: In spite of the progress made in the fight against racism it is still a huge issue,
and many people are still being affected by racism today. In this essay I use two
sources to support the Critical Race Theory. One of these sources talks about how the
issue of racism is still a huge issue even though many people are unaware of this issue.
The other talks about how minorities arent the only ones being discriminated against.

For thousands of years discrimination has influenced societies in many ways, but
it was not until the American slave trade that discrimination showed the roots of racism.
Slavery itself has been present for, arguably, as long as society has, although the basis
for slavery has varied. The Triangle Trade, which brought weapons and steel to the
tribes of Africa in exchange for slaves, slaves to America in exchange for goods such as
tobacco and cotton, and then tobacco and cotton from the Americas back to England,
was the first time that race was the basis for slavery. Since the white men saw these
black peoples as an inferior and sub-human race they justified their enslavement of
these peoples and began the oppression that has lasted for hundreds of years in The
United States of America. Critical Race Theory talks about how racism is engrained in
the fabric and system of the American society (UCLA School of Public Affairs, Critical
Race Studies) which is the race related topic I have chosen to take a position on. I
believe that racism is still a huge societal issue in the United States. Even though
progress has been made the issue of racism still persists, and there are many people
still affected by racism, even if the racism that so many are affected by may not be as
visible as it has been in the past it is still a large part of society.

The theory I have chosen to support is the Critical Race theory. This theory was
developed out of legal scholarship to provide a critical analysis of race and racism from
a legal point of view. By recognizing that racism is a part of American society Critical
Race Theorists are able to have a better understanding of why racism is so strongly
connected to society. Although one of the United States founding principles was that all
men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness
(The Declaration of Independence) there was a time in our history that we stole these
rights from many due to greed and more commonly racism. Critical Race Theory directs
peoples attention towards this massive flaw in our society, a flaw that many people are
either unaware of, or knowingly turn a blind eye to.
Although there are many who are unaware, or ignore racism there are also many
who are fighting to end it. On www.thedailybeast.com an article was published speaking
towards the issue of racism. In this article the author, Jamelle Bouie, starts by quoting
The Republican National Committee as they said Today we remember Rosa Parks
bold stand and her role in ending racism. (@GOP on www.twitter.com) which
immediately sparked responses correcting the Republican twitter feed. Jamelles article
on racism still being a huge issue goes on to talk about how racism is not a solved
problem, and how over the last few days, there have been several stories that re-affirm
the extent to which racial biasand anti-black racism in particularare real things that
happen to real people. (Jamelle Bouie) An example given in the article happened just
hours after The Republican National Committees tweet. This incident included three
African-American students who were waiting for a bus to pick them up to take them to a

basketball game when police arrested them after asking them to leave. According to
Bouies article the officers arrested the young men after their coach arrived and
explained the situation. There are many incidents similar to this one, and many more
that have much more severe consequences. The simple fact that these incidents
occur is proof enough that racism is engrained in society, and at this point in time is
inseparable from our society.
Contrary to popular belief racism is not something that is only practiced against
minorities. In Ronald E. Halls article in the International Review of Sociology he says
The practice of racism in the twenty-first century is not irrelevant to people of color
(575). This misconception that racism can only be directed towards social minorities,
and cannot be expressed by these minorities. Hall goes on to say that the ideal that
Americans are generally white has been internalized and unchanged because of racial
implications of black/white miscegenation. Hall argues later against this belief that racial
minorities cannot exhibit racism by saying that critics who believe people of color cannot
exhibit racism are either uninformed, or biased due to personal, or familial relations that
limits their view. The definition of discrimination is treating one or more members of a
specified group unfairly as compared with other people, according to the Dictionary of
Sociology on www.oxfordreference.com. According to this definition any group, minority
or majority, can discriminate against any other group including themselves. Hall later
explains that twenty-first century versions of racism are rooted in historical events such
as the black mans slavery under white men. This part of history promotes the
discrimination of white people by African-Americans in the way that it gives them a
reason that seems legitimate, but is not outside the realm of racism.

In conclusion the idea that racism has separated from society and died out is
false, in fact racism is still a huge problem. There are many reasons why people believe
this, most of which are related to the disappearance of publicized racism. At the same
time though racism has engrained itself in a much more subtle, and much more
dangerous way. The biggest problem is that society ignores this, and argues amongst
itself that racism is over and done with. Many people in first world countries especially
are unaware of how institutionalized racism has become, and how much it still affects
people of different ethnicities.