Are you a Victim?

A lot of people around the world are victims of stereotypes. Nevertheless, the issue is still around because people still practice it. Stereotypes define as overgeneralized beliefs that people have on other groups based on their skin color, ethnicity, beliefs, and looks. The term stereotypes comes from the 18th century, specifically from the French language and derives the the Greek words ‘στερεός‘ and ‘τύπος‘, which mean solid typos. The meaning of the word stereotypes today is similar to the Greek words that were developed and used in the French language, and is highly held and used today.

Stereotypes are not fixed ideas. Rather, stereotypes are different from one person to another. Not all humans believe in the same stereotypes. Stereotypes is an important term because it defines a process that has been practiced for a while and will continue to be practiced. This word is important because when defined, it is clear that it is an overgeneralized idea that is not true. In addition to so, stereotypes are misconceptions but people believe in them and therefore, they practice it. Due to so, stereotypes are greatly generated through shared ideas from one person to another and through the media. Bias through newspapers and similar platforms such as television broadcasts have a great role in generating stereotypes since they have an audience.

One of the main consequences of stereotypes is that it separates humans from each other as it promotes segregation. It widens the gap and creates social hierarchies which people practice and believe. This does not bring any positives, rather, it promotes discrimination and prejudice. As said by Mr. Ilias Mohammed, a Bangladeshi British science instructor at the Academic Bridge Program, “stereotypes lead to prejudice, which is an opinion not backed up. Hence, faith prejudice only results in negatives. They also create more stereotypes and conflict in society”.

Another consequence of stereotypes is that it lowers the self esteem of people categorized within a specific stereotype. For example, some people practice the stereotype that African Americans perform worse in comparison to white Americans in school. This stereotype reflects on African Americans when told to take an intelligence test, and they usually perform worse.

Many people acknowledge the fact that the negatives of stereotypes overcome the positives. Henceforth, they create awareness campaigns are support it through their social media accounts. One of the main awareness campaigns is “Black Lives Matter”. This campaign started from the African-American community, however, it went viral and was supported internationally from different groups. The purpose of this campaign is to raise more awareness on racism towards dark skinned people and to showcase the struggle they pass through.

Black Lives Matter

Stereotypes are harmful as they lead to prejudice. However, it is very common and  the issue requires immediate care and should be minimized. People should act better towards each other and respect the theory of the mind, which is the acceptance of that different people believe in different things.

What do you Think?

Racism is being aided through stereotypes. Everyone faced racism at least once in their life, as people usually tend to think that they are superior to others. On a sunny morning, specifically in the 17th of March, I conducted an interview at 9:20am with the science instructor, Mohammad Ilias about stereotypes. Instructor Mohammad Ilias works at the Academic Bridge Program in Doha, Qatar. In his grey science lab, I decided to use the time in between his classes to carry an interview about his experience with stereotypes, since he mentioned in class before that he has faced discrimination due to his ethnicity and background. He is originally from Bangladesh, however, he grew up and lived in the United Kingdom. Due to his background, some people stereotype him and think he’s a technician rather than a science instructor. The purpose of carrying an interview with instructor Mohammad Ilias is to get a further insight through the issue and see his past experiences in the different countries he visited and lived in.

The interview went as the following:

1. What do you believe stereotypes are?

Overgeneralized beliefs that people make and practice on different groups based on what they observe or hear.

2. What stereotype are you a victim of?

Racism

3. What are the long term consequences of stereotypes?

Stereotypes lead to prejudice, which is an opinion not backed up. Henceforth, prejudice only result in negatives. They also generate more stereotypes as they are all related in one way or another, and it also increases conflict in society.

4. What generates stereotypes?

Stereotypes are usually generated through people's interpretation of what they observe, hear or see other people do. They base assumptions on unsupported opinions.

5. How are stereotypes spread in your opinion?

I believe that stereotypes are practiced which makes them spread from one person to another. People share their knowledge and ideas, people believe or continue spreading it, and the cycle keeps going on.

6. Are stereotypes practiced more in some countries?

Stereotypes are not practiced more in some countries in comparison to others. Stereotypes are practiced everywhere by many people. The location has no influence on the amount of stereotyping within a country.

7. How can we minimize stereotypes?

There are several ways where we can minimize stereotypes. One of the ways could be teaching people to be open minded and accepting of other cultures and people through education and campaigns.

