Title: Defining Racial Prejudice
Headings: Understanding Racial Prejudice
Understanding Racial Prejudice
Defining Prejudice
Prejudice Begets Institutional Racism
Prejudice and Racial Profiling
The Link Between Racial Prejudice and Stereotypes
Combating Prejudice

Content: She’d been racially profiled . “I believe in tolerance, acceptance and trying–as hard as it sometimes maybe–not to judge a person by the color of their skin or the way they dress,” she stated in a blog post. “ I admit to having fallen to the traps of convention and have made judgments about people that are unfounded. … The real test will be if we decide to break free from our fears and hatred and truly try to be good people who practice compassion–even toward those who hate.” The Link Between Racial Prejudice and Stereotypes
Prejudice and race-based stereotypes work hand in hand. Due to the pervasive stereotype that an all-American person is blonde and blue-eyed (or at the very least white), those who don’t fit the bill—such as Moustafa Bayoumi—are prejudged to be foreign or “other.” Never mind that this characterization of an all-American more aptly describes the Nordic population than individuals who are indigenous to the Americas or the diverse groups that make up the United States today. Combating Prejudice
Unfortunately, racial stereotypes are so prevalent in Western society that even the very young exhibit signs of prejudice. Given this, it’s inevitable that the most open-minded of individuals will have a prejudiced thought on occasion. One needn’t act on prejudice, however.