In the US, racism has been a social vice across decades, and its propagation from one generation to the next is never innate, rather, racism is discussed, taught, and hence learned by those innocent to the level of not perceiving race. In fact, diversity in color, ethnicity, religion, political affiliations, and economic providence has been the bottom-line for instigating racial sentiments (Kendi 336). On the contrary, if the negative efforts and force structured in social frameworks to perpetuate racism are withdrawn, such that racism is not discussed or learned in schools, then racial confrontations can in entirety be avoided in America, because new generations would perceive no race and other “isms” in the country (Love 44). in fact, those opposed to the avoidance of race in the US have always argued that the vice cannot be eliminated at all costs and in all fronts, but the proponents of eliminating racial sentiments have shown more evidence based arguments to counter the former, confirming that racism can end is discussing and teaching race which is the founding stones) is avoided (Jacobs-Jenkins 35). Critics of racism and its continued presence in the American mainstream society have noted with concern that no child under the age of 3 years in America has exhibited or shown racist behavior while in a diverse social environment (Kendi 121). Such is a formidable platform that offers a rebuttal to a misconception that race and racism cannot be avoided because people are not born racists, rather, children are taught how to become. Indeed, while discussing the subject of racism in America, it is not only critical to highlight how racism can be avoided by not teaching it to children and students in schools, but also important to mention why the discussion race should be avoided and other subjects of multicultural diversity to be taught instead.
Psychologists have ascertained that the human mind is programmed to learn, to perceive circumstances according to the environment, and to keep memory in relation to the teachable and hence the taught insight (Allen 358). From a similar perspective, therefore, behavior, teachings, culture, and beliefs that would trigger racism in young people in future when they grow up should be offset by their guardians, the society around them and most importantly by their parents. Moreover, where adult people are with young ones, there should be sobriety and equality, such that one is not discriminated against because of their color. By so doing, young people will perceive no difference in privilege and interest as far as racial differences are concerned, and the society will then be the best atmosphere for avoiding the controversial topic of race. In most cases, acts of prejudice, inequality, and disparity trigger racial sentiments among people, and such encounters cultivate a compromising environment for the young people to perceive the foundations of prejudice as the difference in race (Love 39). In America, apparently, the liberalists and conservatives have laid a formidable platform that has redefined the US politics anew. In such heated political environment, race and racial differences have been given yet a thriving ground against the will and hope of the mainstream society. In fact, the media should not give a platform to such discriminative encounters just to make the subject of race irrelevant and finally extinct (Bonilla-Silva 12). It should be recognized that the discussion of race and affiliated social differences lays the ground for racism, and hence makes it part of the society. However, to ignore the subject in entirety and deny those who perpetuate racial sentiments a national audience on both mainstream and social media would expressly mean race has lost meaning in the US. In fact, such would be congruent with the need for policymakers and curricular designers in American schools to champion the “no need to teach racial concepts in school” campaigns. Once race and its related topic have no audience, it would be the primary and sure step to sever the bonds of intergenerational transfer of such special vices.
There is enough evidence in the recent American history that confirms the avoidance of teaching and discussion of the race could help significantly in eliminating the subject of race in America as time goes by. One of the examples is the controversial occurrence of Charlottesville (van Dijk 247). The American cloud of the moment became the scapegoat for the fury that prevailed on social media, mainstream media, and the public. Nevertheless, the Charlottesville experience, in reality, triggered extreme hate among Americans of different races (Jacobs-Jenkins 125). Therefore, it can be safely argued that when the race is discussed, taught, and expressed, more harm is evidenced that when the subject is avoided in entirety. Consequently, if children are given a platform to learn and emulate such racist activists like what was witnessed at Charlottesville than they run the risk of becoming worse racist than the preceding generations. People will always perceive prejudice and practice the same if they are taught about it from childhood, yet others can be compromised in adulthood to embrace such behavior not perceived in their childhood lives.
Racism has overtaken the public discourse in America, and hence it has replaced many essential policy-making frameworks that would benefit the society significantly. In most cases, covert racism is more harmful than racial slurs and white supremacist ideologies, yet covert racisms escape scrutiny in most cases (Bonilla-Silva 21). Covert racism is passive in many ways, and hence it enhances unnoticeable discrimination across the American society, with the concealed discrimination triggering more harm, for instance, health disparity and education marginalization in the country (Allen 359). Nevertheless, a careful understanding and recognition of racial privilege in America could profoundly help avoid racism. The ability to recognize racial privilege connotes that as an individual, everyone can keenly note how diversity in color has made each ethnic group a special partner in the American society (Kendi 79). On the other hand, by realizing the racial privilege, white Americans can expressly learn that it has not been through hard work or design that they have not experienced extreme racial discriminations other minorities of color have, yet life has a chance for everyone in the US. Such an approach eliminates the need for discussing, teaching, and embracing racism.
While children should not be taught about racism, the elderly who have been victims of racist ideologies and suffered under the same should learn to address racism as it is as well as get comfortable without comfort once racism it prevails. Americans should openly condemn covert or overt forms of racism whether they come across it among friends, family or strangers, in order to encourage accountability and social harmony (Jacobs-Jenkins 99). People who make a contribution to a racist system and such discriminative rhetoric based on color should be encouraged not to embrace such discussions because of the guaranteed social disharmony in the multicultural American society. Because race makes people feel uncomfortable and unwilling to bond with the rest of the society, there is need to encourage those affected to cope with diversity. As such, being comfortable among different races should be a learning process in the US, which would eventually eliminate racism in combination to other factors.
In conclusion, therefore, educating oneself, amplifying the contributions and experiences of people as individuals and not based on their race, and maintaining accountability be encouraging interpersonal relationships is primary is eliminating the subject of race in the US. Learning about the experience of all people in America regardless of their racial diversity, embracing their experiences, and being part of their ways of life makes learners embrace social cohesiveness, hence eliminating racism. Indeed, eliminating racism becomes easier if the positive aspects of livelihood of different racial groups in the US are cherished as the beautiful part of the American diversity. Furthermore, the amplification and celebration of diversity, achievements, and uniqueness of the Americans as a people and not as specific groupings inside of the larger society lay the platform for oneness. Consequently, for every opportunity that presents, people will be ready, capable, and wiling to seize the same based on merit and as Americans first, as opposed to other discriminative sentiments. Finally, accountability and contribution toward the elimination of racism are critical. Teachers and educators across all learning institutions and the general public should appreciate and recognize that it is the role of everyone to avoid racial topics or teaching about a historical of racial discriminations, to shape younger generations into a people who do not thrive on racial discrimination in future.
Works Cited
Allen, Theodore W. “The Invention of White Race: Racial Oppression and Social Control.” Racism: Essential Readings. N.p., 2001. 357–379. Web.
Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. “The Strange Enigma of Race in Contemporary America.” Racism Without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States 2010: 1–24. Web.
Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden. “Branden Jacobs-Jenkins ‘No One Is Really Challenged to Think Bigger’ - Exeunt Magazine.” 2017: 1–345. Web.
Kendi, Ibram X. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=Rl9CDgAAQBAJ"dq=avoiding+racism+in+america"hl=en"sa=X"ved=0ahUKEwjAuJOEl6PbAhUMuRQKHTnTDIQQ6AEINzAD, 2016. Print.
Love, Erik. Islamophobia and Racism in America, by Erik Love. NYU Press, 2017 ISBN 1479804924, 9781479804924, 2017. Web.
van Dijk, Teun. “Racism and Discourse.” Racism and Discourse in Spain and Latin America. N.p., 2009. 354. Print.
