“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” (King, Jr.) Following Martin Luther King, Jr.s speech in the United States capital, many laws, including the Civil Rights Act and the Affirmative Action Act, were amended into the constitution. Despite these laws enforcing the equality of race, the US still faces the same dilemma of 1963: racism. Racism, or the discrimination of a distinguished group of people, remains a problem in businesses, government, universities, in relationships, and in many other situations. Although current laws prohibit the people of the United States to discriminate and harass people of other races, racial incidents continue to remain across the country, and even, around the world. For many years, humanitarians have been trying desperately to eliminate racism. The problem is the attempt to correct the effects of racism, without eliminating the cause of racism itself. In order to eliminate racism and achieve the ultimate dream of justice and equality of all people, Americans must start with teaching children the fallacies of racism and value of diversity. A new curriculum especially for race equality, should be introduced to young students all over the United States, providing all the facts and false stereotypical assumptions about races and racism surrounding them.
Racism can be eliminated by creating a curriculum for understanding races.Providing a required racial understanding program for young students, will help them to understand different backgrounds and identities that surround them. Understanding the many identities that distinguish each and every person, will break down stereotypes that identify groups. Understanding creates knowledge and empathy towards people of different backgrounds. Racism can be eliminated by understanding the history of racism. By understanding the history of racism, students can learn how racism started, where it started, how racism is adopted, why it was adopted into our concept, and how its made its way to America, etc. If everybody understands that racism is, and always was, irrelevant to a persons character, then racism will be eliminated. Racism can be eliminated by confronting the issue. Confronting the issues and being aware of racisms destruction to society, will allow students, starting at a younger age, to be conscious of racism and its negative effects on life. Being conscious of racism will allow students to address more of the problems that they see concerning the discrimination of races. Being conscious will also allow the student to become aware of some of the mistakes that he or she makes in stereotyping. Confronting and being consciously aware of racism, will eliminate the stereotypical assumption that one makes, sees, or hears.
A curriculum in race relations would clear up many of the misconceptions, pre-judgments, and stereotypes that develop racism. The more one finds the history, intent, and harm of racism, the more a person should find it hard to link to characters of individuals. It is especially important to allow younger students to explore this destructive phenomenon and to weigh its accuracy characterizing its subjects. Although the US has advanced in laws governing minoritys rights, racism still exists as much as, or more, than 33 years ago.A thorough course in racism, taught to all students, is necessary for understanding of a countrys participation and responsibility to stop the destruction. When the United States eliminates racism by means of education versus force, we will find our dreams of equality turn into reality. Works Cited Bowie, G. Lee., Meredith W. Michaels, Robert C. Solomon. Twenty Questions An Introduction to Philosophy. Harcourt Brace & Company,1996 “Race.” Martin Luther King Jr. Columbia dictionary of Quotations. Columbia University Press. Copyright 1993