Prejudice and Racism in American society

Racism took roots in American society when the first Europeans landed on this soil. Discrimination and segregation have long been condemned by many individuals? but it took about 200 years for American government to grant equal rights to every citizen? after the Civil Rights movement. The law for equality was passed in 1964? but its implementation is not yet complete. Racism can be observed in our lives in the form of police brutality? both physical and psychological? racial profiling and hate crimes.

Police? who people view as protector of Civil Liberties? has become one of the leading causes of racism in this country. Physical abuse of ethnic minorities by cops was commonplace before the Civil Rights movement? making Martin Luther King notice that "the Negro is the victim of unspeakable horrors of police brutality" (20). Even though actions have been taken to stop police brutality? it is still prominent.

Although prejudice and racism isn't openly discussed as it was decades ago? it is still a fairly large problem in the United States today. Several factors can come into play when discussing this issue. Some of these factors are discussed in this study. The purpose of this study was to try to determine where prejudice and racism comes from focusing on the following factors: the subjects' ages? size of community in which the subjects were raised? size of community in which they currently resided in? their highest level of education and their ethnic backgrounds. A total of 60 subjects were given a 16 question survey which also included four demographics. These 60 surveys were distributed in small? mid-sized and large communities. The results of this study showed a significant difference with the age of the subjects and their highest level of education. It was found that the older the person is? the more they were open to other cultures. It was also found that those with only a high school degree were found to be more prejudiced than those who have a higher level of education. To the contrary? the size of the community in which they were raised? and currently live in had nothing to do with how prejudiced one is.

Prejudice and racism have been very important issues for several decades now. They can be defined as a set of negative and irrational feelings? beliefs? and actions that are directed towards those of a different race? culture and religion. (Zuriff?61) From the early 1940's to the late 1950's? feelings of prejudice began to come out into the open. It wasn't until the late 1950's and into the 1960's that people started acting out and verbally expressing their prejudice against other races? particularly towards the African-American race. It was because of this particular time that stereotypes were instantly formed of African-Americans as being very lazy and not very intelligent. Demonstrations were common in the 1960's where African-Americans fought for basic human rights for equal opportunity. Some examples of what they tried to accomplish were drinking at public water fountains? ...