A complete essay on Racism and its impacts on adults and students
The virtues of inclusiveness, the celebration of diversity, and pluralism are highly popular in this epoch of globalization. It is true that the world has come a long way to leave behind stereotypes and prejudices that divided humans for the longest possible. However, the real question is, has the world been able to eradicate discrimination and racism completely? Ironically, that is not true because, despite staggering modernization, racism in various forms is deep-rooted in the ways of the world. Even in the most progressive nations of the world that are often defined as global superpowers, racism is largely prevalent. Racism in the United States is an infamous reality that is known to the entire world. In simplest terms, racism can be defined as the belief among people that some races are superior to others. This irrelevant construct of superiority and inferiority of races in civil societies is what gives validation to racism. The US has always been caught up in the tussle between the whites and the blacks. Racism in America is rather systematic and dwells in every realm of life. To cite a small example, the unemployment rate among white Americans is around 10 percent. On the other hand, the rate of joblessness among black Americans is well over 15 percent. (Marte, 2021) This exhibits the fact that there are widespread disparities and discrimination in the economic opportunities that exist for the blacks and the whites in the US. In fact, as many as 75 percent of black Americans admit that they have been at the receiving end of agonizing discrimination because of their race. ("Views on Race in America 2019", 2021).
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Probing further, the story is no different for other nations ranging from the west to the east. Racism is a global issue for the world to address collectively. It exists in different forms, different styles, and different contexts in almost every nation. Furthermore, the fact whether the values of morality, equality, and equity are only limited to textbooks or not is debatable. It is ironic and condemnable that in a world where the global adult literacy rate is well over 85 percent, racism is still predominant. ("Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) | Data", 2021). Racism is what young children witness at school, young professionals have to face in the workplace, or people, in general, have to be victims of in public places. It is vital to note that racism is in fact one of the many forms of discrimination and differential practices that are an integral part of how the world functions. This meticulous essay covers the various dimensions of racism, its impacts on various segments of people, and the effective ways in which the world can combat racism. Moving further, the subsequent section highlights some concerning statistics centered around the social evil of racism.
Some significant statistics explaining systematic racism
- As per a report compiled by the US Department of Justice, the rate of imprisonment of black males in the US is nearly six times that of white males. This again is a testament to racism in the United States that African Americans have to face.
- Black Americans account for around 14 percent of the population of the United States. However, they account for 40 percent of America’s prison population. In fact, they are twice more vulnerable to being arrested than white Americans. ("Numbers behind anger: U.S. racism, inequality in stats", 2021)
- In 2017, more than 47% of hate crimes in Canada were specifically targeted against specific races or ethnicities. Besides, 16% of these hate crimes were against black populations in particular. (Heritage, 2021)
- In Toronto, black males are thrice more likely to be stopped and interrogated by the police than white males. This is another example of widespread racism in Canada.
- Speaking of racism in Australia, people belonging to other linguistic backgrounds than English face high rates of racism. The rate of racism they are victims to is 54 percent in the workplace and 55 percent in educational institutions. ("Is Australia racist? Here are the 10 stunning stats", 2021)
The above figures and trends explain outrightly how some people continue to be victims of racism on a daily basis. It reflects a sickening mentality that discriminates against people purely on the basis of the color of their skin. While people should be known for their character, their talents, their abilities, and their deeds, people are being looked at or rather looked down upon on the basis of the color of their skin. But why is it that people feel that it is alright to discriminate between races? It is imperative to understand the causes of this problem to understand the peculiarities of the issues. Consequently, the upcoming section aims to explain and delve deeper into the reasons why people engage in racist practices.
Why are people racist?
From traditional to historic to upbringing at home, the reasons for racist behaviors can be different. The cultural and social behavior of people is often influenced by the environment in which people grow. If a young child grows up in an aura where he is made to believe that he belongs to a superlative race while others are inferior, he will only become a part of the problem. He will mature with this misconception and propagate it further to his subsequent generations. The unfortunate killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man in Minneapolis police custody sparked global outrage. George Floyd was pinned beneath police officers and that is how he lost his life. The charge on him was as petty as buying cigarettes worth 20 dollars with counterfeit bills. The question one must ponder upon here is, would he have died for this if he was not an African American? Would he have lost his life in vain this way if he was a white American? This incident sparked a global social movement as videos of George Floyd being pinned down went viral. The whole world responded in synchronization with banners that read ‘Black Lives Matter.’ It became a viral social media trend that garnered support from the global community as people yearned for justice in one voice. However, what could this movement achieve on the ground level or how much change could it trigger remains unknown. Maybe, the reasons that make people believe in racism are too deep-rooted to be defeated by a social media uproar.