The ongoing problem of stereotypes is not limited within one country. People practice stereotyping everywhere, which makes this issue highly complex and difficult to minimize. Stereotypes lead to prejudice and conflict between people, and creates social hierarchies. It spreads hatred between the people and makes different groups compare themselves to others. Stereotypes are not fixed thoughts that are true, rather, it is unsupported opinions people spread about other groups in order to feel superior.

You're in Danger

Unity Brings Strength

Imagine being shot because your skin color is usually associated and stereotyped with criminality? You do not commit any crime, however, you pay for it. Racism, an ongoing issue all around the world. Despite the constant reports and awareness raised about this topic, no change is detected. Aljazeera news reported on the 11th of December, 2018, that black people are 20 times more likely to be shot by Toronto police. However, it is constantly said that there isn't any police brutality. More people are at risk of getting shot, just because they are part of a different group. This issue is not only visible in Canada and limited to black people, but all over the world and to different ethnicities. In America for example, some muslims face discrimination because of the 9/11 incident, which they have no link to. Furthermore, Trump wants to build a wall to segregate Mexicans. Despite all the awareness on the news and the activist movements, racism is still going on everyday. Change is still far from accomplished, which puts humanity in danger.

Are You Racist?

ERASE Racism, an organization managed by 36 individual, published a blog that revolves around the issue of racism and serve for equality. The organization’s locates in New York, United States. The organization conveys issues such as housing, education, race and racism, alongside legal actions. As mentioned on the blog, “[they] engage in a variety of research, education and consulting activities to address institutional and structural racism” (Education). Racism, a public health issue, needs to be minimized by humans to live more peaceful conditions.

Design:

The blog comes in two colors: purple and white. Purple symbolizes nobility whereas white symbolizes peace. The blog arises awareness about racism, and therefore, the colors used are symboletic. The authors have the information posted spread evenly on the whole blog, not clustered in one area only which makes the blog more appealing since it becomes easier to use. Speaking about the articles, they are managed in a chronological manner. They also follow a sequence of; title, date, image, and the blog post. This gives the readers an insight, and leaves them deciding on opening and reading the full article or moving on.

Layout:

Just like many other blogs, the ERASE Racism blog follows a sequence of; title and contact information, sub-categories, about the blog, blog filters, articles, sub-sections, and additional contact information alongside the location of the organization. By following the typical way of laying out a blog, the layout does not look unusual in any way. Having the information divided throughout the blog minimizes the text, which allows the viewer to choose what they would like to read without irritation of clustered text.

Navigation:

Due to the fact that the information was laid out evenly and divided into categories, navigation becomes effortless. All the sections included within the blog are hyperlinked. It does not require copying the link, opening another tab, pasting the link, and pressing enter to go to the page. Rather, with one click, it automatically directs the viewer to where they desire.

Audience:

Due to the content included, the audience of this blog are teenagers allowed to live alone and adults. The blog tries to limit educational segregation, which matters mostly to parents or old teenagers having a desire to study. In addition to so, raises awareness about getting the house the viewer wants to live in by revealing forms related to this topic.

Content:

The blog takes the responsibility of “revealing forms of housing discrimination and uses policy advocacy, community organizing, and legal action” (Education). This makes it accessible for everyone looking for a house to choose any neighborhood they like, regardless of their race. In addition to so, the blog aims to achieve education equity as well. The blog identifies unequal access to qualitative public schools, aiming to increase opportunities for people with color to get the education they deserve through learning in racially diverse schools.

Purpose:

The blog tries to minimize racism and bias towards people of color by empowering them. The blog boosts confidence within their targeted audience and highlights their rights, which make people with color more aware when selecting land or education. Furthermore, the blog aims to bring equality for all.

Unusual features:

The blog has a section titled “Upcoming Events”, which shows all the events hosted by the ERASE Racism community, which anyone could attend. This feature engages the audience with the awareness raisers and makes a connection between viewers and the organization.

Events section on the blog

The blog includes a tab to click, which immediately schedules the event to the calendar. The event also includes the price list, and a tab to register for the event. Moreover, the page also includes further event details, evening’s honorees, the planning committee, and levels of support.

Author’s Credibility:

The organization has a variety of staff members, board of directors, and college advisors. However, the blog does not include the person that started the organization or the person that edits the blog. Furthermore, the blog does include however the position of the workers (Dr, Professor, etc). In addition, it provides a picture of each individual alongside a brief bibliography about the person. People usually associate educational rank with being knowledgeable, and therefore, viewers are likely to trust the organization and the work posted.

