The Roots Of Discrimination And Racism

“At least I’m not black.” I was 10 years old when I heard those words. At that age, I couldn’t comprehend what my classmate indicated. Was there something wrong with being black? Was there something wrong with me? Discrimination and racism; some of the most imperative issues of modern society. Does lack of education, based on historical truths and accuracy, result in discrimination? In my opinion, it’s multiple causes that result in one effect. The roots of discrimination are: how people were raised; in the household or in education, with whom we associate with; family or peers, stereotyping; judging people on how they look or dress, blaming others for our problems or issues in the world; such as jobs or tragedies. There has also been famous and highly educated people throughout history that discriminated against race. With that being said, I will further explain why I disagree that lack of education is not the cause of discrimination. I was raised in an easygoing household, but I had to also follow strict guidelines. I always had to be home by 11:00 pm and keep certain grades to avoid consequences. As a child, I had learned a lot from my mom: how to tie my shoes, look both ways before crossing the street, and to also treat others the way I wished to be treated. As those lessons seem …show more content…
In 1839, Scientist and Physician, Samuel George Morton, looked for evidence to support discrimination. He concluded that Caucasian skulls were better due to a supposedly larger size. One of our most celebrated Presidents, Abraham Lincoln, also believed in discrimination. In 1858, in his debates with Senator Stephen Douglas, Lincoln not only expressed his opposition to racial equality, but he followed up with belief in superiority of white people. This supports the argument that lack of education, based on historical truths and accuracy, does not result in