White supremacy - the plague of our society

When Barack Obama became the president of the United States of America - we heard a lot of people talking about how things have changed and some even called it a “post-racial America”. There is no doubt that it did open a new window for black people in America but it wouldn’t be right to say that racism saw any decline. Racism is that key aspect of American society that is deeply rooted within its policies and rules and there eradicating it from its roots seems highly impossible. Although yes, the election of Obama was indeed true progress and it did have a profound meaning and impact on the people of America but still racism never went away. The centuries of racial injustice and systemic racism can not be reversed. You can bring back the people who were killed or who lost their loved ones or jobs just because they were black. systemic racism and white supremacy are the truth of American society and one can not deny it.

We can say that systemic racism against black people was the manifestation of white supremacy. Years of torture, brutal behavior, slavery, and whatnot give a false perception to whites that they are somewhat superior. There are still many practices, policies, and attitudes of people that disadvantage black people and give whites a sense of superiority. The longstanding intuitions and laws not only deny the very existence of racial inequality but also contributes to discrimination by always making such policies or laws that favor whites over black. Systemic racism does not depend on a single rule or law - it is something that is so cleanly woven into the fabric and skin of our society that elevates white people. This is the reason why the word white supremacy and systemic racism is used interchangeably. You can call it what you want - white supremacy or systemic racism - but it is plaguing our society and destroying the lives of millions.

The deep-rooted systematic racism shines brightly in our laws

From government to policymakers to law and even in the mindset of people - systematic racism is everywhere. Ending systemic racism does not mean removing, changing, or modifying our thoughts. Although yes it should start with completely eradicating the perception that “ goodness, humanity, value, and morality belong to white people” while their black counterparts are treated and viewed as “ danger, inhuman, and undeserving” the laws and policies which always give whites an upper hand on everything is the real problem here. Even if we change our thinking and ideas of people - the laws and rules that favor whites are creating huge economic, educational, and health disparities between whites and blacks.

 

A prime example of this is that whites have higher employment rates as compared to black counterparts. Black communities not only have higher unemployment but even if they get a job - their salary is still three times less than their white counterparts. You see, this is a chain - black people, especially children do not have the means to acquire high-level education. They are not only mistreated and bullied in school but they are targeted and expelled or suspended three times more than white students. With a high level of economic disparity - blacks face inequality even in healthcare. Rules and practices such as redlining - do not even allow them to have a nice house in a good neighborhood. If you see, every aspect is interlinked and hence it is a chain - a chain that has been keeping whites above blacks in every aspect of life. 

So what's adding fuel to the fire?

Things look already so brutal but have you ever wondered how things are getting miserable with each passing day? Systemic racism has existed for years but recently hate crimes and abuse are reaching new heights. So what are those factors that are adding fuel to the fire?

Police brutality

We have seen a sharp increase in hate crimes against blacks and police brutality is taking it to a whole new level. The cases of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd are prime examples of how racist thinking and systemic racism are plaguing our society. The violence and atrocities of police against black are extremely alarming. According to official statistics, it has been seen that blacks are treated more unfairly and 7 out of 10 black people have claimed that they have been stopped and searched and are often arrested even for minor inconveniences.

Racism through media

Media especially news, movies, and TV series plays a key role in shaping people’s ideas, attitudes, and perceptions. Even if we start countering systemic racism at the grass-root level but how are we going to control media and its representation of black people? Black people are either shown as abuse victims or as smugglers and drug dealers - all in all - very dangerous and trouble. This negative representation is tuning the minds of people. Misinformation, false generalizations, biased views, and stereotypes shown through media are contributing greatly to the sustenance of white supremacy and discrimination. The entire western media is drowned in white supremacy and this is where the implicit biases originate from.