Today the word racism has so many contradictory meanings that it takes on the aura

of a myth and is, therefore, difficult to define.

The word racism appeared in the Larousse dictionary for the first
time in 1932. A careful examination of dictionaries since then reveals that
the definitions of the term overlap: A system which affirms the superior- ity of one
racial group over the others (Larousse);
Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of
one person by another -- or the belief that another person is less than human -- because
of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals
the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of
nations, and legal codes.
Racism happens in lots of different ways. You hear it when people:
make jokes or negative comments about a particular ethnic group
call others racist names or verbally abuse them
bully, hassle or intimidate others because of their race.
You see it when people:
write racist graffiti in public places
make offensive comments online
are excluded from groups because theyre different or dont belong
are physically abused because of their race.
on this subject is considerable. For the most part, these definitions echo
those already discussed, and they suggest five main components as con-
stituent elements of racist ideology: 1) A belief in the superiority of one
race, and more rarely of several races, over others. This belief is usually
accompanied by a hierarchical classification of racial groups; 2) The idea
that this superiority and inferiority are of a biological or bio-anthropolog-
ical nature. The conclusion drawn from this belief is that superiority and
inferiority are ineradicable and could not, for example, be modified by
social milieu or education; 3) the idea that collective biological inequali-
ties are reflected in social and cultural orders, and that biological superi-
ority translates into a superior civilization, which itself indicates
biological superiority. This implies a continuity between biology and
social conditions; 4) A belief in the legitimacy of the domination of infe-
rior races by superior ones; 5) A belief that there are pure races and
that miscegenation has an inevitably negative effect on them (decline,
degeneration, etc.)
What are the Effects of Racism?
Racism can have a lot of effects on a victim. Victims can become angry, bitter or violent. It can destroy a
persons self esteem. It can destroy communities and creates divisions within society. A Cornell News
ervice study in !""# did a study on the effects of racism saying that racial discrimination erodes mental
health. $he study finds that blac% people may have poorer mental health as a result of two mechanisms&
'irstly( chronic e)posure to racial discrimination leads to more e)periences of daily discrimination and
secondly it results in an accumulation of daily negative events across various domains of life, from family,
friends, health and finances. A persons whole world can change from e)periencing discrimination and they
can become depressed, an)ious and mentally unwell.
Conclusion
Even though racism is wrong, it is still being practiced, in this country and in others.
We know that there are no biological factors making one race better than
another. Race, which leads to racism, is simply something that is used to justify
brutalities and cruel and unjust treatment of people all around the world.