In discussions that touch on race relations, understanding what is meant by specific terms is important. Race implies that the origin of human beings is common and that they originate from a common species. As a result, human beings are equal and any variations in what they achieve are based on economic, geographical, social, historical and cultural factors.
Racism is described as any attitude or deed done either consciously or unconsciously with the intentions of subordinating individuals or groups on the basis of race or the color of their skin. It can be perpetrated institutionally or at an individual level. Racial discrimination is therefore the act of treating an individual or groups of individuals on the basis of their race.
Power is critical in racial discrimination because the practice relies on the capacity to withhold or deny facilities, opportunities, social benefits and services that individuals are entitled to.
Racial discrimination is a problem that has existed in the US for many years. The victims of the practice have always been the colored communities who include Native Americans, Asian Americans and African Americans. The practice has caused these groups of people to suffer by being denied privileges and opportunities they deserve.
There are many factors that have been contributing towards the practice both from within the communities and outside. The first factor is competition for resources. Due to the large number of members of the communities in the US, competition for the scarce resources has been stiff. As a result, some communities have been discriminating against the colored individuals in order to deny them opportunities and privileges.
The second factor that leads to racial discrimination in the US is historic prejudice. Prejudice is the prior judging of individuals or forming wrong opinions about them without full knowledge about them or understanding them fully. In the US, there has always been prejudice against the colored population.
These individuals have been discriminated on the basis of their color without trying to understand them and what they are capable of doing. This racial discrimination has caused them to suffer as a result of being denied privileges enjoyed by other Americans.
The third factor that has been encouraging racial discrimination is the need for certain groups of people to dominate the colored population and make them less influential. Domination over them has been associated with social, economic and political benefits for the dominant groups.
This has caused the religious and spiritual traditions among the communities to take the issue seriously hence they have been looking for ways of reducing it. Religion has been a powerful way of dealing with racial discrimination because it has been influencing many people
In a bid to deal with the problem, religious bodies in the US have been campaigning for the need to treat colored communities equally. One of the ways through which they have been conducting the campaigns has been through educating members of the particular communities the need to co-exist as brothers and sisters without discriminating one another. In order to fight discrimination from the other individuals, it has been important for them to counter the practice from within.
They have been able to do this by agitating for their rights through different channels including the media. In addition, there are government policies that have been guaranteeing all citizens regardless of their color the privilege to enjoy the rights enjoyed by the rest of the citizens. By doing this, they have been able to reduce racial discrimination to a great extent.
Reference
Jaimes, A. (1992). The State of Native America: genocide, colonization, and resistance. New York: south End Press.