The most common reasons for people to indulge in racism and spread it include the following
- The first reason of course is the prevalence of racial prejudices in the surroundings. Young children learn from these practices happening around them and develop a mindset that makes them believe that their racial superiority can downgrade others.
- Children also pick discriminatory practices or racial stereotypes from the conduct of their parents and their teachers. Ideally, children look up to their parents and teachers as their role models. They try to understand the fine line between right and wrong from the way their idols behave. So, when parents and teachers reflect racist abuse in their behavior, the child tends to pick the same.
- Xenophobia is another reason which triggers racist behaviors among people. Simply put, xenophobia is defined as the apprehensions or fear that people have from foreigners or immigrants. They believe that people from other nations and cultural backgrounds will deteriorate their native culture. This apprehension gives rise to racist behavior in them.
- Next, the flawed concept of beauty that the world has always believed in is yet another reason for prevailing racism. People from young age are made to believe that beauty is attributed to fairness. They are taught that white is beautiful while if someone has black skin, he or she is ugly. This toxic idea of beauty is what stalls the real and meaningful progress of the world that is driven by equality of all forms hence forming a world sans discrimination.
Moving onwards, the essay further analyzes some more causes of racism that humans have not been able to uproot despite long-fought battles. The proponents of equality of races and other aspects have raised their voices ever since these social evils have existed. Talking about the history of racism in America and other places, it dates back to times when slavery started in the United States. It is believed that between the 1500s and 1800s, millions of people were kidnapped from Africa and were trafficked to America to be slaves. The seeds of anti-black violence and racism were hence sown in the US. Even today, after centuries, some native Americans look at African Americans as outsiders. Why this racism and prejudice still exist is explained in the next segment.
Why does racism exist?
There is a larger need to observe the reasons for the existence of racist ideologies closely. There are various psychological or physiological reasons why the evil of racism remains untamed. These reasons can further be categorized as those impacting individuals, communities, and cultures. Some of the key reasons that contribute to the propagation of racist ideologies are cited below.
Preconceived notions
People have preconceived notions of beauty and aesthetics that are often looked at in terms of skin color. Based on these preconceived notions, people create judgments in their minds about the appearance of a person. Over a period of time, these judgments become prejudices and stereotypes that are passed on to one generation from another. For instance, the stereotypes against gay marriages are still very common in developing and underdeveloping nations. In these nations, people are of the opinion that homosexuality is unethical and sinful. Similar stereotypes dwell around the idea of judging people on their skin color.
The apparent fun of bullying
People often have the tendency to find joy and appeasement in bullying or harassing others. As sickening it may seem but it is for real that people find happiness in exerting their self-assumed dominance over others. This bullying is further supplemented by psychological and physiological factors. It is common that black students are subjected to higher bullying rates at school than their fellow white students. This is because such racial bullying is inspired by the preconceived notions as explained above. Students find it funny and thrilling to abuse or harass fellow students on the lines of skin color.
Formation of groups on racial lines
Be it at school or in the workplace, people are happy to form their own communities with people belonging to their religion or race. Hence, such practices divide a given populace into communities driven by the belief that others are not like them or do not share their identity. Further, such groups clash with each other in terms of ideologies, and consequently, these committees get divided on racial lines, and racism triumphs.
Lack of correctness
Accountability is something that can hold people accountable for their actions and drive improvements in them. But it is often observed that teachers, family members, or friends do not correct the person who shows signs of racism. In fact, in some cases, the development of racist behavior may be influenced by peer pressure or family ideologies that are supportive of racism.
Next, this essay evaluates the prominence of racism in the present scenario. What has changed after the George Floyd incident and what changes need immediate attention is the focus of the upcoming section.
Racism Today
It is an undeniable fact that racism exists flamboyantly in civil societies even today. Many social revolutionary movements like ‘Black Lives Matter’ have failed to leave a big impact on the ground level. In education, healthcare, job opportunities, growth opportunities, liberty of life, and so on, racial discrimination is clearly visible and hence alarming. 21st March every year is observed as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. (Nations, 2021) But despite the observance of this day every year, the world has been able to achieve only little to eliminate racial discrimination.
