Discrimination has been a prominent issue in America and the whole world. For generations, people have been firmly fighting against such injustice, yet it seems as though no progress has been achieved.
It’s 2022, and the world has been steadily progressing. People have significantly contributed to this with their continuous pursuance, discovery, and invention of new things. Additionally, technology has been continuously reaching new heights to such an extent that people now have cars that drive on their own and even air touch technology – virtual touch screens that allow technology to be manipulated mid-air. With such substantial improvements attained, you’d think society has gone past fueling behaviors with prejudices, but it hasn’t.
Prejudice still exists, and until now, it impacts much of people’s behavior toward others. It includes holding negative feelings and beliefs about different groups and acting on such opinions regardless of whether they are known to be true or not. This leads to discrimination or hostility against them and jeopardizes relationships with them.
Conversations about prejudice
For years, people discussed such issues through different avenues – whether in writing, music, or mainstream media. Artists have been actively finding means to reach out and place some sense into society’s head to make it recognize such an unpleasant concept.
American’t by King Bell is one of the prime examples of this discussion. American’t is a fictional book narrating the lives of six black men and the discrimination they experience, particularly within the corporate world. It accurately defines that the black community in America feels unfairly segregated due to their racial difference.
This book aims to tackle and wake people up from racial discrimination. This story presents to its readers the cruelty and challenges a black person may face as they navigate around America. King Bell also likewise shows how challenging it can be for them to make sincere and honest relationships in the country. Through this story, King Bell hopes his readers can observe and empathize with the unfair treatment their community experiences daily.
How racial discrimination exhibits itself in society
Racial discrimination is the unfair treatment of individuals based on their racial or ethnic origin and skin color. These behaviors are observed by one’s refusal to transact, socialize, or be associated with these individuals and are done without concrete rationale. Many of how society functions aren’t designed to equally benefit white people and those people of color — for instance, some institutions are twice as strict in admitting the black community. Some professionals running these organizations may even show unfair biases and preferential treatment against them.
On top of these, as King Bell stated in his book, discrimination happens anywhere. It can occur in the workplace or in their day-to-day interactions with other people, such as in the relationships they build.
Discrimination in the workplace
Discrimination in the corporate world may involve denying individuals equal employment opportunities solely due to their race or having characteristics associated with that race, regardless of their competence. Because they aren’t given equal chances, they may get refused hiring and promotions or may unjustly get dismissed from their positions. Likewise, they can also receive fewer callbacks, job offers, and less income than others.
While a law aims to protect this community from discrimination in employment, making it illegal for any employer to discriminate based on race, there are still recorded instances of corporate discrimination, dodging past authorities and laws. In fact, a recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research states that racial discrimination continues to be rampant during job applications and overall employment.
Discrimination in relationships
Due to their background and history, some people of color may find it hard to build relationships. Some may feel that it’s difficult to trust or genuinely connect with others. But in some ways, others’ perceptions of the black community’s struggles can be a heavier factor that influences their relationships.
Friendship
There are instances where friendships have been compromised due to racial discrimination. It can be pretty difficult for the black community to look for genuine friendships – with those who can truly empathize and understand their pain. Unfortunately, other people can be blind to racial inequalities. They may not be educated about it, or they choose to be ignorant and brush off matters that don’t affect them personally.
Love
Those who experience discrimination may develop more relationship restrain than other people due to their history and background. This affects how they make their choices and hesitations when proceeding in relationships, making it harder for them to forge connections with people unless they prove trustworthy.
Though obviously, not everyone is prejudiced against the community, it can’t be denied that most of society has these biases tucked at the back of their minds.
Reading all of these points, one may think the situations may seem far-fetched; some probably even deem them impossible in today’s society – this is where the problem lies: the people’s continuous defensiveness or indifference to the issue. Just because more people aren’t aware of it or the media fails to cover some instances of this hostility, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Sometimes, people care less simply because they are privileged enough not to encounter such behavior, and it’s time to change that.
