Happiness is capable of influencing people’s mental and physical well-being. The interrelation between psychological and physical health may vary depending on one’s race. In America, there are many inequalities in terms of race that are experienced ranging from occupation, education, and income among others. These variances affect the level of happiness of people since the variations are indicators of well-being. Happiness measures subjective well-being and differences in it are expected between the black and white races. The gaps may be due to socioeconomic status were those with a good status tend to be happier. Antiracism helps in detecting and opposing racism and aims at challenging racism while changing beliefs, policies, and behaviors that perpetuate racism. When there is racial happiness, it means that all the actions spreading happiness have been dealt with, and therefore when celebrated, it can be a mechanism of stopping racism. Many would agree that exhibiting and celebrating racial happiness in public is a method of antiracism.
There is support for an antiracist policy that arises when racial happiness is exhibited and celebrated in public. Individuals tend to support actions that express antiracist ideas when they see the advantages of experiencing racial happiness. This makes people constantly strive to be antiracists as they have the self-awareness required as seen in the communal celebration of racial happiness and so they regularly examine themselves and their actions (Hoppe 3). A public display of it makes people work towards ignoring critical steps and refusing to allow the oppression of some group of people. This means that individuals will be allowed equal access to opportunities thus having the same level of happiness.
There is a deeper understanding that is gained of racial inequalities helping in appropriating decisions democratically, causing policy change as the awareness creates equity among all races in every way. This is a method of antiracism as antiracists are forced to strive in expressing antiracist ideas advocating that all racial groups are the same. They end up reviewing their actions and thoughts to ensure that it does not oppress marginalized communities. The antiracists develop a belief that the change they are seeking is attainable according to history and they keep on examining themselves to ensure that they have done better adjustments and that their habits are healthy.
Active ways of becoming antiracists can be developed by the people. They can start by educating themselves on democracy and racist toots and also by reading (Pham 5). This can only be possible after happiness among races is shown to them publicly. They may then begin practicing being antiracists by studying history and how racist opinions are capable of shaping their consciousness. This makes it easy for them to dismantle racism since they would have known and comprehended its origin (Walker and Phillips 11:44). People can also go further to share what they have learned with others to ensure that such conversations are normalized in society. They can then advocate for a positive change in racial policies by driving out policymakers who are racists and this enables them to be better practitioners of antiracism. The people can decide on electing politicians who advocate for equitable policies.
There is time and money invested in antiracist organizations to create policy change. Display of racial happiness publicly can make individuals bring equality to every race and marginalized community. Society gains an understanding of how they are not trying to recreate a hierarchy containing minorities at top positions nonetheless they instead dismantle this system. Members of the public realize that antiracism benefits them, their families, the community, and everyone. Those pursuing antiracism acquire some form of passion and determination that enables them to focus on the ultimate goal of living in a world with no oppression of other people (Hoppe 5). Individuals commit themselves to make unbiased choices in all aspects to create an equal society. They make a conscious decision to be equitable in their everyday choices due to their continuous self-reflection and awareness as they go on with life since antiracism is all about what they do and not who they are. One has to make it a daily commitment to develop routines of making antiracist choices as this contributes to the lasting change in society. The decisions can be made at different levels and including either individually, interpersonally, or institutionally to ensure racial happiness.
Racial happiness is an index that can be used to measure the level of antiracism of racial discrimination in society. This usually emanates from individuals experiencing equity and equality in society due to equal access to opportunity. Nondiscrimination can only be possible when the policies implemented are equitable and when antiracism is the focus of society. This helps eliminate all the issues that arise from racial inequalities and it helps transform society. When racial happiness is displayed publicly, it helps in assuring individuals that their society is antiracist and that they have an equal chance to opportunities. This enables them to embrace the antiracist culture since it works for their benefit and this builds up to the transformation of the society.
Works Cited
Hoppe, Claire. “Learning the Differences Between Anti-Racism Versus Being ‘Not Racist’.” iowastatedaily.com. 2021. Web.
Pham, Kim. “Celebrating Black Joy as An Alternative Form of Resistance and Reclaiming of Humanity.” Voice of OC. N.p., 2021. Web.
Walker, Jazmine and Phillips, Amber. “Blueprint for the Black Joy Era.” YouTube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, 2017.