Thomas Jefferson Wrote “all men are created equal” but owned over 200 slaves Said blacks were probably a different race so they didn’t count as men (justified taking away their freedom) Said it would be up to science to prove

Americans are White Indentured servants from Europe only worked for 5-7 years before they were freed and given their own land Some ran away to live with Native American tribes After U.S. independence, Britain was no longer allowed to send their prisoners

Africans are Black African slaves were “better” labor because they could be identified by color They did not have to be freed or given land Their children were automatically born into slavery Slaves became property, not people subhuman

Native Americans are White At first, they said Native Americans were white people with a tan It was America’s duty to civilize them If they were white, then they could share the land together

Native American are Red Even though attempts to civilize Native Americans were working (like the “Five Civilized Tribes”), they were no longer considered white They too became a lesser race which justified taking away their lands Indians became savage beasts (animals), not people subhuman

Andrew Jackson Elected because he was a “man of the people,” someone who fought for the little guy In reality he was a rich slave owner Signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to move all Native Americans east of the Mississippi River into Indian Territory (Oklahoma) Trail of Tears

Mexicans are Brown Mexicans were a mix of whites and Indians, but considered uncivilized mongrels Reverend Theodore Parker “mongrel” is a derogatory term for mixed races The only thing “worse” than lesser races was whites mixing with lesser races This justified taking their land in the Mexican American War subhuman

Race A social idea that artificially divides people into distinct groups based on physical appearance (mainly color), ancestral heritage, and culture

Social Darwinism Applying Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” to social classes Supported the idea that it was okay for unfit peoples to suffer and die out

Eugenics The science that “proved” that whites were superior genetically This made miscegenation a terrible thing because it polluted the gene pool This idea started with the goal of selective breeding to get rid of “diseases and undesirable traits” but ended with mass extermination by the Nazis

Miscegenation When people of different races mix through marriage, living together, having sex, or having children In the 1690’s the colonies started passing laws making interracial marriage illegal (replacing laws prohibiting marriage between free people and slaves/indentured servants regardless of color) The last of these anti-miscegenation laws were repealed in 1967

Individual Racism Beliefs, attitudes, and actions that support racism It can be intentional or unconscious

Cultural Racism The idea that white culture is “normal, good, right” and everything else is an “alternative, bad, wrong” Language, clothing, physical characteristics, music, traditions, entertainment, history, heroes

Internalized Racism When people of an oppressed group believe some or all of the lies and stereotypes about their group Most of the time they are unconscious that they have adopted racist views about themselves

Institutional Racism People of color are underrepresented in the media and in history books System of automatically discriminating against non-whites and giving privileges to whites

de jur Segregation Separation of people based on their race that is required by law aka Jim Crow Laws, these segregation laws all ended by the mid-1960’s Housing, transportation, education, occupation, public services, private services

de facto Segregation Segregation that happens “as a matter of fact” or as a result of other things like where you live or go to school This does not include voluntary segregation like Historically Black colleges or a Hispanic Student Association

White Privilege The unquestioned and unearned set of benefits given to people just because they are white Most of the time they are unconscious that they are receiving these privileges

White Flight The pattern of white people moving out to the suburbs when cities became more ethnically mixed in the 1950’s This was in response to desegregation and the Great Migration of blacks leaving the south This was made possible by GI grants for returning veterans

Ethnic Studies A victory of the Civil Rights era that introduced new ways of studying sociology, history, English, etc. Instead of always approaching topics from a Eurocentric perspective, these classes look at the perspectives and contributions of other racial groups

Reparations Payments that redress (make up for) an injustice The Japanese American Citizen’s League finally won reparations and a formal apology for internment in 1988, receiving $20,000 for every person interned African Americans have been seeking reparations for slavery since the 1950’s, but only received a formal apology in 2008

Affirmative Action Policies in education, employment, and business that favor women and people of color in an effort to make up for past discrimination Started in 1961 by JFK, these policies were controversial in the 70’s and 90’s

Model Minority The minority group that is the most successful They are used to prove that the system works and is not biased