There is racism, and then there is bigotry; take care that you do not let one replace the other.
Bigot big•ot | \ ˈbi-gət \
Definition of bigot
: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (such as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance
"Bigot." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bigot. Accessed 5 Oct. 2020.
rac•ism | \ ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi- \
Definition of racism
1: a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race Ladino elites used racism to justify the displacement and enslavement of the indigenous population, and these beliefs, along with the resentment created by the continued exploitation of indigenous land and labor, culminated in the Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996).— Mariana Calvo… how do we begin undoing the processes of internalized hatred and internalized racism?— bell hooksalso : behavior or attitudes that reflect and foster this belief : racial discrimination or prejudiceThe kind of trenchant racism to which black people have persistently been subjected can never be defeated by making its victims more respectable. The essence of American racism is disrespect.— Imani PerryFrom racist graffiti in schools to daily microaggressions and police profiling, rally testimonials highlighted that issues surrounding racism are still very much local issues.— Ryan J. DeganThe War on Drugs, cloaked in race-neutral language, offered whites opposed to racial reform a unique opportunity to express their hostility toward blacks and black progress, without being exposed to the charge of racism.— Michelle Alexander
2a: the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of anotherspecifically : WHITE SUPREMACY SENSE 2institutional racismOne of the many ruses racism achieves is the virtual erasure of historical contributions by people of color.— Angela Y. DavisDiscriminatory housing practices, redlining neighborhoods, underfunded education, lack of access to healthcare, racial profiling, police brutality and mass incarceration are just a few examples of cage wires that all together contribute to structural racism.— Sylvia LuetmerOur nation faces a fork in the road and a decision to either continue down the same path of systemic racism or to confront our past honestly.— Bree Newsome
b: a political or social system founded on racism and designed to execute its principlesIn 1913 the Natives Land Act reserved 90% of the country for whites, who then made up 21% of the population. Under the formalised racism of apartheid 3.5m blacks were forcibly moved to isolated reservations called "homelands."— The Economist
Other Words from racism
racist \ ˈrā-sist also -shist \ noun or adjective
• racialism
Cite this Entry
“Racism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism. Accessed 5 Oct. 2020.