African Racism: Break the Chains
The phrase "Black Lives Matter" has been modified to emphasize the universal problem
of racial inequality; racism is an ideology that either outright implies or presumes that one group
is better than another. However, it can also be more deeply ingrained in attitudes, values, and
stereotypical views. It can be overtly shown in racial jokes and slurs or hate crimes. Sometimes
these are firmly ingrained in systems and institutions that have developed over time and are
retained subconsciously. Racism affects people on many levels, including the personal,
institutional, and societal ones.
Racial prejudice had a long history in Africa, particularly in South Africa. The South
African government was accused of openly discriminating and enacting racial policies in support
of White supremacy during the colonial days. Race was a crucial category for arranging colonial
life and infrastructure. African agency was influenced by racial thinking. Some of the most
marginalized people in society were able to function in an environment defined by the politics
and social life of racial respectability. There is an emerging understanding that persons of
African origin have been held back in many facets of public life due to racism and racial
prejudice. They have experienced poverty and isolation and are frequently "invisible" in official
statistics. Although there has been improvement, many places of the world continue to
experience the issue to different degrees.
"At school, we learn slavery” according to Ina Makosi, a Senegalese photographer who
studies the effects of the slave trade on modern urban culture and youth, "We know what
occurred, so we don't forget, we own it” she said. Afro-descendant groups have become more
vocal in the policy-making process as a result of increased awareness of the racism that people of
African ancestry experience. States should improve programs for reducing poverty that take into
account the particular needs and experiences of individuals of African origin, as poverty is both a
cause and a result of racism. People of African heritage are more likely to experience poverty as
a result of structural issues. The differential access these groups have to fundamental services
makes racism clear. People of African heritage frequently have disadvantages, such as limited
access to technology, markets, healthcare, education, and loans.
It has been suggested that social investment in children and young people as a way to
fight poverty could help stop the continuing exclusion of a new generation of people of African
heritage from the advantages of economic, social, and human growth.
United Nation. (2021). People of African Descent. Google. retrieved from
https://www.un.org/en/fight-racism/vulnerable-groups/people-of-african-descent accessed at
November 11, 2022.