Racism is a developed set of attitudes that include antagonism based on the supposed superiority of one group or on the supposed inferiority of another group, premised solely on skin colour or race. Some authors suggest that racism and White racism may be synonymous. Defining bigotry as a primarily White problem does disservice in two ways. It ignores the fact that racist attitudes can breed in any ethnic group and it undermines the expressed goals of this decade's most promising solution - multicultural education.
Australia has much to contribute to this process. Today we still have enormous problems of racial discrimination in our society, none greater than the ongoing treatment of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, we also have many successful programs and policies aimed at combating racism. We also have new manifestations of racisms, which need to be identified and addressed.
Racism is on the increase across the globe.
Sign for "colored" waiting room at a Greyhound bus...
Taken and donated by Guinnog.
'RACISM/THERE IS MORE TO LEARN' Dominic JacquesNo country is immune to this - including Australia. There is an urgent need for consideration of actions to combat racism. White people today take most things for granted not noticing that black people struggle just to fit in and get an education. As a community, most of us have no idea on what the black put up with and would be quite unimaginable to high proportion of these people. In discussing this issue, I would like to refer to the book, 'Just Because I Am Black', as it raises many issues similar to racism, and these actually happen in the real world, even though most of us might not think this. It is based on a young black girl who moved house and had to change schools and try and fit into a new area. However, it was very hard for her to settle in and meet new...