Race Flashcards
Race is a way of grouping people based on physical features like skin color, hair, or face shape. But race is not a scientific fact—it is a social idea that people have made up to describe differences between groups of people. (33 cards)
Racism
Racism is when someone believes that one group of people is better than others just because of their race. It also means treating people unfairly or badly because of their race or where they come from.
Stereotype
A stereotype is a simple and often wrong idea that all people in a group are the same. For example, thinking that everyone from a certain country acts the same way, or that everyone with the same skin color likes the same things. Stereotypes ignore that everyone is different.
Discrimination
Discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly or differently because of who they are—like their race, religion, gender, or age. For example, not letting someone play, go to a school, or have a job just because of their race is discrimination.
race
Race is a way of grouping people based on physical features like skin color, hair, or face shape. But race is not a scientific fact—it is a social idea that people have made up to describe differences between groups of people.
Colonialism
olonialism means when one country takes control of another place and tells the people there what to do.
Colonialism is when people from one country go to another land and say, “This is ours now.” They make the rules, take things like gold or food, and sometimes make the people who already live there move away or work for them. This can make the people who lived there first feel sad or hurt, because it’s not fair.
Harriet Tupman
Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was an escaped slave who became a leading abolitionist. She helped hundreds of slaves escape to freedom using the Underground Railroad, risking her life many times. She also worked as a nurse and spy during the American Civil War.
Prejudice
Prejudice is a negative attitude or feeling toward someone based on their group (race, religion, etc.) rather than their individual qualities. Prejudice is often learned from family, friends, or society.
The myth of race (Robert Sussman)
Anthropologist Robert Sussman argued that race is not a biological reality but a social construct. He explained that humans are 99.9% genetically the same, and the idea of race was created to justify inequality.
The danger of a single story
A concept by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It means that if we only hear one story about a person or place, we risk misunderstanding and creating stereotypes. Hearing multiple stories gives a fuller, more accurate picture.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explains that when we only hear one story about a person, a group, or a place, we start to believe that this story is the whole truth. This is dangerous because it creates stereotypes and makes us misunderstand others.
Slavery
Slavery is a system where people are treated as property and forced to work without pay or rights. Slaves have no freedom and can be bought or sold. Slavery has existed in many societies throughout history.
Slave trade
The slave trade refers to the buying, selling, and transporting of people as slaves. The Atlantic slave trade (1500s–1800s) forcibly took millions of Africans to the Americas.
Abolitionist
An abolitionist is someone who fought to end slavery. Famous abolitionists include Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison.
A picture book of Harriet Tubman
A children’s book that tells the story of Harriet Tubman’s life, her escape from slavery, and her work helping others find freedom.
The underground railroad
A secret network of safe houses and people who helped slaves escape from the South to the North or Canada. Harriet Tubman was a famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad.
James Lindsay Smith
James Lindsay Smith was an enslaved African American who escaped to freedom and later wrote an autobiography about his experiences. His story gives a first-hand account of slavery and escape.
The civil war
A war in the United States from 1861 to 1865 between the North (Union) and the South (Confederacy). The main cause was the South’s desire to keep slavery. The North won, and slavery was abolished.
The civil rights movement
A movement in the 1950s and 1960s led by African Americans to end segregation and gain equal rights. Key events include the Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington, and the passing of the Civil Rights Act (1964).
The confederate flag
A flag used by the Confederate States during the Civil War. Today, it is controversial: some see it as a symbol of Southern heritage, others as a symbol of racism and slavery.
Heritage
Heritage means the traditions, values, and history passed down from previous generations. It can be cultural, family, or national.
Free but not equal
After slavery ended, African Americans were legally free but still faced discrimination, segregation, and limited rights, especially in the South.
Racial segregation
The enforced separation of people based on race. In the US, this meant separate schools, buses, restaurants, etc. for Black and White people, especially under Jim Crow laws.
segregation
The act of keeping different groups apart, often by law. In the US, this mostly meant separating Black and White people in public places.
The jim crow museum
A museum in Michigan, USA, that displays objects and images from the Jim Crow era to educate people about racism and its history.
Jim Crow
Jim Crow refers to laws and customs in the Southern US (late 1800s–1960s) that enforced segregation and denied Black people equal rights.
