Can Racism Be Addressed?

Can Racism be Addressed?

Dawn French uses the phrase ‘stealth racism’, referring to the snide comments passed toward her husband, respected black comedian, Lenny Henry, she talks about how she never saw it unless she was around her husband and daughter, how as a white person she never came across it, however she leaves her interviewer, Andrew Denton in no confusion; Racism is certainly around, and it’s vicious.
Racism has plagued every society for centuries. It appears that no countries are immune. Whether it is the Lynch Mobs of America or the Stolen Generation of Australia it seems that senseless and irrational violence towards a certain race or culture has been a part of every major community since the dawn of civilisation. So if there is seemingly no rational thinking behind this epidemic of hate, if it really does just exist and contaminate everything, can racism be addressed? In order for racism to be combated we need to look into the past, it is clear to see that society has progressed from the time of slaves, to the time of Martin Luther King, to where we are today, however even more clear is that racism is still apparent in everyday life. Baring the small minority of those openly white supremacist individuals the majority of society is keen for a change in attitude, only last year America, infamous for it murky history and outstanding examples of racism, particularly in the Deep South, elected its first black President, Barak Obama. Obama’s victory speech was played across the globe and in it was one particularly poignant message; ‘It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.’
What we need is a way to heal past wounds and a way to look together into the future, it will never be easy to heal a centuries-old past of pain, violence, discrimination and suffering but it...