- Racism is the view and the thesis of human inequality. It is the ideology of the superiority of one race over another. A “higher” race is the most important and its survival becomes the primary goal. That is why a “higher” race should dominate over “inferior” races. [1]
- Racialism assumes that the differences in the appearance cause the inherent differences in personality as well as the inborn intellectual’s differences. [2]
- The term “racial” is a modern term. Ethnic division did not exist in the Antiquity. At that time, people were divided because of religion, class and mother tongue.
- Generally, we can separate three human races:
- Caucasoid Race (so-called “white race”) characterized by fair complexion, strong growth and hair all over the body in men’s case. It has been considered that this race has a high percentage of blondes,
- Negroid Race (so-called “black race”) characterized by dark-brown skin color, weak growth and feeble hair over the body in men’s case as well as woolen hair, wide but flattens noise and thick lips and dark eyes,
- Mongoloid Race (so-called “yellow race”) characterized by yellow skin color, lower growth, straight and thick hair and flat face shape as well as slanting eyes.
- For ages people have united in pairs and that is why other races have been created: Mulatto (Caucasoid Race and Negroid Race), Zambo (Negroid Race and Mongoloid Race) and Mestizo (Caucasoid Race and Native American People).
- White race lives in: Europe, North side of Africa and Western part of Asia as well as in Northern America and Southern Australia. Black race lives in: Africa – south from Sahara Dessert, Northern and South America (sons of slaves) and Australia – Aboriginal as well as Southern part of Indian subcontinent. Yellow race lives in South-East Asia.
- Swedish Botanic and Physician, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) talks about the distinction of four races: Homo Sapiens Americanous, Europeans , Asiaticus as well as Afer. Its classification was based on four main religious occurred on the word.
- German medical professor, Johan Fredrich Blumenback (1752-1840) has distinction of five races: Caucasian, Mongolian, Ethiopian as well as American and Malan.
- The theory about geographical determinism says that races which live in areas with temperate climate are: stronger, more intelligent and more talented than the others. This is because those races (white races) are living in more difficult conditions; the changing seasons cause that those people have to adapt themselves to different conditions, what is not easy. That is why; they are smarter and physically healthier than other races.
- Creators of the racism theory have claimed that white people skulls are the biggest, what means that those people have the largest brain and they are the most intelligent.
- Racism was officially criticized by UNESCO (1961 and 1964) as well as by the UN General Assembly (in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights accepted in 1948).
- UN General Assembly does not define racism, but it does define “racial discrimination.” In the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All of Racial Discrimination, published in New York (1966), is written: “racial discrimination shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, color, descent and national or ethnic origin that has the purpose or effect of mollifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, on an equal footing of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, culture or any other field of public life.”
- The European Union officially condemned racism and found it to be illegal in 2001. In the charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU is written: “Article 21 of the charter prohibits discrimination on any ground such as race, color, ethnic , belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, disability, age or sexual orientation and also discrimination on the grounds of nationality.”
- The arguments put forward by racists generally can be divided into three groups:
- Genetic (the inherited intelligence),
- Psychological (the lower rates of intelligence among some social groups, some races, like e.g. Black Men in the USA),
- Historical (the unequal contribution of human races to the achievements of civilization. [3]
- Generally, we can highlight three types of racism:
- Racial discrimination; devise people into categories (not necessary related to races) for purpose of the differential treatment. Two scientists; Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan, from the University of Chicago, published (in 2004) the results of their research, which concerned the discrimination in the workplace. The research showed that the application forms from the people, whose surnames sounded like surnames of black people were 50{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} less likely invited for interviews than people whose names sounded “white.” [4] Besides that, Derah Pager – the sociologist from the Princeton University – sent matched pair of applicants to apply for work in Milwaukee and New York. It turned that black job-seekers received 50{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} less offers than white people. [5]
- Structural Racism (called also state racism or systemic racism) is based on racial discrimination and use by the governments, huge companies and religions as well as the educational institutions. Stokey Carmichael is considered as the author of the phrase “structural racism.” It was created in 1966. Carmichael said, “The collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture or ethnic origin.”
- Economic Racism. The American farmers originate from Africa have complained that the banks refused them loans, or that they had to wait very long for the consideration of their applications. They accused U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it had not reacted to their complains [6]. The Bank of America paid, in 2011, $ 335 million to settle a federal government claim that its mortgage division, countrywide, financial discriminated black and Hispanic home buyers [7]
- Joseph Arthur de Gobineau, a French politician and ethnologist, was the first theorist of racism in the history of this ideology. He created the race-anthropology trend in sociology and in this way he worked out racism’s doctrine. He wrote the essay titled: “Essai sur l’inegalite des races humaines,” in which he gave an opinion about inequality of human races. It took place in the years between 1853 and 1855. He presented the thesis of the existence of the Aryan race and of the superiority of this race over others. According to Gobineau, the Aryan race had to be kept in the German and France aristocracy circles. This French politician worked out the idea of preserving the purity of races. According to him, the “white race” should not be mixed with other races because it can cause the autumn of the societies.
