Decoding the Issue of Racism in America

While recognized as wrong, racism is prevalent among all communities in America. There are racist white people, there are racist black people, there are racist Asian people, and there are racist Hispanic people. To start with, this shows that people are racist in general. Now, racism is not about race; it is about prejudice. Everybody faces similar problems today. Many have bought large SUVs and still owe payments on these vehicles while the cost to fill them up with gasoline makes them practically worthless. Many have either taken equity out of their homes or bought a home and owe money on it while the value has halved from the initial and today's increasing costs on society keep making it harder and harder to keep up the payments. Because of increasing gasoline prices, the price of everyday products has gone up, further strangling our society. This is not a problem black people face; this is not a problem white people face: this is a problem everybody faces. People are not born with racism because when they are 2 years old, they do not care what color their skin is. It is an issue that surfaces later on because people say it is an issue. Racism is caused by the differences all individuals have and many hear things that categorize people.

One part of racism is fear. Fear is the ultimate human motivator because it causes people to be on the offensive. When negotiating with people, you try to bridge differences by bringing out similarities. In spreading hate, people do the opposite. They single out a people as different and hide the similarities, bringing fear to people because there is nothing worse for people than the unknown. For example, take current presidential candidate Barack Obama. From the moment he began his campaign, internet rumors surfaced that he was a muslim, the fact that his middle name happened to be Hussein (also the name of former Iraqi dictator and US enemy) was exploited and repeated, the unfortunate fact that his last name rhymed with "Osama" (the leader of terrorist organization Al Qaeda that was responsible for the September 9th (2001) world trade center attack), and the fact that he is very different from any president this nation has ever had has been the centerpiece of attacks on his campaign. An interview with a Pennsylvania voter by CNN provides the ultimate example: "they are matching with all the people who have gone before them…” The impact of this statement is that while this is not a symbol of racism or prejudice, it is a statement that illustrates the root of the problem. People want similarity because it gives them a sense of safety and security. Whether you support Barack Obama or not, it is agreeable that his differences, some of them being perceived differences, are causing people to support or hate him en masse. People hate insecurity, and fear dominates the decisions they make.

Another key ingredient in racism is misunderstanding. A large part of this is the tendency of all people to put others (or anything i.e. an issue) in categories, or boxes. For example, one could say that all rap music is garbage and a bunch of people trying to make money by showing what is popular and doing bad. They could say that the epitome of rap music is hate, violence, and all appeals that make people see them as the bad, because bad is cool. Now, most rappers have lyrics that spew this out. It is true that rap degrades women, says the "n" word too many times, and talks about violence and gangs, and many other things. It is also true that not all rap is like that. To name a few, "I can" by Nas, "Hey, Mama" by Kanye West, "This moment of Clarity" by Jay-z, and several others are songs that cannot be included in the "box" people have made for rap. "I can" by rapper Nas tells young people to try to "be what they want to be" and warns them about problems with MySpace, HIV, drugs, and other issues facing them. "Hey Mama", by Kanye West, talks about the pride he has about his mother, who is currently deceased. He explains how she gave him strength and is his biggest role model, which reaches out to many and puts holes in the box people have made for rap music. Finally, "This moment of Clarity,” by rapper Jay-z is almost an autobiography. While it does include some of the concepts that people box in as rap, it does not brag, but tells the story many people face, especially in communities where poverty is prevalent. Some children's fathers end up in jail or deserting them in some fashion, leaving them without a role model. All three songs prove that peoples' prejudices are not always grounded in truth.