Publication Date
Fall 2025
Faculty Supervisor
Marsh Jones
Description
Racism is more than prejudice—it is fear transformed into power. Racism is commonly defined as “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism … against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.” But definitions alone do not capture how racism forms. At its roots, racism grows out of ordinary human instincts: fear of difference, the tendency to categorize, and the desire to belong to a group. These instincts aren’t inherently harmful, but when combined with national anxiety or crisis, they can turn into widespread prejudice and even government action. One of the clearest examples of this transformation is the treatment of Muslim Americans, and people perceived to be Muslim, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Rights
Copyright is owned by the creator of this work.
Recommended Citation
Akmal, Khatera, "Racism and the Treatment of Muslim Americans After 9/11" (2025). A with Honors Projects. 328.
https://spark.parkland.edu/ah/328
