Racism. In South Africa a relatively small white population ruled the black majority for hundreds of years. Racism is anything said or done to harm, ridicule or disadvantage someone from another race.

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There are over five billion people in the world, living in over 200 countries. We belong to different races, culture and religions.

Many people believe that these differences are there to be shared and celebrated. Some people, however use them as an excuse to treat certain people as inferior in some way.

Racism exists in all races and cultures. It is more than just believing your own race to be better than someone else’s. It is treating people differently and unfairly simply because they belong to another race. Racists usually target those who are in the minority in society, but not always. In South Africa a relatively small white population ruled the black majority for hundreds of years. Racism is anything said or done to harm, ridicule or disadvantage someone from another race.  

Racism occurs in everyplace -world. In 17th and 18th centuries there were few indentured servants due to the wars in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Also, they only worked for seven years before their contracts were fulfilled and they were free again. Because of these problems and their desire to make a lot of money, Europeans began to enslave Africans. Africa was the only part of the ‘known’ world that was not controlled by rulers who had weapons as powerful as those of the Europeans. So, from about 1510, the Spaniards and Portuguese began to capture Africans and ship them to the Americas. By 1570 there were about 20,000 African slaves in Mexico, mainly working in silver mines.

 

The first slave traders went to the western coast of Africa. They exchanged their horses, guns and alcohol for food, ivory, gold and slaves. Later the Europeans wanted only slaves.

The map below shows the slave trade 

   

   

Racism is something that affects everybody.

Racists miss the opportunity to learn about other cultures and about people as individuals. Those who are being victimised may become racist back, as a way of dealing with what is happening.

If you are being picked on by racists, you might become lonely and depressed. You might try to avoid situations where racism could occur, and pretend to be ill, or play truant from school. If you are experiencing threats or violence, you might become scared to leave the safety of home. The worry could make it difficult to sleep properly, and your work might suffer.

Sometimes people who are experiencing racism start to accept it as a way of life, and expect racist incidents to continue. They might even think that they are in some way to blame for the situation. If you are always being told that you are inferior, you may eventually start to believe that this is so. Sometimes racism leads to violence. It may result in fights between individuals or “ rival” gangs, or even worse, in war.

                         

     

Public attitude about race

On the whole, white people acknowledge that there is widespread prejudice against ethnic minorities, though fewer white people than in the past say they are prejudiced themselves. A large survey carried out in, 1997 found that less than 10% of British people though people in this country are not all prejudiced. Asked if they thought people were very prejudiced or quite prejudiced, this is who said ‘yes’

The racism problem had been throughout history. Human beings have tended to despise and dislike people they see as different from themselves. White people racism the black people a long time ago about 1570’s, there were about 20,000 African slaves in Mexico, mainly working in silver mines and the slavery was not finally abolished in Britain and United States until the mid-1800s.

     

Throughout history, billions of people have suffered and died as a result of prejudice and hatred. Over the last 500 years, much racism has been a result of the colonies established by white Europeans in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. European settlers claimed the land and resources of these countries for themselves and their own nations. Europeans even enslaved million of Africans and sold them as servants and cheap labour for the plantations of North America. The slave was abolished in Britain and the United States about mid-1800s.

This century has also seen great cruelty and suffering caused by racism. Even until 1990s black South Africans were still controlled by white people. During the 1930s and 40s Nazi Germany persecuted Jewish people and sent millions of Jews to concentration camps. Six millions Jews were killed by the Nazis during the Second World War.

                   

The slaves had no rights. They were seen as possessions, rather than human beings.

Slaves were not allow to

  • Legally marry
  • Own property
  • Inherit or bequeath property
  • Give evidence in court against a European
  • Read or write

 Slaves could not

  • Prevent their children being sold
  • Protect their families from their owner’s brutality
  • Usually be granted or buy their owns freedom

  Slaves had to

  • Do whatever work their owners ordered
  • Work whatever hours the owner demanded
  • Accept any European man’s sexual advances

 

An increase in the number of Black teachers would prove to children that black can, and do, achieve positions of power and respect. For some years many schools follow a multi-cultural curriculum. It is hoped that this will encourage all pupils to feel that their own race, history and culture are important, and to prevent them being misinformed.

Development of African National Congress

The key programmes of the Reconstruction and development programme of the African National congress in 1994

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Meeting basic needs

  • Redistribute a substantial amount of land to landless people
  • Build over one million houses provide clean water and sanitation for all
  • Bring electricity to 2.5 million homes
  • Provide affordable healthcare and telecommunications

Developing human resources

  • Provide education and training for all, especially for young people.
  • Ensure an equal role for women
  • Restructure industry to re-enter the world economy
  • Develop an arts and culture programme that recognizes cultural diversity
  • Provide sports and recreational facilities for all

Building the economy

  • Establish trade union and workers rights
  • Co-operate with other ...

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