Racism and Discrimination Impact on Civil Rights and Student Rights

How Racism and Discrimination Affects ‘Civil Rights’ and Student Rights
Racism is the belief that one race is superior to another. It can result in prejudice and discrimination towards people based on their ethnicity and color. Discrimination is the treatment of people in an unfair manner based on their characteristics such as sexual orientation, age, race and gender. Racism is a type of prejudice that most countries fight, do not tolerate and hotly discuss. Countries such as Brazil had once categorized themselves as racial democracies. They allowed people who were racially indifferent to live side-by-side. Such countries are now experiencing the harsh reality of historic and entrenched racism. Some people argue that class and not race is the main cause of social distinction. This is because racism has become illegal officially from forms of overt racism such as abuse on social media and killing of unarmed blacks by police, especially in countries where whites dominate (John 551-558).
Impact of Racism and Discrimination on Civil and Student Rights
Racism is defined differently depending on the country in question. However, it is a form of intolerance based on biological distinction; some arguing that it is a social construct. Racial discrimination takes place when an individual is treated in a less favorably manner. It also occurs when people are given different opportunities in a similar situation because of their race, color or ethnicity. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 is against discrimination of an individual because of their color, race, ethnicity and immigrant status. It also protects people from racial discrimination is areas such as education, buying or renting houses, accessing public places and employment, among other forms of public life (David 173 – 188).
Explaining why discrimination happens can be difficult. However, the human brain is able to categorize things into simpler ways to make sense of the world. Discrimination usually stems from misunderstanding and fear. It is a public health issue that can lead to stress. An American survey was conducted in the year 2015; it found out that people who face racial discrimination experience increase in stress levels than those who never experienced any form of discrimination. A variety of mental and physical health problems are associated with chronic stress.
Martin Luther King Jr. quotes, “The question is not if we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.” Discrimination has been highly linked to problems such as substance abuse, anxiety, high blood pressure, obesity and depression. Even if you have never been the target of overt acts of bias, it is important to note that discrimination can be damaging to one’s health. Being a member of groups being discriminated such as transgender, lesbians, bisexual and gay can be stressful. Chronic stress is created by the anticipation of discrimination. Most people usually avoid certain places if they know they could experience poor treatment, missing out opportunities on jobs and education (Mavis 83-93).
How Racism and Discrimination Affect "Civil Rights'' and ''Student Rights''
The Racial Discrimination Act states that it is unlawful to say or do anything that is likely to reasonably humiliate, insult, intimidate and offend an individual because of the ethnicity, color, nationality or race. Racial discrimination in education affects students’ rights and civil rights negatively. It refers to any form of harassment of students based on their nationality, color or race. Discrimination in education can happen at any age of a school-goer; right from their pre-school stage through colleges. Such discriminations in school are usually caused by staff members, teachers, administrators and other students. The federal government established Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in an attempt to prevent and eliminate racial discrimination in any educational environment (Lawrence and Fox 319-332).
This law states that no school receiving funding from the government shall discriminate against any student based on their nationality, color or race. This law created an office that was dedicated to investigate any form of racial discrimination on schools called Office for Civil Rights. The Office for Civil Rights has made racial discrimination determined by asking the school whether they allowed or created a racial environment that prevents and affects students from learning adequately. If the school discriminates, it might lose government funding and be penalized. Racial discrimination in education takes the forms of harassment by other students, teachers and administrators (Kenneth 507-536).
In-class discipline is the common type of teacher discrimination. Most of the cases that are reported involves a teacher punishing a specific student in a harsh way because of the student’s minority status. This is usually common among students who are either Latino or African American, especially those in high school. Other discrimination cases by teachers involve grading of students in an unfair way and them accepting discriminatory behavior from other students within the school environment. Administrator-related discrimination is more common than teacher-related discrimination (John 551-558).
On high school and elementary campuses, administrators are usually known to penalize minority students more. The minority students are usually more likely to be expelled and suspended than their majority peers. Some private schools have also been fined for denying acceptance to admit minority students into their programs. Harassment by students is the most common form of racial discrimination. A report made by the Office for Civil Rights claims incidents of “racially motivated physical abuse and attacks and organized hate activities”. Isolated incidents by one student cannot trigger an investigation. However, repeated cases can lead to an investigation by the Office of Civil Rights (David 173 – 188).
Response on Racial Discrimination on Education
If a child happens to be the victim of racial discrimination in school, it is necessary to contact the Office for Civil Rights to file a complaint. The complaint is investigated accordingly and the school constantly reminded of the prohibition of harassment based on racism in government funded schools. If the investigation proves that discrimination actually took place at the school, the Office for the Civil Rights makes sure that the school adopts a fully enforced anti-harassment policy. Enforcement failure can cause the Office for Civil Rights to revoke government funding or fine the school for each incident. DaShanne Stokes quotes, “It speaks volumes when people who are discriminated against go on to discriminate against others.”
If the harassed student has suffered serious emotional, mental or physical injury of any form as a result of discriminatory actions, a Title VI attorney should be contacted. The attorney can help in protecting an individual’s interest and offering advice on whether the authorities should complete their investigations or determine the need to file a civil case. Evidence about racial discrimination should be gathered if possible. For instance, if a racial epithets is spray-painted on the wall, pictures should be taken before repainting is done on the walls. A copy of the emergency room report and photographs of the injuries should be taken if the child was physically attacked in the act of racial discrimination (John 551-558).
Conclusion
Instead of heavy suspensions and expulsions, implementation of positive discipline policies should be executed to assist in creating learning environments that are safer. Schools must also understand their civil rights requirements and obligations to avoid practices that are disciplinary unfair. A routine school disciplinary infraction should never land a student in a police station. It should rather land an indiscipline student in the principal’s office. This form of guidance can help promote fairness and effectiveness when it comes to disciplinary practices. Therefore, the move can help in making the school inclusive, supportive and safer for all students. Some key guidance for schools to prevent racial discrimination include instructing schools of government civil rights laws that prohibit treatment based on race when disciplining students. It also prioritizes the use of evidence-based prevention strategies to promoting positive student behavior. It also requires training of all staffs within the school to apply school discipline policies that are equitable and fair.
Work Cited
McConahay, John B. "Modern racism and modern discrimination: The effects of race, racial attitudes, and context on simulated hiring decisions." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 9.4 (1983): 551-558.
Williams, David R. "Race, socioeconomic status, and health the added effects of racism and discrimination." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 896.1 (1999): 173-188.
Sanders, Mavis G. "Overcoming obstacles: Academic achievement as a response to racism and discrimination." Journal of Negro Education (1997): 83-93.
Bobo, Lawrence D., and Cybelle Fox. "Race, racism, and discrimination: Bridging problems, methods, and theory in social psychological research." Social psychology quarterly 66.4 (2003): 319-332.
Dion, Kenneth L. "Prejudice, racism, and discrimination." Handbook of psychology (2003): 507-536.