What, exactly, is Racism?

[Dargil]

The word is thrown around and can mean anything you want it to. So define it in your own words, not Oxford or Merriam Webster.

Updates

+1 y

In my view, Racism is a belief in the inherent inferiority of a racial group such that the believing group has the "license" to control, mistreat and harm them. Any representative of any racial group can be racist against another group.

[TwistedTube]

its literally just.. Discriminating based on race. And discriminating doesn't just mean treating another negatively either. Any difference in how you treat one race compared to another is racism. If it has a negative impact on that race OR a positive one. Giving one race more opportunities for example means that other races automatically get less opportunities.

I don't understand why a word as simple as racism is so widely misunderstood these days. Its not just treating a race negatively.

[thefemalepirate]

in my opinion, racism can be both overt and covert.
Most of us recognize and stand solidly against overt expressions of racism such as racial slurs, violence, cross-burnings by the kkk, and practices of blatant racial segregation and discrimination. But overt racism is only the tip of the iceberg.

More often, racial discrimination is disguised and shows up in subtle ways (covert racism) such as implicit biases, microaggressions, and racially coded language. Often, people who say and do these things are unaware of the racism that informs them.

Some examples of microagressions are racial profiling, denying institutional racism, police brutality against People of Color and gaslighting/invalidating/disbelieving experiences of People of Color

[thefemalepirate]

Hey OP why asking a question, if you're gonna downvote all answer you dislike?

[Dargil]

I never downvote, including here.

[thefemalepirate]

Oh oops sorry then

[Anonymous]

I don't know really. Many people like to say "whites" are racist. Okay. Sure. In the southern States, they used to hang "black" Italians (Sicilian) like any other black person.

My father looks British. His mother was Italian. I tell people he tans, darkly, in the sun and has Italian ancestry I get comments like "oh dark waps". Discriminatory.

Italians, Polish, Russian, French... we all get this shit behavior in the States.

[ADFSDF1996]

The belief in racial superiority, which is actually a very scarce belief nowadays. Mostly common amongst hyper-diffusionists.

[ADFSDF1996]

Contrary to what a certain political groupthink would have people believe, actual racism is very rare nowadays.

[TheBigGuy9]

I don’t even know how to answer that because one side uses it as a tool to look good in public, but behind closed doors they are truly despicable. The other side/ group of people have always been the same for centuries.
It’s simple. Anyone who discriminates someone based purely on skin color is Racist. Alleging someone is a racist doesn’t count. Just because someone doesn’t agree with you does not make them a racist.
It’s sickening how perverted that word as become. So many people brainwashed into hating the very people who’s ancestors fought for black people’s freedom.

[AcadiaJ]

its being fearful of another species just like in the wild one animals attacks another if there is not enough food for them to eat its the same for humans. Humans have to feel safe first in their family, then have enough to eat and survive but if others are moving into their territory its considered a huge upset and they will turn on the others.

[DarcRefractions]

If you want to wipe out a group of people? Imprison a group of people
Stop race of people from having basic. living
Stop a race of people from making financial gain.

Openly practice prejudice.

If it's not. any of these things than it's probably not racist

[Anonymous]

I think neoliberalism is more of an issue than racism. It’s perpetuating it more than it thinks it’s helping it.

”How do we fight the horrors of racism? Oh, I know! By being racist!” - neoliberals

Please come a little bit back to center, y’all. Think about what you’re doing and subscribing to.

[ShutUpWhiteGirl]

White women's definition of racism: "When someone is mean to a black guy."

Entitled black people's definition of racism: "When someone's mean to me."

Actual definition of racism: "When someone has racial supremacist beliefs and mistreats people of other races because he/she believes that they deserve to be treated badly and unfairly due to their race/ethnicity."

[ODC2112]

De facto racism is a form of collectivized narcissism. In such a social phenomenon, people with similar somatic characteristics think they are better than others and create a fictitious collective identity based on somatic characteristics. Thinking that they are better than others, they tend to exclude people with different characteristics from their own lives. They engage in behaviors aimed at excluding these people or treating them as scapegoats for their problems.

[Gray-Wisp]

Without googling it again, I would say that it is hatred or discrimination based on race. I would discriminate based on race because of statistics. I am racist.

[thotmas97]

I will bet anything you’re asking this question because you want to debate about how black people are racist.

[Dargil]

I don't wish to debate anything. But there IS
Racism (the real thing, but what is it?)
Racial Bigotry
Racial Discrimination.
Free Choice.

