英语论文网

Now it is no longer either. You have to include Asians, Latinos, Arabs, Muslims, etc. There are so many different ethnicities. However, with so many different ethnic people in the world racism has grown as well as changed. It's no longer just about blacks. Or even colour. As time went on after the slave trade there was discrimination about women. For many years women were discriminated towards jobs and the amount paid to them compared to men. As black people were seen as animals, women were seen as staying at home with then children. There has always been strong discrimination towards gays. It's seen as wrong to some people. Racism could be said to have started a war with life about everything that seems a bit strange or odd to us. If racism never began would we still discriminate against colour, women, disability, gays? But just as the number of blacks grew from a minority to a majority figure so will gays. Women have won their fight about being treated fairly. People just need to be given time to accept it. In the beginning it's seen as wrong, then some people begin to accept the change, soon it becomes natural, normal!

The persistence of racism is caused by the psychology of whiteness. The word 'Whiteness' was created during the slave trade. When slaves were first introduced into society 'whiteness' and 'blackness' became terms in reference to racism, these words were the start of racism. It is poignant to see how two little words could create hundreds of years of fighting, anger and heart ache in the world. Franz Fanon once wrote, 'Colour is the most outward manifestation of race.' It introduced the theme of racial differences which created the emergence of 'white-skin privileges'. Even though slavery was abolished, racism was not as easy to overcome. Black people may have been legally seen as equals but that is not how the world saw it. Black people were not paid as much, they did not get good education, or first pick of jobs no matter how qualified they were. Black people were beaten up in the streets just for being black. White people did not want them working with their kids as nanny's or in their factories touching their products. It was a new world and yes things had changed for black people but not necessarily in a better way than it was before slavery was demolished. At least as slaves they had a title or a purpose. Now they were treated worse, like scum. This is when the word 'Nigger' was created. It is said to have been the worst insult in history. The word 'Nigger' suggests that black people were second class citizens, ignorant and less than human. Strangely enough today black people still use the word as a sort of greeting or acknowledgement towards each other but it is not acceptable for white people to say it.

Having discussed the key factors of the persistence of racism I am compelled to discuss racism in the world at the moment. Racism still exists. It's everywhere in the world. Immigrants are blamed for the high unemployment rates in the UK. They are even blamed for the low wages but really it's the government's fault that the minimum wage is not enough to live on. In our world today it is the few rich people that control all the wealth and because of their status they treat worse off people as scapegoats. In government only in the past few weeks Tony Blair was found to have used tax payer's money to pay for his TV licence and Gordon Brown paid someone ￡5000 of