Racism is a certain kind of prejudice, based on faulty reasoning and inflexible generalizations toward a specific group. The word prejudice comes from the Latin noun praejudicium, which means a judgment based on previous decisions formed before the facts were known. If a person
allows their prejudiced beliefs to block the progress of another, it is discrimination. Those who exclude all members of a race from certain types of employment, housing, political rights, educational opportunities, or
a social interactions are guilty of racial discrimination.
A recent study conducted by Education Digest indicated that 77 percent of teenagers believe that there is racism at their school. Another
staggering 75 percent said that the student body at their particular school is socially segregated. More remarkably, the survey indicated that over 86 percent of high school students feel that there is racism in their communities. The magazine, which circulates 500,000 copies to over
1,900 schools, polled 285 high school juniors and seniors across the country.
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Sign for "colored" waiting room at a Greyhound bus...The poll shows that racism is not just a problem among adults.
A common misconception is that children are not capable of prejudice at early age. Yet, this is not true. In 1984 a study by Darlene and Derek Hopson showed this. The study replicated a famous 1930's study, where both black and white students were given dolls of various colors and asked to state which doll was the 'bad' doll, and which was the 'good' doll.
In the study, 74 percent of the preschoolers, between the ages of 2 and 5, stated that the dark colored doll was the 'bad' doll. The survey shows that children can develop opinions through a variety of sources, even at an early age. According to the Hopsons these sources include the media, what they pick up in their own homes and...