Comparison:

In comparison to The Racist Sandwich Podcast, there are some similarities yet some differences.

ERASE Racism’s home page

The Racist Sandwich Podcast home page

As you can clearly see, both blogs raise awareness on racism and discrimination with the aim of reaching equality. However, they have different approaches. The Racist Sandwich Podcast uses episodes (recordings) for their posts whereas ERASE Racism post articles to read. Moreover, they are both similar as they all contain subcategories that lead the reader to more posts related to the topic and contact information. However, the size of organization each blog holds differs. Four individuals compose The Racist Sandwich Podcast, whereas ERASE Racism includes 36 individuals. Furthermore, the colors used in each blog differs as well. The Racist Sandwich Podcast includes yellow and bright colors, whereas ERASE Racism includes several shades of purple

Likes and Dislikes:

The purpose the blog serves and the way it serves it engages the readers. Having a clean and simple homepage appeals the viewer because of the neatness, which makes everything easy to read. In addition to so, the organization builds a connection between them and their viewers by hosting events that strengthens the community. This shows their willingness to serve their purpose further. However, the colors used are strong to look at for a long time, and becomes irritating. For improvement, ERASE Racism should add bright colors that are visually appealing for the viewers. For example, light pink or light blue rather than violet.

The blog’s purpose matters mostly to people of color that face discrimination in education and housing. Indirectly, the blog makes the world a better place through spreading equality. Their approaches in spreading awareness are friendly and engaging, which builds a strong bond between the organization and the audience.

The Struggle you Ignore

Poem about Racism

By: Cheryl Gittens-Jones

A steady anger burns within me

Welling up from deep

Deep inside

Three-fifths of a human being

The sacred constitution of the

Red, white and blue

Walking into a room

My blackness goes

My blackness goes

Goes before me

Those of the majority

Not all

Not few

But many

Still do not see

See me as

human

women

Only

Black

Not as mother

Of a beautiful almond eyed

Sepia skinned

Baby girl

Not as graduate

of

Ivy league

Not as wife

As I

As me

Someone whose life is

Just as significant

Meaningful

Purposeful

Beautiful

Three-fifths of a human being

The sacred

Sacred constitution of the

The red, white

Redm, white and blue

Not removed

Still written in

Indelible ink

To be read

Perused

Overlooked

Excused

Invoked

When I walk in

Into a room in my blackness

Precedes me

You see not I

Not mother

Not women

Not wife

Just

Black

Nothing has changed

So many things locked in

Racist

Classist

Sexist

Passive aggressiveness

Intellectual sarcasm

Impoverished ignorance

Blatant alienation

Little has changed

I am

Black and living next door

Behind the same white

Picket fence

Enduring bleached smiles

But not with

Eyes

A steady anger

Burns within me

Welling up from deep

Deep inside

Three-fifths of a human being

The sacred constitution

Of the red, white, and blue

Blackness walking

Walking into

Into the room before me

The poem written by Cheryl Gittens-Jones, talks about how fast people judge and place labels because of color and gender. In general, she is speaking about the inner struggle she feels because of things she did not get to choose nor pick. Walking into a room, her color walks before her. She is exaggerating how she gets judged based on her color and looked down on to emphasize her point further. This is a very important aspect in racism, which the blog’s aim is to minimize. Despite the poem being from an American perceptive, it is still relevant to this blog because it speaks in first-person, about the struggle of people not looking beyond identity, which occurs everywhere.

Hello!

Racism is not only stereotyping someone because of their color. Rather, discrimination, hatred, or prejudice against anyone due to their ethnicity, color, or origin. Racism is a barrier society needs to cross as a whole. It prevents development in terms of equality and dignity, and deprives others from enjoying it. Believing that a certain race is superior to another is the definition of racism, in short terms.

The aim of this blog is to raise awareness about racism through writing about the main topics that fall under racism, such as stereotypes and schemas developed and exercised. Readers will learn about how racist ideas are developed unintentionally and intentionally, alongside the effect racism has on society as a whole and individual victims.

This picture was taken in high school while doing a poster addressing the issue with racism, where the whole school united in a 'equality for all' campaign aiming to stop racial discrimination.



My name is Hessa, a dual Carnegie Mellon Qatar student with the Academic Bridge Program. My hopes for the future are to complete my studies in information systems and start programming, making the world a better place through innovation.


Take a look at Muneera Fakhroo's blog about food in Qatar: https://whattoeatqatar.blogspot.com/p/tired-of-wondering-where-to-eat-today.html