Watching Episode 2: The Story We Tell, I felt that conflicted by the notion reflected in the episode concerning gender inequality. I was struck by the intensity of racism in North America during the 19th century, as illustrated in the film. I feel that justifying injustice based on skin color was wrong despite being held so fiercely at the time. The stories people tell appealed to my emotions primarily when the race was used to rationalize American societies’ social inequalities.
I have encountered racism in my previous coursework. However, I am always obliged to disagree with the discrimination cases I experienced in my previous coursework. I have always believed that all people are equal and deserve to be treated right irrespective of their skin color. From the video, some stories illustrate the intense aspects of racism. These stories support what I was taught through different materials in my coursework.
I define race as having different physical characteristics. For instance, the skin tone of an individual determines their race. A person with a dark skin tone is of other races than one with a light skin tone. Also, race is characterized by a person’s cultural characteristics. For instance, people believing in God are of a different race than those who have no faith.
Racism is the attribute where people are treated differently because of their physical or cultural characteristics. For instance, denying people access to resources such as education because of their skin color is an example of racism. Race and racism are interdependent because race describes one’s attributes, while racism describes the act of treating people differently based on race.