Talking about the present times marred by the COVID-19 pandemic that has hampered the world in every possible way, racism is on the rise. According to the World Economic Forum, there has been a hike in incidents of racism all across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered extensive fear and xenophobia among people. For the fact that Coronavirus originated from East Asia, the ethnic racism against the East-Asian ethnicities is surging rapidly and people from these communities living in the west are being discriminated against. In fact, in western countries like the US, people are showing strong resentment against being treated by Asian doctors and paramedical staff. ("How racism spread around the world alongside COVID-19", 2021)
Furthermore, there have been reports of alarming reports of racism faced by black people in Chinese cities. Reports state that immigrants from the black ethnicity were abandoned by landlords and were put in self-quarantine forcibly. Besides, most of the Americans living in Chinese cities were tested for COVID against their will even if they exhibited no symptoms of the disease. So, even in such challenging times of a massive health emergency when people should have ideally stood by each other in support, people found reasons to discriminate on the basis of race. It can hence be said that the humongous uproars born out of George Floyd’s killing could not change much about the scenario and racism is swelling even further in this pandemic.
The reason why racism has become a seemingly insurmountable problem is that it exists in every vertical of life in a highly systematic way. It denies people the right to justice, the right to equal job opportunities, the right to attain equal educational opportunities, and so on. It deprives people of what they rightly deserve as much as their fellow human beings do. To cite an instance, in US preschools, black students are much more likely to face suspension than white students. While black students make a little less than 20 percent of the population of preschoolers in the United States, 50 percent of the suspended preschoolers are from the black ethnicity. ("How Systemic Racism Infiltrates Education", 2021) This is one of the many examples of systematic racial discrimination that is present in the US. It starts from an early age and from the age of 3 or 4, small innocent children become victims of racism.
To add, research conducted by the American Psychological Association reveals some more worrisome facts about racial inequality in the US. According to this research, teachers have lesser expectations from their black students than white students. Imagine how teachers who are supposed to teach kids the difference between ethical and unethical deeds are being catalysts to racism themselves. Not only this but black students in American schools are 54% less likely to win the recommendation of their teacher for gifted education programs. ("Inequality at school", 2021) These examples show how black students are systematically ousted from the opportunities to receive higher education at eminent universities or to win scholarships. In fact, white teachers have no hopes for their black students. Imagine how a teacher cannot have any hopes of success from a student just because of the color of his skin. For sure, it is a world far from the ideal virtues of equality and sanity. And if teachers themselves are going to create disparities between their students on the basis of ethnicity, how will students ever learn to mitigate racism. There are many questions to be asked to the world but these questions may never find an answer. But as long as discriminatory practices will continue, people will keep reeling under stress and the devastating impacts of racism. The following section assesses the impact of racism on adults.
Effects of racism on adults
It is rightly said that the pain and trauma of abuse and differential treatment can only be understood by those who have faced it. Someone who has not been subjected to the same trauma can offer sympathy but not empathy. When people at ages such young as three or free start facing racial abuse, it affects their growth. The traumas related to any form of victimization can have long-lasting psychological effects on the victim’s mental health and shaping of perspectives. It is significant to note here that there is a lot of subjectivity in the way people deal with racism or social inequalities. Some people may be strong enough and may be able to pursue their goals with conviction while ignoring others’ efforts to pull them down. But there may be some who may become vulnerable to mental deterioration, depression, and social anxieties after facing repeated harassment at school, college, or in the workplace. In some severe cases where people start to feel too weak being at the receiving end of racial abuse every day, the victims may even resort to suicide. The common psychological impacts of racism on adults are listed as followed.
