Racism and hatred against women, more commonly known as misogyny, has been thriving in America for centuries. Women are not given equal rights and opportunities, nor are they permitted to voice their opinions about certain matters. Many of you may be familiar with the Equal Pay Act, passed all the way back in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy. It promised equal pay for both men and woman who work in similar jobs. Nearly 60 years later, in 2021, women are still paid less than men. For every dollar a man earns, the average woman earns 80 cents, African American and Latina woman earning even less than that. This is a perfect example of the more serious cases of systemic racism. Additionally, in the US, only 19% of women have a representation in the Senate. Considering that nearly 51% of the American population is made up of women, this is truly unacceptable.
What about overt racism? Sadly, overt misogyny is extremely common in this masculine society. In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 women get raped, whereas only one in 71 men do. This one piece of data clearly proves that equality between genders is a long way off.
Covert racism, as well, is used against woman. It may not be explicit, but many people choose men over woman to occupy supposedly “masculine” jobs such as computer despite similar qualifications. overt racism, as well, is used against woman. It may not e explicit, but many people choose men over woman to occupy supposedly “masculine” jobs such as computer programming despite similar qualifications.
Racism against African Americans is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of racism, especially when referring to the United States. Slavery was a system where Africans were forced to work in fields, mines, and other dangerous locations with almost no consideration to age. This was the first, most terrible step to enduring discrimination against African Americans in the United States. Shortly after slavery was abolished, segregation began to expand throughout America in the late 1880s. Whites and African Americans were almost treated as two separate species. Schools, bathrooms, buses, and even water fountains were segregated, forcing African Americans to live off of the poorer quality items and buildings. Finally, this came to an end in 1964. Could you even imagine being oppressed, denied of basic human rights for nearly 80 years? Though segregation did end from a legal standpoint, African Americans were still far from having equal representation and treatment in society.