The social history of the United States is practically defined by racial discrimination. From slavery to the lack of racial equality even to this day, institutional racism has played a central role in defining the social landscape of our nation.

Over the course of United States history, racism has gradually shifted from explicit and overt to implicit and internalized. Of course, there are still instances of explicit racism to this day, but overt racism is generally viewed as deplorable.

However, it must be made clear that explicit racism is not the only kind. Since racist attitudes can be internalized, actions that are perceived as racist can often be completely unintended. This type of racism is invisible to the perpetrator, who often believes that they themselves are not in any way racist or capable of holding racist attitudes.

Many people cannot see how it may be very offensive, even racist, to make a mockery of another culture. This inability to perceive such racism is a result of the history and legacy of institutional racism, which has provided much relative privilege to the majority. Unfortunately, this privilege is often invisible to those who possess it.

If you disagree with that idea, consider the following. Today, black men are on average poorer, less educated and more likely to end up in jail than their white counterparts. If you believe that we are all created equal, you cannot come to any conclusion other than that an external force is oppressing certain parts of our population based on race.

That external force is racism, which today has been largely internalized. No longer do politicians speak of white superiority. Rather, they talk about a lack of “work ethic” among certain parts of the population. And many people, unaware of their privilege and unable to perceive internalized racist attitudes, agree with these implicitly racist notions.