Deterioration in mental and physical health
Victims of racial slurs or abuse undergo traumatic stress and this stress can have devastating effects on their mental as well as physical health. A study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, US states that the impact of racism can be twice as devastating on the victim’s mental health than his physical wellness. Furthermore, there is enough empirical evidence that suggests the deep correlation between racism and susceptibility to mental disorders like depression and anxiety. Prolonged victimization to racism can lead to serious mental health conditions like depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional distress, and even suicidal tendencies. To substantiate, suicide is the third leading cause of death in black American adults. As many as 3000 black American adults die of suicide each year and it is easy to relate most of these deaths to the disparity faced by them because of their race. ("Racial Discrimination Linked to Suicide", 2021)
Moreover, the stress and traumas related to racism can take a huge toll on the physical health of an individual. It is a well-known fact that high levels of stress can elevate blood pressure levels and also lead to some life-threatening diseases. Besides, enhanced levels of stress can downgrade the immunity of a person and expose him to certain health risks. Here it is crucial to note that black people are more prone to hypertension than white Americans. ("Racial Disparities in Hypertension Prevalence and Management: A Crisis Control? - American College of Cardiology", 2021)
Behavioral impacts
Constant bullying and abuse can also lead to behavioral issues in individuals. Constant victimization can make a person more aggressive and violent in nature. Subsequently, the person indulges in anti-social activities and becomes a threat to society. People who have been subjected to hatred for long become full of hatred on the inside and this turns out to be toxic for their social environment. Moreover, in some cases, victimization also triggers criminal mindsets. It has been often observed that some people resort to criminal activities after being oppressed for a long time. Even if people do not turn into criminals, they develop grim and unwelcoming attitudes towards others.
Development of an inferiority complex
When people are subjected to hatred on a daily basis, they lose their confidence and the will to remain positive. Their attitude and minds are then taken over by undying negativity. If a human being is made to feel inferior every day, eventually he will be convinced that he is inferior and will lose all hopes of ever receiving love and fair treatment from others. He then develops a permanent inferiority complex and that circles back to social anxieties and mental health disorders. It is considerable to note that the feelings of inferiority once developed are profoundly difficult to overcome. They make a person’s life miserable, dull, and full of despair.
Racism can make people quit their ambitions
When adults with ambitions to work abroad or pursue higher education from world-class universities realize the ground realities of racism, they are likely to alter or quit their ambitions. They develop apprehensions about being mistreated or being exposed to hate crimes if they migrate to countries where their ethnicity is not treated well. For instance, looking at the discrimination that East Asians are facing in the west ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, many will consider giving up on their career goals and plans to move to western countries like the UK and the US in the near future.
Racism makes people more susceptible to poverty
The systematic racial discrimination that starts from the school level itself deprives vulnerable ethnicities of studying at eminent institutions, receive scholarships, and hence build white collared careers. To substantiate, the black community in the US is twice more exposed to unemployment and impoverished conditions as compared to the white community. Besides, talking about median net worths, white households are 13 times wealthier than black households. ("Demographic trends and economic well-being", 2021) This clearly indicates that systematic racism in the US discriminates between the job opportunities and opportunities of financial welfare that the whites and the blacks receive. The black community is excluded from most opportunities to qualify for highly paid jobs and then they face differential treatment even after getting jobs. Hence, as an outcome of racism, some ethnic communities are forced to dwell in impoverished conditions denying them even the most basic amenities at times. Furthermore, they are unable to provide good healthcare and education to their family and children.
Furthermore, the essay also scrutinizes the negative effects of racism on students belonging to ethnicities that are discriminated against.
Effects of racism on students
Vulnerability of health
In a similar way, as adults become prone to mental and physical health disorders when subjected to prolonged racism, even students are likely to reel under stress and its related effects. Because of discrimination, they are likely to develop social anxieties and this can have worrisome effects on their cognitive development. In extreme cases, if their issues remain unaddressed, they become highly susceptible to depression and other health disorders at a young age.
Denial of equal opportunities to excel in education
It has been explained thoroughly in the above sections how systematic racism begins from preschool itself. Such differential treatment snatches from students their entitlement to equal opportunities of learning, growing, and excelling. Their calibers and talents are ignored and all that they are judged for is the color of their skin. Imagine what harm can it do to someone’s motivation when a person loses his share of opportunities because of his ethnicity. Such racism is rooted right from preschool to university education hence snatching from students of ethnically vulnerable groups their pursuit of excellence.
Leaning towards juvenile crimes
Many young students are not able to differentiate between right and wrong unless they are guided in a rightful manner. Having said that, they are likely to respond to oppression and bullying with violence that can be fatal at times. Not only are young students likely to engage in violence as a countermeasure to racism but they may also become victims of juvenile hate crimes inspired by racism. To validate, out of 435 victims of juvenile crimes triggered by racism in the United States (2019) 256 juvenile victims were subjected to anti-black crimes. ("Number of juvenile victims of racially motivated hate crimes U.S. 2019 | Statista", 2021) This confirms the fact that black students or children in the US are highly prone to juvenile crimes. In some of these incidents, even these students respond with violence or criminal activities and immerse their future in darkness.
