Lopez 1 Raymond Lopez Mustapha Marrouchi English 232 1002 2 December 2013 Stereotyping in a Racially Sensitive World A utopian

n society is the epitome of a perfect world; a type of place where peace and perfection triumph throughout the lives of its inhabitants, and crimes and evil are virtually nonexistent. Here, humans no longer live in a constant fear of persecution and racism because every single person will be tolerant of their neighbors, despite the differences in their skin color, culture, or religion. Throughout human history, many different charismatic leaders envisioned what they believed a utopian society should be and how they could achieve that for the prosperity of mankind. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamt that one day, white people and black people could live together in harmony and share the same privileges and facilities without segregation and violence. Adolf Hitler on the other hand, imagined his utopia to be a world dominated by the so-called superior Aryan race. He wanted to ethnically cleanse the world of those not considered to be Aryan, and by doing so, believed that the world would be a better place; a world ruled by Nazi Germany. Both of these leaders defined their own versions of utopias, but one of them wanted it based on the belief that one race was superior over all others. Hitler accused others of different races and cultures, particularly Jews, to be the primary source of the worlds problems. Although many people today believe Hitler to be wrong and evil for negatively labeling others of different backgrounds, the truth is that many people stereotype

Lopez 2 others every day, just not to the extent of Hitlers actions. In fact, it is practically impossible not to prejudge others based on the color of their skin or their cultural background. Racial equality has been a passionate subject with this country ever since slavery was introduced to the original Thirteen Colonies. Despite the progress that the issue of race has made in history, there have also been degrading connotations and stereotypes associated with each race. For instance, black people have been illustrated in many drawings and depictions as having monkey-like features, especially illustrating fat, full lips on them. These drawings (many of them illustrated by white people) were used as a means to degrade black people and say that their ape-like physical features imply that they are not human. On the opposite side, the term white trash refers to poor, white people of lower class. It is especially applied to whites living in the South and is a term used by both upper class white people and black people. These so-called white trash are depicted as uneducated and rude white people who live a kind of trashy lifestyle, mostly due to the fact that they are poor. These demeaning labels and stereotypes are the results of hundreds of years of racial disputes in America. No matter how much progression a society can make toward racial equality, there will always be obstacles in the way from achieving one-hundred percent racial equality, mainly due to the existence of these demeaning stereotypes. The nation as a whole, optimistically likes to view racism as a thing of the past, but racism still dwells within many people to this day. In May of 2010, a sixteen year old teenager was walking home from a party when he was arrested on a false accusation for robbery by a man he had never seen before. His family was unable to afford the ten-thousand dollar bail, and so was detained without a proper hearing and spent the next three years of his life in constant fear during incarceration. The teenager claimed that correctional officers did not care for him, treated him like an animal, and did not give him the

Lopez 3 mental treatment he desperately wanted while he was imprisoned. After those three years had passed, in May of 2013, the charges against the-now twenty year old were finally dropped, with no question or apology. That sixteen year old teenager was African-American (Sloane). This unfortunate case can be looked at upon the basis of race. A man claims that a teenager robbed him a few nights earlier, even though the teenager claims to have never seen the man before. Was this man implicitly claiming that all black people look the same, or would this man have accused any black man walking down the street of the robbery based on the stereotype that all black people commit crimes? And the teenager claimed that he was not granted any of his constitutional rights while in prison, such as his right to a speedy trial. Did these officers simply become careless about the entire situation, or did they not wish to grant this black teenager rights given to him in the Constitution because the officers believed that they held more power than him? Stories like this are not uncommon, especially nowadays. Another recent news story involving what some people believe to be racial injustice is the death of Trayvon Martin. On the night of February 26, 2012, Martin was spotted by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman who claimed that Martin was acting suspiciously. Zimmerman then dialed 9-1-1 and reported Martin. Zimmerman followed Martin around through the neighborhood and eventually ended with the fatal shooting of Martin by Zimmerman. When questioned by police about the shooting, Zimmerman claimed it was out of self-defense. According to Zimmerman, an unarmed teenager wearing a hooded sweatshirt attacked him which caused him to draw his weapon and fire. This news story was seen virtually across the nation and has sparked furious outrage among the public on its issue surrounding race since it took place. Was Zimmerman in fact acting in self-defense, or was he labeling a black, hoodiewearing teenager as a mischievous criminal (CNN Library)?

Lopez 4 Many people speculate as to what really happened that night. Some believe that Zimmerman judged Martin based on how he looked and what he was wearing, and this was why he ultimately shot Martin. As a society, these stereotypes will never be put to rest; they become great comedic material for stand-up comedians, parody news shows, and other comedic forms of entertainment. But why people laugh at these stereotypes when they are made fun of by comedians, yet heavily criticized when they appear in breaking news headlines still baffles many. Why is it okay for people to laugh at these degrading stereotypes when they are presented by a comedian, yet considered disrespectful when it pertains to more serious matters? This question is another main reason why society can never completely become one-hundred percent free of racism. In Martin Luther King Jr.s eyes, a world free of racism, prejudice, and discrimination, was what he ultimately wanted, but knew it would be near impossible to achieve, due to the negative influence that these stereotypes held on people of color. These stereotypes do not vanish but can evolve over time, possibly to something even worse than before. After all, if a black man is driving around in a nice car in a dangerous neighborhood, that only means he stole it, right? Or if an Arab man is walking down the street wearing a large turban and sporting a thick, rugged beard, that can only mean one thing; he is a terrorist, right? Well, it is these negative stereotypes that society has created which further disgraces the human race and makes society less civilized in a way. According to James Baldwin, Whoever debases others is debasing himself (The Fire Next Time). James Baldwin believes one can degrade his/her selfworth by negatively typecasting others, similar to a bully bullying his/her victims. If there was ever a way to completely erase the disfiguring labels that we, as a society, use on others, then the human race can start the long and difficult road to a racially equal world; in other words, the road

Lopez 5 to our utopian society.

Lopez 6 Works Cited Sloane, Amanda. "Teen Jailed without Conviction Sues for $20M." HLNtv.com. N.p., 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/11/21/kalief-browderteen-rikers-three-years-robbery>. "The Fire Next Time Quotes." By James Baldwin. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1129041-the-fire-next-time>. "Trayvon Martin Shooting Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts/>.