Racism is an emotionally charged subject for many people, yet its historical and cultural impact cannot be understated. This makes racism topics one of the more challenging essays to compose. As the author, you run the risk of inflaming the reader when the goal is to connect with them in a way that generates awareness or potentially invites them to reexamine their opinion.
One of the best ways to compose an essay about a racist topic is to look for an idea that you can defend with valid arguments, research, and sound justifications. This is especially important if you are trying to persuade the reader to adopt your point of view.
Tips For Writing a Racism Topic Essay
The following tips and structural recommendations can help guide you through the process of writing a successful essay about racism. The process starts with thoroughly researching the topic at hand, which can be challenging if you already have a strong opinion about the topic. Though thoroughly research will better arm you to make a strong and well-supported argument.
Pay Attention
When writing an essay about a racist topic it is often best to use a third-person point of view. This makes it easier for you to present the argument objectively, while also reducing the risk of the reader becoming emotionally charged about the topic. If you need to offer up supporting facts in your argument, make sure to quote them directly. Be sure to include all key information including the name of the person or institution that provided the information. This makes it clear that you are not stating your own personal opinion or influence.
Structure
The structure of an essay on racism should follow the typical five-paragraph structure used by many successful essays. This includes an introduction with a strong thesis statement, as well as three supporting paragraphs in the body of the essay, and a strong conclusion. It’s important that each of the body paragraphs, each one should have its own distinct point and they should flow in a way that offers up evidence to support your opinion.
Introduction
The introduction of your essay on racism should directly state the topic while also offering up a potential answer. Ideally, you want to address the reader directly to engage them in expanding their awareness of the topic or potentially reexamining their own point of view. It helps to use authoritative language without sounding inflammatory or derogatory. You want the reader to feel that you are talking to them not down at them.
The last sentence of two of your introduction needs to include a strong “Thesis Statement.” This should be a sentence or two that support the topic. It should also flow into the first point you will cover in the first body paragraph.
Body Paragraphs
The first paragraph of your racism essay needs to connect to the thesis statement while also offering supporting evidence. Ideally, you want to use a connecting phrase such as “One of the root causes of this,” or “New research indicates.” You then need to follow up this statement with an outside quote or a relevant, credible source. The end of your first body paragraph should also have a statement that leads to the second paragraph.
The second paragraph of your essay on racism should offer up a second supporting piece of evidence to clearly identify it as a separate entity. It’s best to use transition words at the start of the second paragraph such as “Next” “In addition,” or “Another cause is.” Then finish the second paragraph with a statement that helps it transition to your third point.
Your third body paragraph should also start with a transition phrase. This paragraph should also note the consequences that could arise if the racism topic is not addressed conscientiously. This paragraph should also end with a sentence or two that links to the conclusion.
Conclusion
The conclusion of your essay on racism needs to have an assertive tone without being aggressive. The goal is to win the reader over to your original thesis and include a “Call to action” or a “Call to Reexamine.” You want to invite the reader to consider the topic in an objective way that wins them over to your original point of view.
110 Racism Essay Topics
Choosing the right topic for your racism essay can be challenging. Such an emotionally charged genre can stir up feelings of controversy that have the potential to overwhelm the sound reasons behind it. If you are struggling to choose an essay topic, you might want to peruse the following list to see if there are one or two that you can connect with.
Historical Topics
- Did President Obama’s legacy open the door for more African American Presidents in the future?
- Is Michelle Obama one of the most beloved first ladies of all time?
- The legacy of George Washington Carver.
- Why do so many African American’s still bear their slave-owners’ last names?
- The legacy of Malcolm X.
- The legacy of Muhamad Ali.
- Why is it easier for Bruce Jenner to change his name, but so hard for Cassius Clay?
- The legacy of Native American boarding schools
- General Custer’s folly.
- The legacy left behind by Japanese internment camps.
- Are white males being discriminated against due to the sins of their ancestors?
- The legacy left by the murder of Emmitt Till?
- Should Mamie Till be honored more during Black History Month?
- Should the living descendants of freed slaves be paid reparations today?
- Did unfettered alcoholism in the Mid-Atlantic South play a role in the brutality of slavery?
- Should Sally Hemmings have been named a part of Thomas Jefferson’s estate?
- Should the German people of today pay reparation to Israel for the Holocaust?
- The lasting legacy of Harriet Tubman.
- Does the infidelity of Martin Luther King Jr. diminish his historical legacy on the fight for racial justice?
- Has the Diaspora strengthened or weakened the Armenia heritage & culture?
- Did the sexual revolution of the 1960s help to bridge the gap between Caucasian and African American women?
- Have the Tuskegee Airmen and other African American units in World War Two received the recognition they deserve?
- Who were the most influential leaders of the Black Power movement?
- Was European Colonialism and the Triangle Trade the driving force of racism in the New World?
- Should Memorials & Statues of Confederate Leaders be torn down or preserved to immortalize the follies of the past?
- How did Apartheid influence the economy of South Africa?
- Do the works of Charles Darwin promote racism or dispel it?
- If they had been alive during that time, do you think Southern Presidents of the United States like Thomas Jefferson would have supported the Confederacy during the Civil War?
- Was Andrew Johnson’s failure to rebuild the South after the Civil War a root cause that kept racism alive.
- Why was there such a delay in making Juneteenth a Federally recognized holiday?
Current Cultural Racism Topics
- Does change the names of sports franchises like Washington DC’s football team, and Cleveland baseball team dimmish the historical legacy of their franchises?
- Does African American’s using the “N-Word” keep the slur alive in our modern vernacular.