[thotmas97]

“Free choice” really giving away the game here aren’t you?

[Dargil]

There is no game. But aesthetics and character can matter.

[Dargil]

Thinking you are reluctant to commit to a valid definition. I'm not.

[thotmas97]

Who said anything about aesthetics? What are you referring to?

[thotmas97]

It’s a complex issue I’m not going to back myself into a rhetorical corner so you can make some stupid point. We both know you have ulterior motives here.

[Dargil]

I did. When I date, for example, aesthetics and character matter.

[thotmas97]

Do you have a point?

[Dargil]

My ulterior motive is getting a sound definition of Racism. It should be easy. I could have led with it. I'm interested in how people define it. Unexplained hint: Slavery was a perfect definition of Racism.

[thotmas97]

If you wanted a sound one there’s plenty of dictionaries to consult.

[Dargil]

So you're afraid to commit to a definition and think it's a set up.

[rievious]

To me racism is the exclusion or execution of one or many people dependent on their biological race alone. Not their speech, intelligence, wardrobe, actions or beliefs.

[Дерйа]

Hating/not acknowledging someone just because of their foreign look

[jspl90]

treating anyone different due to their colour of skin equal opportunity equal responsibility

[cjmtherfcker]

I have read Racism is enacted through laws and systems.

Racist Bias is personal

[Aether1]

The belief that your race is superior and all other races are inferior.

[OfDeath]

Discriminating against someone based on their ethnicity.

[Goatmeal]

It's when you love racing. Daytona, F1, IndyCar, Le Mans, you name it.

[Rok4bakAR]

Everything the left don’t agree with would count as racist

[ManHater]

Stupid progressive leftists don't think that racism won't end. Lol its part of being human. Black people i find are the most racist.

[Anonymous]

A fictitious "problem" created by those who can't achieve on their own due to their own short comings.

[anylolone]

Racial animus. A defense mechanism against ego threats that weirdly turns into a source of phantom ego threats.

[888theGreat]

Whenever someone of one race doesn't agree with an issue of someone of another race.

[Dargil]

So if I supported Trump, I am inherently racist? If you supported Obama and I didn't, you are inherently racist?

[Goatmeal]

If you supported Trump, despite him hiring white nationalists to top positions, despite his long history of bigotry, then you're either very ignorant about Trump, or you are okay with those things, making you a racist.

[888theGreat]

@Goatmeal If Trump did what you say, but he didn't. Quit listening to Dan Rather and Democrat talking points.

[Goatmeal]

There are two Stephens you should probably google.

[Bogoboj]

So boring bleh. Everybody should be a little racist i heard that it is good at promoting mental health.

[jimmy2]

Look the one planet, there one life, there one God do why not find forgiveness for yourself, between you and others and between you and God. And the world will be a better place.

[Wasteland_Wanderer]

A white person having self-respect, The slimy sh*t leftist smear all over their nonsense.

[Ryfyle]

If you're white your Automatically Racist. Thats how it be.

[SlightlyEccentric]

Only according to liberals

[Ryfyle]

@SlightlyEccentric And as it stands, they're the only ones the media gives a voice.

[LeftHappy]

A manufactured distraction by the government, there's no problem among the everyday people.

[OddBeMe]

Thinking everyone of certain race have the same attributes. Period.

[JesseJayNeak]

It's the discrimination of an entire group of people based on the color of their skin. Anyone can be racist, don't let anybody tell you otherwise

[Smegskull]

Discrimination based on race (or percieved race maybe)

[BCRanger10]

Anything the Democrats don't like.

[genericname85]

racism is discrimination or hate based on race.

[Anonymous]

Like a white person calling Asian corona virus

[Dargil]

They don't. They validly call it The China or Wuhan Virus.
Like Lyme Disease.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Hong Kong Flu.
Spanish Flu
African swine fever virus
Ebola Zaire disease
All named for their source,

[ODC2112]

Diseases are named after the first place where there is a public diagnosis of the pathogen. For example, the origin of the Spanish flu is not in Spain. Spain is the first place where the diagnosis of flu was made public. In all other states war censorship was in force, while in Spain not being involved in the great war, no.
The suspected origins of the flu are 3: Kanasa, USA; Étaples in France; China and spread to US and then Europe.

[ItsMeItsMe1989]

Judging someone, based on their appearance

[Grubhub]

A white pandemic