Encountering individuals of a different culture should be used to embrace and encourage diversity, however that is not always the case. Columbia, South Carolina is a city with friendly faces, a bolstering economy, and the University of South Carolina, but behind all of that it still has its fair share of social bias. For example, a year ago a black USC student walked into a bar, Pour House, in the Five Points area. At some point in the night an altercation occurred, and the black student was put into a choke hold and thrown on to the street. This bar is infamous among USC students for not allowing black students to enter, so upon hearing the news not many students were shocked that this happened (Moore). Regardless, the situation should have never occurred in the first place. Discrimination such as this occurs all around us, nationally and locally, and almost everyone in the world is affected by it, whether that be in a small or large way. The more extreme forms of discriminatory practices include genocide, slavery, apartheid, and some immigration laws (American Psychological Association). While the less extreme, but still oppressive nonetheless, forms of prejudice and discrimination, include social exclusion, unequal pay, denial from jobs, and mistreatment in general (American Psychological Association). 

Talking about social biases can be an uncomfortable topic for some, maybe that’s because we are afraid of saying something that comes off as wrong or because it is uncomfortable to acknowledge our own inherit privilege. However, it is something that must be discussed because it is affecting the quality of life for American citizens and is hindering the future of the United States. Discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes are ongoing, and to predict when it may end is impossible. However, there are some American citizens who argue that discrimination and prejudice ended after the Civil War or signing of the 13th amendment, and that nowadays people are just pushing their luck asking for more equality. Some have even made the argument that prejudice in society is natural and moral. On the other side of the issue, claims have been made that social bias will never seize to exist and the fight against it is futile. 

Contrary to what some believe, African-Americans are not the only ones who experience social bias on an everyday basis. While there are some groups that are affected more than others, everyone experiences it in different degrees. Groups that receive national attention because of social bias include African-Americans, LGBT’s, Muslims, women, and the disabled. There are some groups who experience social bias in different and unexpected ways such as cops, Trump supporters, and the white male. But why should people make an effort to eliminate social bias? America may never be a utopian society free of social bias, but we can try to leave it a better place than when we found it so generations can thrive for centuries to come. As a significant threat to the quality of life of citizens and the future of the United States, all individuals across the country, no matter of race, gender, or religion, must do their part locally to eliminate social bias. By doing this, it will bolster the American economy, provide equal opportunities for all, and empower American citizens. 

As far as historical records show, no society has ever been immune to social bias, as it affects everyone and everything arounds us; dating back as far as human kind can remember. What we can do is look at the history of Social Bias in the United States, so we can understand how it became rooted in our current society. But to do this, it is important to first understand what social bias is, specifically discrimination. Social bias consists of stereotypes and prejudice, with the combination of the two creating discrimination (Keene). Discrimination is the unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice formed from stereotypes. Let the previous sentence be an example of how the three social biases manage to intertwine with one another. Discrimination can lead to frustration and anger in the victim and could result in the victim being enraged at the person or group who caused it (Keene). Because of this, the victims anger can lead to this very person discriminating the person or group who discriminated him or her in the first place. Social bias is this endless cycle that has made it near impossible for anything to be done to halt or reduce it, hence why it has been prevalent throughout all of history. 

Throughout its history, the United States most prevalent form of Social Bias was, and arguably still is, white supremacy, the belief that white people are superior to all other races. This belief is what brought about the birth of social bias in the United States. Howard Zinn, a world renown historian and author of A People’s History of the United States, claims that in 1492, it was Christopher Columbus who inspired white supremacy. Per Zinn, when Columbus landed in North America, all he desired was to bring back gold to Spain and he saw Native Americans as the source. The natives were friendly with Columbus, providing him whatever he asked for. In Columbus’s Journal, he wrote “[Native Americans] are so naïve and so free with their possessions…” which is evidence that he began to take advantage of these Native Americans. Once Columbus reported his findings to Spain, it did not take long for hundreds of Spaniards to sail across the sea, but this time with a clear objective: to obtain gold and slaves. For the following decades, Europeans sailed across the Atlantic with the belief that they were superior to those in the Americas, and because of this, white supremacy was implemented into the new American culture (Zinn). As European countries began to colonize North America, white supremacy grew exponentially. Although white supremacy was already prevalent in Europe, colonization of this new land presented these European settlers with the opportunity to use it as the building block for a new nation. White Supremacy brought on many forms of discrimination, but the enslavement of black people became by far the most prominent. The longer slavery existed, the deeper white supremacy embedded itself into society, especially the south. 

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the United States, a result of Abraham Lincoln being elected into office (Wikipedia). The decision to secede was made at the South Carolina Secession Convention in Columbia, a location ideal for other conventions and meetings within the confederacy (Wikipedia). The city that birthed the confederacy, Columbia had slavery and white supremacy rooted in its ideology. While slavery was abolished after the Civil War, there was no feasible way Columbia could change their ideology overnight. Their ideology slowly changed, and in 1963, the University of South Carolina admitted its first black students. And in 1965, Columbia was praised in Newsweek magazine as a city that had “liberated itself from the plague of doctrinal apartheid” (Wikipedia). However, no matter how much the people in Columbia continue to change, the core ideology that once built the city has not been lost on some people. Throughout the town, university, and suburbs, discrimination against blacks can sadly still be seen every day. The continuous discrimination of black people will only empower these discriminators, and in doing so, these people will feel they have the power to discriminate against others.