- Is Dave Chapelle a racist, activist, or just an entertainer?
- Should Richard Pryor be remembered during black history month?
- Should violence against Jewish people be considered a hate crime?
- Is the Confederate Flag a symbol of racism or a historical relic?
- Was the Dukes of Hazard a racist TV series?
- Has the legacy of George Floyd helped reduce incidents of police brutality?
- Do protests on racial injustice go too far when community looting and arson occur?
- Should the descendants of Native Hawaiians be given the same rights & land as Native Americans on the Mainland?
- Was OJ Simpson’s acquittal in the murder of Nicole Brown influenced by his race?
- Did the murder of George Floyd replace the legacy of the Rodney King riots of 1992?
- Should slander remarks made about Jewish people be classified as “Hate Speech.”
- Is toxic black masculinity real?
- Are ethnic foodways discriminated against to the same degree as differences in ethnicity?
Sports & Athletics
- The impact of Jackie Robinson’s legacy on professional sports.
- Should college coaches who have a history of mistreating players based on their race be banned from employment in professional sports?
- The majority of football, baseball, and basketball players are of African American descent, yet there is only a small percentage of minority coaches in the major sports, why?
- Is enough being done to create pipelines for people of color to hold executive positions in professional sports?
- Should the song Lift Every Voice & Sing be sung at all major sporting events along with the US National anthem?
- Is enough being done to create a pipeline for Asian athletes to play on sports teams that are predominantly white or African American?
- Should more Caucasian professional athletes use their platform to fight racism?
- Is there wage discrimination based on race in professional sports?
- Does racism exist in European sports the way it is in American Sports?
- Is Joe Louis as recognized for breaking boxing’s color barrier as Jackie Robinson is for breaking baseball’s color barrier?
Education
- Should Critical Race Theory be taught in schools?
- Does the current education system contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline?
- Is enough being done to prohibit hate speech in public schools?
- Should private schools be allowed to set their own rules regarding discrimination, hate speech, and racism within their walls?
- Did the Supreme Court rule correctly in Brown vs the Board of Education?
- Do schools in predominantly white communities have better access to technology and education resources compared to schools in communities that are predominantly populated by people of color?
- Should school plays that portray Civil War Confederate Heroes like Robert E. Lee be banned?
- Does decreased access to technology affect the academic performance of children of color?
- What is the “Banality of Racism” in education?
- Was segregating the schools by race a good idea with the bad implementation or a bad idea on the whole?
Entertainment Topics
- Is the movie White Men Can’t Jump racist?
- What is the underlying message of American History X?
- Will the TV series Roots have the same cultural impact on the next generation as it has on the current generation?
- What was the cultural influence of William Shatner kissing Nichelle Nichols?
- Does the use of the “N-Word” in movies promote its use in real-life?
- Are there racial barriers in Hollywood, Oscars & Academy Awards?
- Do Caucasian actors need to demonstrate more allyship in the entertainment industry?
- Should actors with antisemitic behavior, like Mel Gibson, be banned by the screen actors guild?
- Do actors and celebrities have a duty to allyship against racism as part of their platform?
- Is there an active bias against casting minorities in movies and TV shows?
Ethical Topics on Racism
- Why is racism considered immoral today, but wasn’t before the mid-1800s?
- Are the protests of Black Lives Matter helping to end racism or entrenching racists from seeing the error of their ways?
- Should racism be considered a form of mental illness?
- Is Islamophobia a form of racism or a legitimate phobia?
- Is the term “Third World” a racist term, or simply outdated jargon?
- Is Allyship a critical component for ending racism in the long term?
- If you see a hate crime being committed are you morally obligated to try to stop it?
- Is the term “Irishness” another form of racism?
- Is the differentiation of cultural differences and folkways a form of racism?
- How has aboriginal racism affected the history of Australia?
- Is social kin bias the underlying cause of racism?
- Is the Ancient Greek philosophy of barbarism an influential force on racism today?
- Do Christians have an ethical duty to speak out against antisemitism?
- In a community where lynching has occurred, are the people who fail to act to prevent it morally culpable as accessories to the crime?
- Is it the responsibility of the community to oust hate groups like the Klu Klux Klan?
Racism in the Legal System
- African American males are 10 times more likely to resist arrest than Caucasian males, is this due to them essentially resisting police brutality, or are other factors at play?
- What is the driving force of racial police brutality?
- Is defunding the police an effective way to end racial police brutality?
- Does police brutality exist for other ethnicities other than African Americans?
- Do prisons treat Caucasians differently than other ethnic groups?
- Should prisons be segregated by race?
- What can be done to create pathways for more minority judges to take the bench?
- Does Islamophobia separate minority populations in prison?
- Is enough being done in the legal system to deter and punish hate crimes?
- Should there be a zero-tolerance policy for racially biased police brutality?
Social Media Topics
- Does social media have a positive or negative effect on racism?
- Does TikTok allow racist behavior on their platform challenges?
- Does social kin bias affect racist behavior on social media
- Should social media ban using their platforms to organize racist gatherings
- Twitter has become a platform for racist messaging without consequences to the user or Twitter as a company.
- Should there be a filter for memes that contain racist messaging?
- Would banning racist messaging on social media be a violation of the right to free speech?
- Has the rise of social media allowed racism to spread beyond traditional regional borders?
- Should there be stronger laws against hate speech geared to limit the influence of social media?
- Would the murder of George Floyd have gained national and even international attention without the influence of social media?
These are 110 rasism essay topic ideas that we have prepared for you. We hope that you find our list useful for your work.
