The Causes of Racism

Racism, defined as prejudice or discrimination aimed at an individual of another race or a whole race in general, has brought much depression and hate in our society. You would think that an attitude that is this “primitive” would be gone by now, but no – it is still around, taking many different forms, still in the mind of some people.

What causes this hurtful attitude to form within a person? 

• Ignorance. Ignorance is being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed. Racism stems from ignorance because the person just doesn’t know that what he or she is doing is wrong, probably because the people around him or even the whole society that he grew up in has such an attitude. Ignorance drives racism to be a habit, not just a one-time act.
• Fear of loss and displacement. When some people encounter people of another race, they become afraid that these people would take over their jobs, territory, status, and even personality. They are threatened that they would be replaced, and so they attack the other person of another race as they believe that doing so help them stay where they are.
• Lack of self-love and the need to feel superior. The most racist people are those that do not have love for themselves, continuously enveloped by negativity. They pass on their negative feelings to those of other races, which makes them feel superior because they ridicule and insult others based on what they feel they can do better or what others do worse.

Unfortunately, these causes are still prevalent in society. Racism feeds on them and continues to live – though not as outspoken as times past, but certainly no less hurtful or vicious.

“Sister Josephine” by Joanna Traynor is an award-winning story of a strong young woman that is challenged by racism every day of her life – a black girl fostered by a white family, living in a society where she is the only black person. She doesn't know her birth family and doesn't meet anyone else who is black until well into her teenage years. She is neglected but resilient and goes onto become a nurse - a profession that comes with pressure that is difficult for her to bear.

This book, originally published by Bloomsbury, won the Saga Prize in 1997. The Saga Prize was organized by Marsha Hunt, to raise the profile of black British writers. Marsha Hunt's daughter by Mick Jagger lived in England at the time and Marsha realized there were very few books written by black British writers to give to her to read, so she set up a literary competition to find new writers. Joanna Traynor won the second Saga Prize offered and was published by Liz Calder, then the Director of Bloomsbury Publishing.

"Sister Josephine" is current available in Kindle format at Amazon.com. Click on the link to preview the book or download your own copy.