Is Racism a Permanent Feature of American Society? Racism is the “belief that a race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” In recent times scholars have argued whether or not racism will continue or discontinue to be a persistent reality for this nation. Permanence is “last[ing] indefinitely without change”. Some debate that looking at history reveals the pattern that racism will never be completely erased. Others argue that racism is becoming somewhat extinct and that the success and progress of African Americans should not be attributed to racism but to other factors. Analyzing both sides of the argument, lead to the conclusion that racism will never be erased or ended and although slavery has been ended, racism will only come back in a different form and with a different name just as slavery did.
Derrick Bell, an African American scholar believes that racism is permanent in American Society. In the article Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of …show more content…
Some other factors he lists are “crime, and unwed motherhood”. He agrees with Bell that racism without a doubt does exist, but disagrees that it can have a causal relationship with the outcome of all aspects of a black individual. He says that most things that people think are racist are motivated by faulty generalization. D’Souza states racism cannot be the reason for black’s poor academic performance and access to good jobs. The reason that blacks not adapting to the cultural norms of majority of Americans is the reason why the race is not accomplishing more in America. Moreover, blacks who are accomplishing more are doing so due to those individuals “exhibiting cultural values that promote
Derrick Bell, an African American scholar believes that racism is permanent in American Society. In the article Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of …show more content…
Some other factors he lists are “crime, and unwed motherhood”. He agrees with Bell that racism without a doubt does exist, but disagrees that it can have a causal relationship with the outcome of all aspects of a black individual. He says that most things that people think are racist are motivated by faulty generalization. D’Souza states racism cannot be the reason for black’s poor academic performance and access to good jobs. The reason that blacks not adapting to the cultural norms of majority of Americans is the reason why the race is not accomplishing more in America. Moreover, blacks who are accomplishing more are doing so due to those individuals “exhibiting cultural values that promote