- A German theorist, Houston Steward Chamberlain, for the first time in the history ,used the word “racism” in the nationalist aspect. . He tried to prove – in his essay titled: “Die Grundlagen des XIX Jahrhunderts” – the superiority of the race called Teutons, which can be used for the Germanic people in general. According to Chamberlain, Teutons people are characterized by certain features of appearance. They are tall and fair-haired. The biggest threads for those people are the Slavs and Jews. It happened in 1899.
- Racism was a base for the Holocaust. It also appeared in the colonial contexts – the rubber boom in South Africa and Congo – in the European conquest of America and the colonization of Africa, Asia and Australia. Racism was legally responsible for the transatlantic slave trade and for racial segregation in the USA (in the XIX century and beginning of XX century). Racism was also liable for apartheid in South Africa. [8]
- During the I War World (1914-1918) 8 million people were killed and 21 million were injured. During the II War World (1939 – 1945) 52 million people all over the word lost their lives, mostly Jews and Gypsies. It was the clear manifestation of racism.
- The French doctor, Francois Bernier was the first who used the word “race” to classify people scientifically – he wrote the essay, titled: “A New Division of the Earth, According to the Different Species of Races of Men Who Inhabit It” (1684).
- The new form of racism (called “culture racism” or “new racism”) appeared in the 80’s. It has been strictly connected with the mass migration of people. As the result of this, many cultural confrontations between the social groups. Those conflicts arise from a desire to protect tradition and a life-style which is characterized for the selected communities. [9]
- Apartheid, a system based on racism, existed in South Africa from 1946 to 1994. Enactment of Apartheid laws established the formal racial discrimination in this country. The marriages between white and black people were strictly forbidden. Besides that, only white people could get the jobs. The Population Registration Act lead to the division of people into three categories: white, black and colorful.
- “Afrikaans Plaasmoorde.” After 1994, more and more white farmers were killed in South Africa. The violence was caused by racist motives. According to South African and international mass media, 3770 white farmers were killed in January 2011 as a result of these fights. Women were raped before being murdered and men were tortured. The murders’ origin was the black community. [10] [11] [12]
- At the beginning of 1800, black people moving to Ohio had to pay a bond equal to $500 as a guarantee for proper behavior. Besides that, they had to prove that they were free.
- At the end of XIX century American anthropologists referred to Darwin’s theory of evolution, claiming that only the stronger can survive. In this way, they wanted to justify the killing of American Indians and the compulsory regression of black people.
- The Racial Integrity Act, introduced in the USA in 1900, required racial classification. The marriages between black and white people were strictly forbidden.
- Thomas Jefferson, in one of his famous speeches, said “An animal whose body is at rest and who does not reflect, must be disposed to sleep of course.” The word “animal” referred to black people. [13]
- The City Council in New York announced, on the 18th of March 2007, that it is forbidden to use the word “Nigger.” From that time on, this word has been considered as racist.
- Inter Press Service emphasized the increasing role of neo-Nazism in Europe, in 2000; “far from being a fringe activity, racism, violence and neo-nationalism have become normal in some communities. The problems need to be tackled much earlier; in schools and with social programs.”
- Amnesty International paid attention to the fact that there were more and more racist attacks in Western Europe on Jews and Arabs, in 2002.
- BBC announced, in 2010, that there were plenty of attacks on African farm workers in Southern Italy. As a result, 70 people were injured and more than 700 had to be evacuated.
- The organization named “Human Rights Watch” wrote (in 1997): “The UK has one of the highest levels of racially – motivated violence and harassment in Western Europe and the problem is getting worse.”
- Two bombs have exploded in London, in April 1999, in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities.
- John Pilger and Cathy Freeman wrote in an article, published on the 10th of July 2000: “A sensational ‘discovery’ was made in 1897 by a Sydney University team, led by Australia’s most celebrate pre-historian, Professor DJ Mulvaney. They reported that the Australian population in 1798 was 750,000, or three times the previous estimate. They conducted that more than 600,000 people had died as a result of white settlement.” The article was titled: “Broad Olympic smile is being used to conceal a multitude of Australian’s original sins.”
- Studies in Australia (in 2010) have shown that generally the Australians are well-disposed to the diversity, but one in ten Australian still have racial views.
- The organization “Survival International” has published a report about the Canadian’s native population. It was written (in the report): “report reveals how racist government policies, under the guise of benevolent ‘progress,’ have crippled the Innu of eastern Canada – a once self sufficient and independent people.”
- The public opinion poll conducted by “Gallup Poll” and published in “USA Today” (2008) showed that the majority of black people in the USA have considered racism as a serious danger. The surveyed persons had to answer one question: “Do you think racial discrimination against blacks is a major factor, a minor factor, or not a factor.” The survey was based on black people.
