Racism rooted in Perception
Racism and colonialism are rooted in perception through the systems of reality. What a sense of reality is depends upon assumptions. These assumptions based upon where one finds themselves in the world allow for racism and colonialism. One’s set of reality gives reason for racism and colonialism, as they create beliefs that seem valid and defendable to them because of their made-up perception. The US flag represents the segregation of African Americans. The flag that symbolizes America does not include or serve African Americans. The flag stands to demoralize African Americans’ existence because it does not account for the identity of any black person. America’s moral disease is the plague of color that has corrupted the American sense of reality. Color has been the thing that white people have pointed at to validate segregation even though America is a result of African Americans contributions to the establishment of America.
The economy and the country itself is built upon the cheap labor of African Americans. America would not be as successful as it is and was without the cheap labor and oppression of African Americans. The American Dream is at the expense of the oppression of African Americans and is extremely evident in Black history. The image of an African American projected through the world is that African Americans are considered the lowest of the low. Anybody who has been considered to have faced terrible circumstances have also been raised to believe that they are still above African Americans solely because they are not black. This is reinforced through the ideas of African Americans being “savage” and “saved by Europeans” that was taught to African Americans through history books. What looked to be the ideal way of living experienced by white people also reinforced this idea, as segregation created a superiority and inferiority between white people and African Americans. For example, the better quality transportation, housing, and accessibility white people had compared to the poor housing, transportation, and accessibility of black people caused black people to believe they belonged and deserved the worse circumstances. When people are denied participation in achieving the American Dream, it is dangerous to the American Dream. Oppressing Americans based upon their skin color is damaging to the American Dream itself, as America is built by black people. Racism will wreck the American Dream because black people built up America and the American Dream but are not seen as worthy to live it. Racism will dismantle the American Dream because it does not account for the diversity it was created upon.
Secondary Source: https://www.gracepresbytery.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Letter-from-a-Birmingham-Jail-King.pdf