Daily bullying
In civil societies where racism is prevalent in educational institutions, racially vulnerable students face bullying in schools and colleges every day. In fact, this bullying is not limited to school but these students also have to face cyberbullying. Such bullying can have traumatic impacts on students and make them disinterested in the little joys of life or even the need to be educated. Because they are bullied every day, they might never want to go back to school or to the playground fearing harassment. In such situations, again the mental health of children or teenagers starts to deteriorate and youngsters start to isolate themselves.
The problem of racism is monstrous and the proponents of comprehensive equality have not been able to mitigate racism completely in so many years. However, one feature that makes humans stand out is their love for hope and the belief that all issues can be resolved collectively. Also, if the right responses are determined and executed effectively, major positive changes can be driven. The upcoming unit highlights some significant and practical solutions to battle the monster of racism.
How to fight racism in school
Here are some of the ways in which students can confront racism in school. By raising their voices against mistreatment received by them or their friends, students can make a real difference in battling the air of racism in school.
Students ought to report racism
If a student is facing racism and racial bullying in the classroom, it is strongly recommended that he brings it to the notice of the teacher. Once the teacher knows the issue, he will address the issue taking a neutral stance and will try his best to resolve the conflict. The approach of the teacher will be subject to the gravity of the situation and the circumstances. But in every possible way, an honest teacher will take out time to look into the matter and will educate or reprimand the perpetrators. It is often seen that students do not speak up about the bullying faced by them and begin to house traumas within themselves. However, the best thing to do while being on the receiving end of any kind of discrimination is to call out racism and differential treatment immediately. If the problem is grave, the teacher may also have a word with the parents of the perpetrators and hence try to foster a culture of inclusion and diversity in the classroom. Here, it is also imperative that students follow up on their complaints and seek from their teachers the progress of their complaints. In case the teacher is unable to solve the issue effectively or in case the teacher himself is the defaulter creating an aura of racism in the classroom, students should bring it to the notice of coordinators and administrators.
Students should learn self-advocacy skills
Speaking for the right things, claiming what a person rightly deserves, and representing interests in a worthwhile manner are the attributes that form self-advocacy skills. The students should be able to confront racism every time, they should be able to raise their voice against injustice and they should try to show resentment to attempts of racial bullying. It is a basic human tendency to keep repeating attempts to bully others or commit certain unethical acts unless they are opposed and confronted. The lack of resentment from victims makes them assume empowerment and they engage in anti-social activities of a larger magnitude. However, when confronted with honesty and conviction, such defaulters can be tamed and brought to justice. It is significant to note that confrontation does not mean that students have to indulge in youth violence. They should simply have the self-advocacy skills to stand by the right things in the classroom and against practices that hurt their sentiments.
Students should be aware of their rights
The 14th Amendment in the US Constitution calls for equal protection of laws and equal entitlement of liberty of life for all US citizens. This is something that children should know from a young age so that they know that they are liable to equality and dignity from the virtue of the US constitution. When students will know of their rights and legal protections against racism, they will not accept racial behaviors as a part of their fate. Furthermore, children should educate each other on the virtues of equality and liberty of life for all. Such awareness can help a great deal in mitigating the seeds of differential treatment in the classroom. Otherwise, if students are not aware of such constitutional provisions, in the absence of any guidance they will assume that it is usual for the whites to discriminate against the blacks and the latter cannot do anything about it. Not only students but also US citizens, in general, should be aware of their legal and constitutional entitlements to battle racism in America.
Students should believe in forgiveness and optimism
Optimism is a great solution to have for most problems in the world. Yes, being racially abused can demotivate kids and hurt their sentiments badly. But sometimes forgiving and responding to discrimination with tenderness may be a feasible idea worth testing. It is true that people can be convinced and changed with love and that is why love is known to have such incredible prowess. So, in response to subtle racism, a student who is subjected to it can maintain his calm, be a little more benevolent and make a genuine effort to befriend the student who passed a racist comment. This may be an overwhelming way of making someone realize his mistake and winning their friendship. Even in this highly competitive and complicated world, people should not give up on their belief in forgiveness and love.
Subsequently, this writeup discusses the strategies that schools can adopt to address the peculiar problem of systematic racism that is prevailing in the education system.