- Black’s education levels: 64{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a major factor, 25{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a minor factor and 11{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} not a factor,
- Black’s income levels: 71{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a major factor and 21,6{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a minor factor,
- Black’s life expectancy: 57{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a major factor and 29,13{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a minor factor,
- Black’s prison rates: 80{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a major factor and 11, 6{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} a minor factor.
- Black people arrested for drugs are 48 more times at risk of violent attacks in a prison, than white people arrested for the same crime. [14]
- Black people and Latin American people are three times more often stopped by the police than white people, although it is commonly known that white people more often own a gun or drugs. [15]
- White job-seekers with a police record are more likely invited for interviews than blacks without police record, who are having the same qualifications. [16]
- Black students are two times more often expelled or suspended from schools than white children. [17]
- In 1962, 85{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} of white people believed that black children in their community had the same chances for good educations as white children. [18]
- In 1969, 45{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} of white people believed that black people had better chances for a good job than white people. [19]
- American census (in 2010) showed that the lowest rates of poverty of any ethnic group had been among white and Asian children. The highest rates of poverty occurred in relation to the children of blacks (38, 2{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}) and the Spaniards (32, 3{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}). [20]
- African Americans constituted a majority (more than a half) of every new case of HIV and AIDS, in the USA. The research was made in 40 states as well as in the independent areas (in 2008). African Americans accounted on 46{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} of new cases of HIV infections. White people – 31, 6{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}, Latin American – 20{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} and multiple races – 1, 3{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}. Asians – 0, 6{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders – 0, 4{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}. [21]
- The Institute of Medicine proved (in 2002) that racist differences have been existed in the health care. Only during one generation, between 1940 and 1999, 4 million of African Americans have died earlier than white people.
- Marriages between people origin from different races have been legal in the USA since 1967. In 2008, 14, 6{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} of all marriages were formed between people coming from different races. 9{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} of white people were getting married with people coming from a different race. Among blacks, this percentage was 16{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}, among the Spaniards – 26{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} and among Asians – 31{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9}.
- A research has shown that the marriages contained of white women and black man have been divorcing two times more , than the marriages contained of white woman and white man – during 10 years living together. However, the marriages between black woman and white man have been 44{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} less imaginable to divorce, than white man and white woman.
- A research has shown that more colored people, than white people, have been living in the districts located 1, 8 kilometers of the nation’s hazardous waste facilities (in the USA). 79{e93752dce7a04ea6635d86e87af7093fb6a2096afc058e5838c7d1df103801d9} of those people were African Americans.
- A Commission for Racial Justice published, that three out of the five biggest waste facilities dealing with hazardous materials were located next to the areas inhabited by blacks, African Americans and Latin Americans. [22]
Operon; 2009 [2] Kwame Anthony Appiah: „In My Father’s House – Africa in the Philosophy of Culture,” New York:
Oxford University Press’; 1992 [3] Nowa Encyklopedia Powszechna PWN, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN; 2004 [4] Derah Pager, Bruce Western and Bart Bonikowski: “Discrimination in a Low Wage Labor Market: A Field Experiment,” American Sociological Review; 2009 [5] Derah Pager: “The Mark of Criminal Record,” American Journal of Sociology; 2003 [6] “Obama Wants $ 1,25B to compensate up to 66,000 African American Farmers for USDA Discrimination in 1981-1996,” 14th of October 2010 [7] “Holder’s Anti-Bank Witch Hunt,” ‘Investor’s Business Daily;’ 5th of December 2011 [8] Kevin Reilly, Stephen Kaufman and Angela Bodino: „Racism: a global reader,” 2003 [9] Mały słownik antropologiczny, Wiedza Powszechna; Warszawa, 1976 [10] ANC Challanges; „Shoot the Boer’ban” – news – Mail & Guardian Online [11] Criminal Justice Monitor, Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Farm Attacks [12] ‘White farmers “being wiped out”’ – Sunday Times, 28th of March 2010 [13] Robert Dorothy: “Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics and Big Business Recreate Race in the XX century,” New York; 2011 [14] “Young While Offenders get lighter treatment,” The Tennessean; 2000 [15] Mathew R. Darose, Eric L. Schmitt, and Patrick A. Langan: “Contacts between Police and the Public: Results from the 2002 National Survey U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Justice Statistics), 2005 [16] Devah Pager: “The Mark of a Criminal Record,” American Journal of Sociology; 2003 [17] Russell J. Skiba: “The Color of Discipline: Sources of Racial and Gender Disproportionality in School Punishment,” Indiana Education Policy Center, Policy Research Report; June 2000 [18] The Gallup Organizations, Gallup Poll Social Audit 2001; “Black-White relation in the U.S.” [19] Newsweek, Gallup Organization, National Opinion Survey; 19th August 1969 [20] Child Poverty in the USA; 2009 and 2010: “Selected Race Group and Hispanics’ Origin; American Community Survey.” [21] Diagnosis of HIV Infection and AIDS in the U.S. and Depended Areas, 2009; “HIV Surveillance Report, 2012.” [22] The Encyclopedia of Earth Young People for Toxic Wastes and Race, 2002