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Introduction
Hi I’m Sam and today I will be talking to you about the massive problem sweeping the globe called racism. Racism has been a problem since the dawn of time. What do you think when you think of racism? White people thinking that they are somehow better than those with darker skin than them, that's what most people think of. What actions should I take to minimise the effect of racism? We need to educate ourselves about the lives of others. Our intentions need to be good, anti racism is a way of life. Facing facts about racism, white privilege, and white supremacy is hard, but we need to have courage and face everything that gets in our way.
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What are the main causes of racism? Well first we have quick judgments. Quick judgment is when you judge someone before you even get to know them, this is never ok as they could be a really nice and easy going person and you just assume that they are gonna stab you or something. Second, we have living in an echo chamber. Living in an echo chamber is if you only interact with people who share the same beliefs. If someone is surrounded by racist family members or friends, they’ll likely share those same beliefs. Even “positive” generalizations about race are harmful and difficult to challenge if someone isn’t part of a diverse community. Never stepping outside an echo chamber keeps racism alive. And third we have self interest. Many experts believe self-interest is the root cause of racist beliefs. Through the 17th and 18th centuries, people from Africa were kidnapped and forced into slavery. This was because European investors figured out that indentured servants could not handle the work needed to grow tobacco, sugar, and cotton in the Americas. Instead of trying to attract voluntary laborers, Europeans decided to use slavery. They needed to justify barbaric action, so they claimed that slavery was acceptable because slaves were less than human.
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What are the main consequences of racism? First we have poor physical health. The aforementioned systematic review found that experiencing racism is associated with poor mental health and, to a lesser extent, poor physical health. Racism is associated with higher rates of stress, increasing a person of color’s risk of developing high blood pressure. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Black people are more likely to have hypertension than any other racial or ethnic group. There is considerable research to suggest that the stress associated with experiencing racism can have long lasting physical effects. Stress can elevate blood pressure and weaken the immune system, which, in turn, raises the risk of developing long-term health conditions. Second, we have poor mental health. The 2015 meta-analysis found that racism is twice as likely to affect mental health than physical health. Of those the researchers sampled, BIPOC who reported experiences of racism also experienced the following mental health issues:
depression
stress
emotional distress
anxiety
PTSD
suicidal thoughts
A 2011 meta-analysis of studies into racism and mental health among Asian American people also revealed significant relationships between racial discrimination and depression and anxiety. A 2018 paper suggested that fear of racism itself is harmful, and that it can undermine good mental health characteristics, such as resilience, hope, and motivation. The paper also underlined how verbal and physical assault can cause PTSD.
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What are some solutions we can use to help stop racism? First we have speaking to people. Speaking to people is good because it's easy to do, people will listen and it has a direct effect. The few problems are, it's hard to organize, it takes time and it wont reach heaps of people. Second, we have protesting. Protesting is good because it’s easy to do, people will listen if it’s done properly and it has a direct effect. The few problems are, it’s hard to organize, it takes time for people to actually do anything and it needs hundreds of people. And third we have speeches. Speeches are good because, people will listen if it’s done properly and it has a direct effect. The few problems are, it’s hard to organize and it takes time to write. The best solution for me personally is speeches.
Conclusion
What actions should I take to minimise the effect of racism? We need to educate ourselves about the lives of others. Our intentions need to be good, anti racism is a way of life. Facing facts about racism, white privilege, and white supremacy is hard, but we need to have courage and face everything that gets in our way. Racism is a massive world wide problem that needs to stop. If racism does not end we will be forced to live in a world of negativity and hate. Nobody wants that. Thank you for listening.
Bibliography
https://www.britannica.com/topic/racism
https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/race-discrimination/what-racism
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047272720301870
https://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/live/community-groups/multicultural-communities/raising-awareness
https://www.torontopsychologists.com/5-ways-you-can-raise-awareness-about-racism
https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/campaign-aims-to-raise-awareness-about-racism/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-racist-countries
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/worst-countries-for-racial-equality
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_by_country
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_keys_to_everyday_anti_racism
https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-racism-day
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