Stigma and violation of individual’s civil rights are remnants of today’s society that comes about because of discrimination directed at people of different skin color due to the conviction that one race is superior to another. Regrettably, whether intentionally or inadvertently, an individual’s race plays a vital role in determining how others view, value and treat others. Thereby, this attracts numerous adverse effects.
First, racism affects health. The various researches document that people who experience racial abuse experience physiological, emotional and mental health issues. When an individual experiences name-calling, insults, and stereotypes, these experiences raise the levels of stress hormones in the body making the body struggle to deal with them, thus, corroding a person’s health. Moreover, living in constant fear of enduring discrimination and profiling results in depression. Children mainly experience racism in school through unfair treatment. As a result, they develop poor sleeping habits, attention deficit disorder, and mood swings. Additionally, when people face disappointments and frustrations, they tend to adopt different behavior to cope with the situation. Hence, they begin overeating, drinking heavily, using drugs and smoking to make them feel better. Consequently, these coping mechanisms surge the risk of them developing cardiovascular ailments, high blood pressure, and obesity, which put their lives in danger.
Second, racial discrimination cost countries money, subsequently derailing economic growth. Racism elicits the denial of fundamental rights such as access to education, financial help and employment opportunities for some racial groups such as African Americans. Such a move hurts not only these people but also an entire country because, by sidelining them, they are unable to contribute positively to the economy through working and remitting of taxes. As a result, they become reliant on government aid for support, thereby adding a government’s burden consequently, harming the economy. On the other hand, criminal activities arise when a particular class of people cannot contribute to society. Hence, lack of security impedes chances of increased investments further negatively affecting the economy. Moreover, the economy suffers injuries through the government incurring high costs of repair and rehabilitation of infrastructure and businesses due to racial discrimination. Destruction of property and violent clashes characterize demonstrations occurring due to racial crimes such as mass shootings. Thus, the government is forced to use funds set aside for development for rehabilitation, derailing the economy.
Racism undermines diversity and community. Diversity is an essential aspect of fostering understanding, sharing of cultural values and increasing productivity by bringing together people with diverse skills and talents. However, discrimination impedes this by creating a sense of entitlement of the privileged racial groups. These individuals hold that if they fail to achieve their set out goals due to other reasons such as attending a particular college or securing a particular job, it is because of a person of another ethnicity taking their spot. Furthermore, some go to the extent of going to court to contest their loss. Such self-regarding actions make it impossible for various intuitions to admit scores of students of different ethnicity, thus, disrupting diversity.
The life expectancy of people that face prejudice reduces significantly. Increased cases of stress, depression and heart diseases among them due to constant discrimination and harassment. Moreover, failure to get jobs so one can successively afford basic needs such as decent homes, healthy foods and subsequent failure to afford proper medical care aggravate their health situations increasing their deaths rates.
Racism, whether intentional or otherwise is a disease ailing our society resulting in detrimental effects. Therefore, individuals and countries should endeavor, eliminate hypocrisy, and in its place adopt morality that urges people to love each other.
