Revealing Issues Of Racial Diversity

Racial diversity has been an issue in society for a very long time. Diversity essentially means having different groups of people occupying the same physical space. This space can be as specific as a classroom or as broad as Earth. It is clear that we all have our unique physical features, and that those seem to be generally distributed around the world by geographical region. It is known that specific cultures’ physical appearances do carry social assumptions that could be negative or positive. The distinction between races develops over long periods of time, just like the perceptions of religion and languages. We are not born with these racist ideas or attitudes, these opinions are learned behaviours. Unfortunately, physical appearances are used to discriminate, exclude and abuse people. It turns something that was once special to individuals into a way of allowing people to feel privileged and better than others who are not like them. Most people associate racism with acts of abuse and harassment. Although this is true in some cases, racism is often more subtle, such as name-calling and racist jokes. It can also be seen in institutions, workplaces and systems. Racism is much more than that, it also includes all the obstacles preventing people from enjoying basic human rights such as dignity and equality because of their race. For example, somebody may be looking through a list of school applicants and decide not to accept people with certain surnames even if they are fully qualified.

In the last 20 or so years, attitudes towards racism in society has taken a big turn for the better. However, there remain a small minority of people who still believe that some races are more superior than others. Believing in racial superiority or purity can lead to racial discrimination, fear and hatred. Despite this, not all racism stems from this. It could also come from stereotypes or prejudice. Some groups tend to have a reputation of being dangerous or more violent than others, making people worry that they could pose a threat to them, whether it is as a community or a nation. One aspect of promotion of racial awareness as well as racism is in the media. In recent years, the media has started to become almost a necessity in everybody’s life. This in turn gives it a substantial amount of power, providing a worldwide platform to spread news. There is a lack of racial diversity as well as cultural diversity represented in the media. An example of this is when racial groups are portrayed in a biased or negative light. This could include anything from rude comments, offensive videos to insensitive memes, cyber-racism has and will continue having a significant impact on the growth of racist opinions.

The impact of racism harms those who are on the receiving end. It hurts individuals, communities and societies as a whole. There have been studies that show the considerable effects of racism and lack of racial diversity on people’s wellbeing and health. Regular experiences with racism can lead to withdrawals from work or school, developing a mental disorders such as depression or anxiety, and overall diminish their quality of life. Those who need to endure racism can feel inferior and like they do not belong.

Ways we can eliminate or reduce racism and promote racial diversity is by preaching the importance of harmony to a young audience as they are easy to influence and much more impressionable. Having racially diverse people hosting or participating kids television shows could more easily normalise racial harmony. They should also be taught everybody is equal and that inclusiveness between races. Kids learning the importance of racial harmony is the best way to move forward into a racially diverse world.