Wadia Ayshi
(Continued from last day's section)
The sociological tendency to characterise American society as Native, African American, Hispanic, Latin, Asian American from an ethnic point of view is noticeable.
According to data published in the Washington Post, the annual income of African Americans employed full-time in the United States is about 70 percent than that of whites. The unemployment rate of blacks is almost double than that of the whole country.
The practice of racism in a region creates a kind of mistrust and distrust of the common people with the minorities, which in turn increases the crime tendency. T
he Center for Race and Social Problems (CRSP) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work is working on a mission whose main purpose is to conduct solution-based social science research on race, colour and their impact on the quality of life of Americans in the twenty-first century.
In the general sense, there is no racism in Bangladesh There is no opportunity to draw a dividing line in the society with the colour of the skin but there is the existence of individual mentality which lacks moral sense.
There is in the family, in society, in advertising, the victim of that racism is the 'black girl’. The reality is that even in this 21st century, if the skin colour is black, the parents have to be exhausted in the thought of 'what will happen to the daughter's marriage'. The desperate attempt to make the girl fair has been going on since birth.
The demand for the so-called fair-skinned girl is everywhere At the front desk or reception, at plays, at movies, at presentations, at news readings - everywhere. I am not showing any agitation against the appreciation of being ‘fair’ in society but what is disturbing us that deserving people are lagging behind because of being tanned skinned.
However, they only get the chance to show their qualifications by hiding the black colour, covering the skin with bright cosmetics.
It is to be noted that attitudes can not be changed by legislation and punishment. It is a social problem, depending on individual ignorance of education, religious views, sense of nationalism and after all humanity.
The United States has been hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic recently. The highest number of deaths are reported in America. But in America, thousands of people have taken to the streets out of fear of the coronavirus. Not obeying lockdown, not obeying social distance.
To die of the virus is to die but to protest the murder of George Floyd, to roar against unjust oppression is their noble duty now. Racism in America is much lower than before, and protests against racism are much higher than before. It is very important to protest against any injustice.
If there is no protest, the injustices become very normal in the society. Then the wrongs do not seem to be wrong anymore. This is the most urgent protest in America, excluding arson and looting. The image I have been fascinated by for the past two days in processions or clashes with police in cities has been the presence of whites.
Not only blacks, whites are also protesting, they also have placards in their hands, they are also chanting slogans, they are also going to clash with the police. In fact, in most processions, whites outnumber blacks. This world now seems beautiful where I find whites are campaigning today to end discrimination against blacks.
In fact, in Europe and America, racism has been brought to the society by the whites, the enactment of laws against racism, the movement to remove it from the society has been done by the whites. If the minorities move alone, they will not get any result. I want to see such a scene in the Indian subcontinent.
If Hindus are persecuted, Muslims will protest, if Muslims are persecuted, Hindus will protest. This cooperation, this sympathy will make the world a better place to live in. Thus, racism had been taking place in different forms in society, in human mind.
Humans are supposed to be glorified among all other creatures but in today’s world, this is the most fascinating and ironic question which has been thrown to the human race.
(Concluded)
Wadia Ayshi is a student at Department Of English, University Of Dhaka.
