Racism a problem? Surely not!

Before the 1960s, white Americans thought themselves superior to everyone else living in the United States, especially black Americans. Blacks were completely segregated and were not allowed the same civil rights as whites (Lewis). However, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came along he changed this. With his civil rights movement he got great change for black people, but after blacks started being seen as equals and given the same civil rights, it became apparent that an outward show of racism was no longer acceptable, thus creating an inner hate among some white Americans and starting a whole new era of racism, and not just towards black Americans. I believe that racism is still alive in the united states today, however, it now transcends any color lines it used to know.

One manifestation of this new form of racism centers around degrading and demoralizing other races by the use of racial slurs.

English: Photograph of Rosa Parks with Dr. Martin ...

Martin Luther King leaning on a lectern. Deutsch: ...

President Lyndon B. Johnson and Rev. Dr. Martin Lu...

These words were develped to dehumanify other races to express one's own superiority. This did not happen for a single race. It developed for all races. Blacks are called nigger, jungle bunny, and porch monkey. Hispanic people have been refered to as beaner, wetback, or spick. Oriental people are chinks, Arabic people are towelheads or camel jockies, Germans are kuyks, white people are gringos, and the list goes on. Even in the movie Crash there were times when racial slurs were used. The one that most people can relate to was when the police officer called the HMO office to try to get an appointment for his father. The receptionist told him that her name was Shaniqua and he automatically assumed she was black and his poor attitude towards her turned to anger and hatred, causing him to hang the phone up on her.

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