Paper Example on Unveiling Racism: Individual and Institutional Struggles in the United States

Individual and institutional racism does exist in the United States. It is evident from the different treatment forms that African Americans receive while in school or other facilities such as public institutions. Individual racism occurs through face-to-face actions, where one shows hate to another person. Individual racism is evident in the employment sector, where companies do not hire a person of color because of the stereotypes that the employer has towards African Americans. Institutional racism occurs when specific guidelines set by the facility result in discrimination against a particular race. An example of institutional racism is in the judicial system, where inconsistency in issuing bonds is evident between the African-Americans and whites. Black Americans have to put up heavy bonds compared to whites, showing how racism has manifested itself in the country. In the journal Racism and the Media: A Textual Analysis, Kulaszewicz noted that a black man is three times more likely to be stopped by a traffic cop than a white man. He further stated that African Americans are six times more likely to be imprisoned as compared to whites.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

In my daily routine, I have encountered instances of individual racism. Most of the cases happen in the field while playing football. The majority of my teammates are white, which is sometimes a problem because of the abuse I receive while playing. It usually happens when a mistake happens, and it affects the performance of my team. I usually hear abusive chants mainly from the stands, which are heartbreaking. The incident has occurred multiple times with no effort to curb or reduce such cases.

Cases of institutional racism occur during the punishment of students. There are instances where a white and black student had a different form of punishment for committing the same mistake. The white student received a fair penalty while the black student had a harsh judgment. Instances of institutional racism mainly occur due to the persistent negative stereotypes towards African Americans. Another incidence is the employment of staff at the facility. There are more whites than people of color, thus, raising questions on the equal opportunities awarded to everyone while recruiting.

Several policies can contribute to the elimination of racism in the United States. First of all, it is the mandate of the national government to treat all citizens without discrimination. In Institutional racism is our way of life; Nesbit states that the government should develop procedures that guarantee everyone equal access to public facilities and services, civil and economic rights. Such guidelines will play a significant role in ensuring that all the country's institutions abide by government regulations. He further encourages the government can provide mass education on national values to ensure that the citizens embed these morals in their day-to-day lives. This move will ensure that there is equal treatment within the country and reduce cases of racism.

In the documentation Institutional racism is our way of life; Nesbit advocates that the government should end segregation in schools. In the United States, schools are defined by race, which encourages and instills bad morals in children while growing up. Ending the separation in schools will ensure that students grow up and make friends with those from other races and reduce racism in society. He also urges that the states should prosecute anyone who racially abuses another citizen. Having dire consequences for the offenders will reduce occurrences of racism.

Works Cited

Kulaszewicz, Kassia E. "Racism and the media: A textual analysis." (2015). https://sophia.stkate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1478&context=msw_papers

Nesbit, Jeff. "Institutional racism is our way of life." US News and World Report 6 (2015). https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/05/06/institutional-racism-is-our-way-of-life