School’s duties to overcome racism
The schools can take some prosperous steps to make racial progress a part of the education system. The following are some prudent strategies that can achieve the desired outcome of eradicating racism.
Schools should set up a complaint cell
Every school should have a complaint redressal system to address discrimination against any student or teacher. Schools should hence have a complaint cell that is approachable to all and where the victim can choose to even make anonymous complaints if he or she does not want to disclose his or her identity. Further, the complaint cell should be presided over by an honest administrator or coordinator who is designated as the presiding officer. This can be a systematic way to counter systematic racism that has become a grim reality in schools.
Schools should foster a culture of inclusion and diversity
Schools also need to realize the need to teach students beyond textbook knowledge. Students ought to be taught about crucial values like equality, equity and the idea that the purpose of education is to create a discrimination-free world should be reinforced almost every day in the classroom. Teachers should look to evolve creative ways to educate students about such vital virtues as quality in a manner that has the maximum impact. Further, teachers should model positivity around diversity so that students can learn how they can benefit from a diverse classroom. At last, teaching students about equality and fair treatment should not only be an obligation for teachers but teachers will have to lead by example. Having said that, teachers need to detox their personalities and conscience of any form of inequality they may believe in.
Moving further, schools can also promote such values by the means of some innovative extracurricular activities. For instance, they can have debates, painting competitions, and theme-based celebrations to raise awareness against racism and encourage equality and inclusion.
Schools should initiate effective actions against racist staff
If racial behavior from staff members be it teachers or the administrative staff is brought to the notice of the school management, schools should initiate stringent disciplinary actions. Every such incident will require setting fine examples so that others maintain complete caution before committing the same mistake. For instance, at first, the school management can issue subtle warnings to a staff member but if the defaulter continues to be racist, disincentives or monetary penalties can be imposed. In grave cases, the staff should face suspensions as well if necessary to set the precedent right.
Teachers should focus on enhancing student management
If students engage in active learning, their full concentration will be on driving positive changes in their lives by enhancing their knowledge. In such a classroom aura, students will have little time to pay heed to useless things like bullying or pulling down fellow students. Moreover, indulging students to work together by giving them enough opportunities will be a great idea to cultivate a culture of effective collaboration in the classroom. When students collaborate for work, they will be able to build cordial relationships and will also develop mutual respect for each other. In such a scenario, students will have healthy relationships among themselves, and hence differentiating against each other will be the last thing they will want to think about. At last, teachers should look to capture the curiosity of their students as that again will drive high student engagement.
Sample Essay On Racism
The upcoming section presents a thoughtful and highly relevant essay based on the need and the significant ways of mitigating the social evil of racism. This essay will give you insights into the structure and important prerequisites of a high-scoring essay for your academic assignments. Besides, you can also check out our list of sample essays that cover a wide range of academic topics that are commonly assigned by teachers for assignments. Moreover, you can avail our high-quality academic writing services to excel in your academic endeavors.
Sample essay - The Significance Of Diverse Classrooms In Mitigating Racism
Introduction
The celebration of diversity and the prevalence of malpractices like racism and discrimination cannot co-exist. Today, educational institutions are driven by the idea of having diverse student communities. The reason for this paradigm shift is large-scale globalization that has made borders seem too irrelevant. With globalization, the expanse of educational opportunities for students all over the world has swelled even further. Today, students from underdeveloped and developing countries can study at their dream colleges and universities in leading global powers like the United States, the UK, France, and so on. Given this overhaul in the ways of the world, diversity has become a trend all over the world. Even the most eminent global education institutions see diversity as making a massive positive impact in the learning environment. Hence, they are keen to accommodate diverse students to make learning a more enriching experience than ever before. To cite an example, the percentage of Black and Ethnic Minority students in Oxford’s admissions (UK Intake) went up from 14.5 percent in the year 2015 to a little over 22 percent in the year 2019. ("Ethnicity | University of Oxford", 2021) This example speaks for the widening acceptance of diversity in accredited institutions like Oxford University. Subsequently, of the many advantages of diversity in education, the confrontation to racism hence brought is a significant positive development. To further elaborate on this idea, this essay discusses the relevance of diversity in education as a rewarding measure to bust racism.
The introduction paragraph should be effective so that it grabs the attention of the readers. If the introduction is not good enough, readers may not want to venture further into the essay. Our article on how to write an effective introduction paragraph can help you understand the essentials of a simple yet impactful introduction.
