Countering Racism and Prejudice
The Goals of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Having been formed in 1909, NAACP has been leading the fight of racism from the front line. NAACP was primarily created in response to targeted violence against African Americans. It has since grown well enough to fight the rights of other minority groups in the US. Its primary objective is to fight for the social, educational, economic, and political equality for all citizens. Besides, NAACP strives to eradicate racial discrimination through democratic processes. Moreover, it advocates for the enactment and full enforcement of state, federal, and local laws safeguarding civil rights. It also seeks to enlighten the public effects of racial segregation and pleads for everyone’s contribution to the fight of this vice. Also, NAACP educates all US citizens on their constitutional rights with the hope that they can take legal action in case they find themselves being discriminated or violated because of their race.
NAACP strategies, its resources and how they can be accessed
NAACP has designed several strategies which they believe them achieve its strategic goals. On top of that list is economic stability. Notably, NAACP believes that all Americans deserve a fair chance to live the American dream regardless of one’s race affiliation. As a result, it advocates for a nation in which every citizen has equal chance to attain economic success, financial stability, and sustainability. With this in mind, the NAACP Economic Department strive to improve the economic capabilities of African Americans and other disadvantaged races through financial education. They also strive to ensure that there is diversity and openness in business hiring, procurement as well as career advancement. Luckily, NAACP acquires its resources through the financial support from civil-minded organizations such as Wells Fargo. On the other hand, anyone who wishes to access NAACP either for services or contribution can do so through their different online mediums uploaded in their official website visit them in their various offices.
Importance of fighting against Racial Discrimination
Despite the numerous effort from civil rights activists to curb this vice, racial discrimination is still rampant in the workplaces, hospitals, schools, and in the criminal justice system. As a result, the whole society have been negatively affected either directly or indirectly. Importantly, doing away with systematic racism benefits both the victims and the perpetrators tremendously. Economically, fighting racial discrimination helps the whole nation prosper. For instance, at the time of Civil Rights era and the highly performing economy of the 1990s all US citizens benefited from the economic gains of the African Americans. Moreover, ending funding disparities in the education sector can help raise the education standards of US education at the global level. In fact, taking young children through diversity tends to make them learn harder and smarter. On the other hand, denying anyone to vote coyly affects everyone and the entire nation suffers when the voices of many are not heard.
Intersectionality
All US citizen deserve to have their voices heard, their faces and experiences respected in all sectors and their needs addressed through proper policies. However, when we are unable to apply intersectionality in our daily lives, some disadvantaged communities are left behind. Since the tern intersectionality came in surface, it has been used and quoted by different activists in the fight against racism and prejudice. However, the term has been in use in the recent days. Luckily, there are several ways in which intersectional approach can be used in the search for racial justice. The first step in adopting intersectionality approach in this fight involves recognizing the barriers to chance and numerous forms of prejudice. Afterwards, we should listen to and respect the voices the most affected. Moreover, we should incorporate various voices and ideas from within a movement. In the end, there is need to collaborate with willing people from different communities who are ready to join hands in the fight against this vice.
My contributions to the fight against racism
Ending racism and prejudice require everyone’s unwavering support and contribution. On my side, I will not shy away or fear calling out racist policies, comments and power dynamics at any given time. Although this may not have an instant impact in this fight, it can open conversations that bring change. Similarly, I will relentless challenge those who post racists posts on social media. Besides, online engagements can enlighten silent bystanders. Moreover, I will choose and share articles, books and arts on anti-racism written by victims of racial discrimination. These reading materials can be effective in educating against racism since they were written and created from an experience and emotional point of view. Additionally, I will urge and even pressure leaders to increase accountability among police officers and punish those who commit these immoral acts. In the end, I will request the local and national government increase their financial support on social initiatives aimed at helping racialized communities thrive.
Importance of learning about race and racism
Racism is a hot topic in the US that most parents avoid to talk about. However they need to know that when they say nothing about race, a lot is being fed to their kids from the outside world. In fact, children are always learning and deriving meaning of the daily happenings regardless of the source. As a result, parents must ensure that the bigger portion of that information comes from them. Biologically a six month kid can note distinctions in different skin tones and stare more at unusual face on those people who look different from her own race. As the kid grows older, he or she might start to develop biases related to race. Given this, parents should begin race discussions with their children as early as possible. In schools, teachers should also teach their pupils and students and the dangers of race discrimination. Churches, news bulletins and workshop seminars should also the adults that racial discrimination can hurt the victim and the perpetrator.
How to talk to children about race
Race-related conversations need to occur quite often and altered as the child grow. As the children becomes older, the complexity of racial segregation needs to get explored deeply. For instance, parents and guardians can initiate discussions about race in relation to the kid’s social group or school setting. While asking these questions, the parent should apply some curiosity instead of criticism. The questions should aim at finding out who their kids hang out with during lunch breaks and whether they have friends of different race. Also, the parent should aim to find out on the racial tone of the school. Importantly, as the kids grow, the talks should not only include the advantages of cultural differences but also enlighten the kids on racial discrimination, prejudice and racial inequality. Ideally, the most appropriate way to teach children about racial discrimination is by the use of natural examples that they see every day.