The Anatomy. of Racism.

 Humans are not born racists but  some are conditioned over time, through upbringing, teaching and interactions, to segment other people into various groups. These groupings are based on physical features, like the colour of the skin, facial features, hair and ethnic characteristics. Historically it was natural to feel an affinity for a group of people 'similar' to ourselves, people who are in different groups were generally approached with caution. The creation of social segments of family, clan and tribe are all associated with our history of interaction. 
Various groups, (tribes) made alliances for a common cause which could range from sharing the spoils of hunting to confronting a common enemy, and by definition also considered differences with some groups as irreconcilable. However through history people have learned to coexist and live together in between prolonged periods of systemic hate and xenophobic sentiments. 
In the past few decades the reemergence of 'racism' has prompted a world wide debate about racism. In the modern context racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community, or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalised. Racism is not only directed by white people against black or coloured people, but also has been seen between coloured people. In its extreme forms, as we saw in Rwanda and former Yugoslavia this has resulted in ethnic cleansing. 
Issues that surround racism get even more heightened and complicated when politics and religion are added to the mix of the existing hate and antagonism. While Islamophobia or the treatment of black people are the more obvious examples of racism, in fairness racism is quite widespread in many forms that range from the blatant to the subtle. In some cases racism blends into centuries old beliefs as in India's caste system which is perhaps the worst case of institutional racism that has survived for centuries. 
History aside we today stand at a unique moment where the debate on racism has expanded and yet instead of bringing more tolerance and understanding has in a sense hardened the views on racism. The killings of black men by police in the United States may well have brought life to a new movement 'Black Lives Matter' few understood that there were under currents in US society that shaped the actions of people criticised the BLM movement. When in 2015-16 President Trump hurled his divisive comments about immigrants and half embraced the white supremacists in a way he allowed people to consider groups like the KKK as a normal part of society. Indeed we do not face images of the Klu Klux Klan ridding with whites hoods on and lynching black people, but be sure that they are around in different forms. 
Black Lives Matter is not only suggesting that only black lives matter, bur in a larger sense is for people to recognise that racism is in a sense institutionalised. The recent case of Kyle Rittenhouse highlights this better than anything else begging the questions that if Kyle was a black man who shot and killed two white people and did not have over $2 million donated to his legal fund would he have walked free? While initially 'taking the knee' seemed to suggest it was creating an awareness for BLM, in time it has come to symbolise a stance against all forms of racism. 
In truth many of the more subtle forms of racism are embedded in the behaviours that come from the 200 odd years of global colonialism. Thus when I am asked 'where did I learn to speak English', I can understand it's as much a subtle racist remark as it is a show of ignorance from the person asking me that question. In the same strain when a white South African comments on the current mismanagement of South Africa by the black political leadership one finds the deeper we go into what is a legitimate debate inevitably the tones from the days of apartheid become visible. 
Racism is not only a white and black issue and indeed colored and black people can also be equally racist about white people. Different races other than including white people can be racist, as we saw in the ethnic cleanings in Rwanda and Serbia. Till this day there are prejudices against the Hazara people by the Pushtuns, and across Africa hate is fuelled along ethnic differences. Indeed these ingrained prejudices are often confused with politics as we have seen in Sri Lanka during their civil war or in what is now Bangladesh in its time as East Pakistan. In Europe we saw Germany, under Hitler, implement a policy of persecution of Jews resulting in the death of millions and all in the name of a misplaced nationalism.
On positive side awareness of these racist trends is higher than ever before amongst a younger generation that seeks to put a stop to it. Movements like the civil rights movement in USA, or the aim to address the gross injustices to the Native Americans across the continent of America remain alive and perhaps in small ways making a difference. The battle to fix things is hard because one is fighting generations of in built bias that gives some ethnic and racial groups the misguided notion that they are in some ways superior to the others. This is all the more difficult to address in countries like India where the supposed superiority of some is built around a caste system they feel is ordained by their religion. 
Racism does not spread through the genes of a family. Racism is a mindset that is humanly created through learned behaviour. To that extent it is reversible, in theory, and this is a function not only of education but also addressing the fabric of the society which creates racists. Racism, like a virus, has also mutated into different strands that are difficult to trace and counter act. Kangaroo courts and mob lynchings have been replaced by a stunted judicial system which will typically hand out more severe punishments to a black man as compared to what it would do to a white man. Access to education and jobs is stone walled in some cases so that coloured and black people do not get the same opportunities. 
Reforms have often achieved some success but it's a slow process and in the 'democratic' countries hard to have consensus upon. In some countries political change, like in South Africa, suddenly reversed the table for the minority ruling elite. In so far as the objectives of such change was much needed in some cases, particularly after the death of Nelson Mandela, resulted in a sort of reverse racism where White people were denied some of the opportunities that previously the black people were. Gratefully this did not take the shape of forced segregation as we had seen under Apartheid. 
In some countries like the United States there is a concern that as lines are drawn harder the clash between the reformists and the entrenched white supremacists will become more violent. The Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty verdict is seem by the likes of KKK as a major victory all more as such groups are also vocal supporters of gun rights. In the same breath we have seen through the senseless killing in Wisconsin by a black driver of white people to signify just how bad race relations are getting in the US. While there are calls for healing there needs to be an understanding that things have to change radically for better racial harmony. With politics fuelling the fire of racist hate there is scant optimism that in some parts of America this may be achieved soon. 
Globally there needs to be an individual introspection on how each person can change the racist trends that exist around them. We need to take stock of our prejudices and address them in a manner that they change our perception of people who are not like. Healing is not simply talking about it, but it is to fundamentally change the mindset within us to abolish racism. A good starting point would be to shun divisive politics and  misplaced religious beliefs of superiority from out society.