Body
To begin with, it is a well-known fact that in many parts of the world including the US, racism is present in education in a systematic way. It is a part of the culture for many and they may not feel that there is anything wrong with discriminating against a person on the basis of his skin color. However, education is the universal solution to all global problems that seem to be pushing the future of mankind into the dark. Diversity in education has the potential to promote empathy among students and hence enlighten them to look beyond prejudices. When students work with each other and collaborate to achieve unified goals irrespective of race, they are able to build empathy toward each other. Further, they are able to foster deeper personal connections and stand for each other’s dignity than hurting it with racist comments or remarks. Further, this feeling of empathy in them will inspire them to collectively stand against racism, discrimination, and other forms of inequality. When students are empathetic, they are able to understand and feel each other’s pain and also the grievances of the world. It helps young children in maturing at a young age and shapes personalities that can further go on to drive positive changes in the world. Barack Obama, the former US President once rightly quoted, “learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that is how peace begins. And it is up to make that happen.” Certainly, in this quote, he emphasized the need to be more empathetic and to be able to decipher what others feel to create a world based on pluralism.
Furthermore, diversity in education gives students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds the opportunity to collaborate and contribute to each other’s success. Diversity hence promotes healthy competition and collaboration among students. Students will realize that they have to work collectively often and they cannot afford to alienate the people they have to accomplish common goals with. Such positivity and mutual respect for each other where students see each other adding value to their learning will propel the momentum that is needed to push racism out of the classroom. However, how diversity can be utilized to its fullest to make students trespass their preconceived notions and work together depends on the abilities of a teacher. Ideally, a teacher should look to create sufficient chances for students to work together in groups and pairs. Also, the groups or the pairs so created should be based on the idea of including people from different ethnicities. Needless to say, collaboration for academic success will also promote cordial personal relationships between students. Diversity should be utilized in such a way that it keeps students engaged in teamwork and makes them more curious and eager to learn. Every little step taken towards bringing the students on the same page will be crucial in enhancing the response to racism and discrimination in schools, colleges, or universities.
Moving further, credible research suggests that diversity in the classroom inspires critical thinking abilities in students. Because students get exposure to different perspectives and opinions that are driven by different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Hence, it widens the horizons of students’ minds as they grasp knowledge from multiple sources. They are able to look beyond their viewpoints and add more value to their thinking capabilities. Needless to say, having developed critical thinking skills at an early age, students will be able to differentiate better between right and wrong. Besides, they will be able to further differentiate between what is important and what will merely lead to the wastage of their time and opportunities. Henceforth, they will be able to understand that racism is unwelcome, and involving themselves in passing racist remarks or comments on fellow students is not going to benefit them in any way. They would rather prioritize things and verticals that can create a real difference in their pursuit of excellence and life. So, they will disengage from petty and unnecessary things like bullying or cracking racist jokes and will work towards the real purpose of their life. This knack for critical thinking will also give them a better understanding of how detrimental racism can be to someone’s mental and physical health. They will be able to better comprehend the consequences of racism and refrain from engaging in it. More importantly, they will be able to recommend others to abstain from racist behaviors.
Conclusion
To conclude, creating diverse student communities is one of the promising progressive ways to tackle racism in education. The positive sign is that universities, colleges, and schools are already impressed by the idea of having admission policies that accommodate diversity and inclusion. However, it is significant to note that merely having a diverse classroom is not going to help the cause of eradicating racism. Teachers should be trained to leverage classroom diversity and fostering an environment of effective collaboration while negating the possibility of conflicts. The ultimate solution to discriminatory practices lies in education for the pen is mightier than the sword. Racism, discrimination, and inequality will become obsolete when mindsets change for the better and hearts become more empathetic. The task may seem strenuous but it is not insurmountable for sure. Given that, diversity in education can be used to everyone’s advantage.
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To encapsulate, racism has threatened the idea and purpose of equality for centuries now. The world needs to upscale its response to racism and make sure that these responses are not limited to social media trends. For things to change on the ground level, the changes have to be triggered from the ground level since social media trends keep changing every week. Undeniably, social media today is a powerful tool to initiate revolutions given it has billions of monthly active users. The advantages of social media are immense and it does give voice to every issue for sure. However, these revolutions that begin on social media should be further taken to the ground level to construct social changes. At last, for defeating racism, the world will have to put forth a collective response where people of all ethnicities stand together to barricade the notion of racism.
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