While white supremacy led American society to discriminate against non-whites, it does not explain how or why an individual person is influenced to discriminate. Where does social bias originate; a question psychologists have been attempting to answer for decades. Psychologist, Harold Fishbein, argues that social bias “has an evolutionary basis, rooted in the nature of primate and human subsistence groups” and that “the particular culture in which individuals grow up and mature plays a significant role in determining the values assigned to the various groups.” (Goldson). To elaborate, Fishbein believes that social bias either occurs because it is firmly rooted in human’s genetic code, or as individuals grow up they are influenced by the external stimuli around them. Psychologist, Kang Lee, echo’s some of Fishbein’s idea that individuals are a product of their surroundings. However, these surroundings only have a major influence during infancy. He claims that by not exposing infants to multiple types of stimuli while growing up will create a social bias in them. Lastly, the psychologist, Park Gwheni, claims that it is natural to stereotype other people because the human brain was made to categorize. She elaborates that believes it is an internal decision by the person to take it from stereotyping to discrimination. To pinpoint what causes social bias in an individual is no simple task, for every person is wired differently and external stimuli consistently changes, such as the rise of social media. However, Fishbein does state that “although prejudice and discrimination continue to be alive, inroads into extinguishing these negative and destructive phenomena have been made.” (Goldson). The possibility of changing, even without fully understanding social bias, is feasible, but it will take time. 

As society advances, one would think that the issue of social bias would slowly disappear, but that has not been the case, for Social Bias is more prevalent than ever in society. While it isn’t as evident as it once was, Social Bias is a serious threat to both our fundamental values of a modern society and the future success of the United States. Not only is it prohibiting equal opportunities for all, it is hindering the United States possibility for economic development and prosperity. If businesses encouraged diversity, our economy would surge upwards. Paul Donovan, Global Chief Economist for Union Bank of Switzerland, notes that “the basic reason prejudice damages an economy is that it encourages the uneconomic waste of a critical resource (labor)”. If someone fails to reach their full potential because of prejudice denying them of equal opportunity, then this individual’s potential is denied to society. The United States human capital substantially grows as more women, ethnic minorities, LGBT, and other diverse individuals enter the workforce. For example, a study by McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm, found that an increase in women’s overall share of labor in the United States over the past 40 years has accounted for about a quarter of current GDP. They also found that of the 366 public companies they analyzed, those in the top quarter for diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above national industry means. Michelle McSweeney, a writer for SocialTalent, claims that the number one company around the world embracing diversity is Sodexo. They have found that when there is an optimal gender balance with an organization employee engagement increases, gross profit increases and brand image increases. For almost twenty years, Sodexo oversaw on campus dining at the University of South Carolina. Any student or alumni whose eaten on campus food would agree with McSweeney on how diverse the Sodexo staff is, for it is what made them so unique. 

The United States economy surely benefits from a reduction of social bias, but a powerful nation needs more than just a bolstering economy. American citizens who are empowered are vital for the future success of the United States. However, the effects of social bias on people can result in the loss of self-worth, political disempowerment, and decrease in health. For example, Jeremy Diamond, a reporter for CNN, reported on President Trumps decision to ban transgender people from the military. President Trump also shared inflammatory anti-Muslim videos on Twitter for all the world to see. Actions such as this, especially by the President, results in the transgender and Muslim community feeling disempowered and mistreated. Julie Simon and Anna Davis from Youth Foundation, observe that “It is often thought that participatory activities will empower citizens by providing a mechanism to for them to voice concerns, desires and preferences and thereby shape public policies and other decision making processes.”  They believe that the more a citizen is involved and heard by their government, the more empowered they will become. By empowering citizens, they hope it will help achieve better social outcomes and experiences in the future. A society where people feel safe, trusted and heard by the government will empower citizens and guide the United States in the right direction. 

Social bias is not only a terror to society, but also to the individual who is subjected to the horrible treatment they must deal with. Social bias occurs throughout the world to many different degrees, but no matter the degree, it is still inexcusable. Biases impact not only the victim of the bias, but also every individual who witnesses the bias as well as the perpetrator. Everyone will be a victim or bystander of social bias at some point in their life, and in those moments, it is vital to stand tall for what is right. It takes a strong individual to stand tall to face adversity, but some do succumb to it. Some go into depression, while others begin to believe the stereotypes placed against them or others. However, there are some who do not fall victim to social bias, and what was intended to degrade them is used as their motivation to keep going. This is the mentality that citizens all over the United States need to exhibit, because as American history has shown, it usually gets worse before it gets better. The idea that society fears and hates those who are different than them is unfortunate and potentially dangerous. The survival of humanity could be the most fundamental benefit to eliminating discrimination. A lack of diversity in society only makes society weaker, but if society is able accept and love that diversity, it could create a society stronger than any in existence. 

Change will be rewarding; however, it can also be very difficult. There is not a psychologist on planet earth who knows when social bias could end. So, it is up to the American people to put forth every effort possible to ensure the earth is left better than it was found. The local Columbia area deals with massive amounts of discrimination, especially as one of the few cities in the United States that is divided almost 50/50 among whites and blacks. So, it is crucial to be aware of the social biases that occur locally and to make small but consistent efforts to reduce it in that confined area. Social bias is an overbearing issue and trying to tackle it head on is out of the question. It is best to start local and to make those small efforts such as: Never say anything negative or derogatory about anyone if it is out of that person’s control, be more than just a bystander – act on it, practice the type of behavior that the future children of America should embody. Parents have taught their children to believe and think the way they do, so if anything can be done, it is to raise our children to not discriminate against others. Children are the future of the world, so by simply educating and loving them, the future of the United States has a chance to achieve peace and make a world where everyone is treated fairly.
