WTAF is racism

WTAF is racism and why does it keep happening Let us start with the spelling elephant in the room. It is racism, not raceism. The extra e sometimes sneaks in like a drunk uncle at a wedding, loud, confused, and absolutely not invited. Still, the feeling behind the word is clear, and the frustration too. So let us unpack it properly, with honesty, heart, and just a dash of humour to keep us breathing. So what actually is racism Racism is the belief, spoken or silent, that some people matter less because of how they look, where they come from, or how their ancestors were labelled. It turns human variety into a ranking system, like a league table nobody asked for and nobody wins. It shows up in big obvious ways, slurs, violence, laws that choke opportunity. It also shows up quietly, in assumptions, in jokes dressed up as banter, in who gets believed, hired, listened to, or feared. Racism is not only what people do. It is what systems repeat, what cultures excuse, and what silence allows. At its core, racism is a story people tell themselves about other people, a lazy story, a fearful story, a story that says we are not all equally human. Which is wild, because we are. Where did this mess come from Racism did not fall from the sky. Humans are not born with it stitched into their souls. It was built, brick by brick, for profit, power, and control. Centuries ago, when empires were busy conquering, stealing land, and exploiting labour, they needed a moral alibi. Enter racism, stage left, wearing a lab coat and holding fake science. People were divided into races, ranked, and declared naturally superior or inferior. This made cruelty feel justified, even noble. A horrible magic trick, now with footnotes. Over time, those lies hardened into laws, borders, habits, and institutions. Even when the original empires faded, the thinking stuck around like damp in the walls. You can repaint, but the mould comes back unless you treat the source. Why does racism still happen now Here is the uncomfortable truth. Racism survives because it is useful to some people and familiar to many others. It thrives on fear. Fear of losing status, jobs, identity, or control. When times are hard, blaming a group feels easier than fixing a system. Racism offers simple villains for complex problems. It says, it is them, not this broken structure we built. It feeds on ignorance. If you never hear stories outside your own bubble, stereotypes grow like weeds. Humans love patterns, even false ones. Our brains crave shortcuts, and racism is a disastrous shortcut that skips empathy. It is also learned. Children absorb the world like sponges. They notice who is praised, who is mocked, who is missing from stories, who is always the villain. Nobody has to say, these people matter less. The message often arrives without words. And then there is comfort. Challenging racism means questioning traditions, family narratives, national myths. That can feel like pulling a loose thread and worrying the whole jumper might unravel. Many people would rather stay warm in denial. Is racism just about individual bad people No. That idea is part of the problem. Racism is not only about someone shouting abuse in the street. It is also about policies that quietly disadvantage the same groups again and again. It is about who gets stopped, searched, underpaid, under protected, or over policed. You can be polite and still uphold racist systems. You can mean well and still benefit from inequality. This does not mean everyone is evil. It means we are all swimming in water shaped by history, and pretending it is not there does not make us dry. Why racism is so stubborn Because it mutates. When old forms are challenged, new ones pop up wearing better manners. Racism learns new words. It hides behind phrases like culture, tradition, common sense, or just asking questions. It learns to whisper when shouting is no longer acceptable. It also hooks into identity. People like belonging. Racism offers a cheap sense of superiority, a club with very low entry standards. You do not have to be kind, clever, or brave, just not like them. That is intoxicating for insecure minds. So what actually helps Racism does not end with one viral post or one awkward workshop. It fades through sustained, boring, courageous effort. It weakens when people listen, properly listen, without preparing a defence. It shrinks when history is taught honestly, not polished into a fairy tale. It crumbles when policies are redesigned with fairness, not just intentions. It loses oxygen when silence is replaced with calm, consistent challenge. And yes, it helps when people laugh together, eat together, create together. Shared humanity is remarkably inconvenient for hatred. The hopeful bit, because we need one Here is the good news. Racism is learned, which means it can be unlearned. It is maintained by stories, which means better stories can replace it. Younger generations are asking sharper questions, refusing simpler lies, and connecting across borders with ease that would have shocked the past. Progress is not a straight line. It loops, stumbles, occasionally trips over its own shoelaces. But the direction matters. Racism is not inevitable. It is not natural law. It is a human made problem, and that means humans can unmake it. Slowly. Loudly. Together. And preferably with better spelling. :) JH