Racism

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/racism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the conceptual basis?Belief in inherent behavioral traits linked to inherited attributes and racial hierarchy
2. What is the historical antecedents?Evolved significantly with European imperialism and the transatlantic slave trade
3. Why does racism exist?Racism started during times when people used ideas about different races to justify conquering and exploiting others, especially during colonialism and the slave trade.
4. How can racism show up in everyday life?It can appear as open hate or unfair rules, or more hidden ways like unfair hiring or policing that hurt certain groups even if the rules look the same for everyone.

Scientific Racism: Discredited attempts to use scientific methods to justify racial superiority claims.
Apartheid: A former system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa.
Systemic Racism: Racism embedded within the laws, policies, and practices of institutions and society.