The Question of Race in American Culture

Segregation

The forced separation of people based on race, for example separate schools, buses, or restaurants for Black and white people.

De-segregation

The process of ending racial separation and allowing different races to share schools, workplaces, and public spaces.

Resegregation

The return of racial separation after segregation officially ended. It can happen through social or structural inequality.

Jim Crow Laws

Laws in the United States that enforced racial segregation, especially in the Southern states, after slavery ended.

Brown vs. Board of Education

A 1954 Supreme Court case that made racial segregation in public schools illegal.

The New Jim Crow

A term used by Michelle Alexander to describe modern systems that create racial inequality, especially through the criminal justice system.

Racism

The belief that one race is better than another. It can lead to discrimination and unfair treatment of people because of their race.

Affirmative action

To give preferential treatment to groups that have experienced discrimination, for example Black people.

Uncle Tom

Originally, a Black slave who was loyal to his white slave owner. Today, it describes a Black person who is seen as trying too hard to please white society or reject their own culture.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

A famous novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852) about slavery in America. It helped increase opposition to slavery.

Structural Racism / Systemic Racism

Racism that exists in the systems and institutions of society, such as education, jobs, housing, and the legal system.

Prejudice

A negative opinion or judgment about someone based on race, gender, religion, or background without knowing them.

Oppression

The unfair use of power to control or harm a group of people.

The Melting Pot

The idea that people from different cultures mix together and become one shared culture.

The Salad Bowl

The idea that different cultures live together but keep their own identities and traditions.

Cultural Diversity

The presence of many different cultures, traditions, and backgrounds in one society.

Race Inequality

Unequal opportunities or treatment of people because of their race.

Civil Rights

The basic rights and freedoms that all people should have, regardless of race, gender, or background.

Integration

The process of bringing different racial or cultural groups together in the same society.

Discrimination

Treating someone unfairly because of their identity, such as race, gender, religion, or background.

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