Essay Topics on Racism: 150 Ideas for Analysis and Discussion

essay topics on racism

Here’s a list of 150 essay ideas on racism to help you ace a perfect paper. The subjects are divided based on what you require!

Before we continue with the list of essay topics on racism, let's remember the definition of racism. In brief, it's a complex prejudice and a form of discrimination based on race. It can be done by an individual, a group, or an institution. If you belong to a racial or ethnic group, you are facing being in the minority. As it's usually caused by the group in power, there are many types of racism, including socio-cultural racism, internal racism, legal racism, systematic racism, interpersonal racism, institutional racism, and historical racism. You can also find educational or economic racism as there are many sub-sections that one can encounter.

150 Essay Topics on Racism to Help You Ace a Perfect Essay

General Recommendations

The subject of racism is one of the most popular among college students today because you can discuss it regardless of your academic discipline. Even though we are dealing with technical progress and the Internet, the problem of racism is still there. The world may go further and talk about philosophical matters, yet we still have to face them and explore the challenges. It makes it even more difficult to find a good topic that would be unique and inspiring. As a way to help you out, we have collected 150 racism essay topics that have been chosen by our experts. We recommend you choose something that motivates you and narrow things down a little bit to make your writing easier.

Why Choose a Topic on Racial Issues? 

When we explore racial issues, we are not only seeking the most efficient solutions but also reminding ourselves about the past and the mistakes that we should never make again. It is an inspirational type of work as we all can change the world. If you cannot choose a topic that inspires you, think about recent events, talk about your friend, or discuss something that has happened in your local area. Just take your time and think about how you can make the world a safer and better place.

The Secrets of a Good Essay About Racism 

The secret to writing a good essay on racism is not only stating that racism is bad but by exploring the origins and finding a solution. You can choose a discipline and start from there. For example, if you are a nursing student, talk about the medical principles and responsibilities where every person is the same. Talk about how it has not always been this way and discuss the methods and the famous theorists who have done their best to bring equality to our society. Keep your tone inspiring, explore, and tell a story with a moral lesson in the end. Now let’s explore the topic ideas on racism!

General Essay Topics On Racism 

As we know, no person is born a racist since we are not born this way and it cannot be considered a biological phenomenon. Since it is a practice that is learned and a social issue, the general topics related to racism may include socio-cultural, philosophical, and political aspects as you can see below. Here are the ideas that you should consider as you plan to write an essay on racial issues:

1. Are we born with racial prejudice? 
2. Can racism be unlearned? 
3. The political constituent of the racial prejudice and the colonial past? 
4. The humiliation of the African continent and the control of power. 
5. The heritage of the Black Lives Matter movement and its historical origins. 
6. The skin color issue and the cultural perceptions of the African Americans vs Mexican Americans. 
7. The role of social media in the prevention of racial conflicts in 2022. 
8. Martin Luther King Jr. and his role in modern education. 
9. Konrad Lorenz and the biological perception of the human race. 
10. The relation of racial issues to nazism and chauvinism.

The Best Racism Essay Topics 

School and college learners often ask about what can be considered the best essay subject when asked to write on racial issues. Essentially, you have to talk about the origins of racism and provide a moral lesson with a solution as every person can be a solid contribution to the prevention of hatred and racial discrimination.

1. The schoolchildren's example and the attitude to the racial conflicts. 
2. Perception of racism in the United States versus Germany. 
3. The role of the scouting movement as a way to promote equality in our society. 
4.  Social justice and the range of opportunities that African American individuals could receive during the 1960s.
5.  The workplace equality and the negative perception of the race when the documents are being filed. 
6.  The institutional racism and the sources of the legislation that has paved the way for injustice. 
7.  Why should we talk to the children about racial prejudice and set good examples? 
8.  The role of anthropology in racial research during the 1990s in the USA. 
9.  The Black Poverty phenomenon and the origins of the Black Culture across the globe. 
10.  The controversy of Malcolm X’s personality and his transition from anger to peacemaking.

Shocking Racism Essay Ideas 

Unfortunately, there are many subjects that are not easy to deal with when you are talking about the most horrible sides of racism. Since these subjects are sensitive, dealing with the shocking aspects of this problem should be approached with a warning in your introduction part so your readers know what to expect. As a rule, many medical and forensic students will dive into the issue, so these topic ideas are still relevant:

1. The prejudice against wearing a hoodie. 
2.  The racial violence in Western Africa and the crimes by the Belgian government. 
3.  The comparison of homophobic beliefs and the link to racial prejudice. 
4.  Domestic violence and the bias towards the cases based on race. 
5.  Racial discrimination in the field of the sex industry. 
6.  Slavery in the Middle East and the modern cultural perceptions. 
7.  Internal racism in the United States: why the black communities keep silent. 
8.  Racism in the American schools: the bias among the teachers. 
9.  Cyberbullying and the distorted image of the typical racists. 
10.  The prisons of Apartheid in South Africa.

Light and Simple Ideas Regarding Racism

If you are a high-school learner or a first-year college student, your essay on racism may not have to represent complex research with a dozen of sources. Here are some good ideas that are light and simple enough to provide you with inspiration and the basic points to follow:

1. My first encounter with racial prejudice. 
2.  Why do college students are always in the vanguard of social campaigns? 
3.  How are the racial issues addressed by my school? 
4.  The promotion of the African-American culture is a method to challenge prejudice and stereotypes. 
5. The history of blues music and the Black culture of the blues in the United States.
6. The role of slavery in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. 
7.  School segregation in the United States during the 1960s. 
8.  The negative effect of racism on the mental health of a person. 
9.  The advocacy of racism in modern society. 
10.  The heritage of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and the modern perception of the historical issues.

Interesting Topics on Racism For an Essay 

Contrary to the popular belief, when you have to talk about the cases of racial prejudice, you will also encounter many interesting essay topic ideas. As long as these are related to your main academic course, you can explore them. Here are some great ideas to consider:

1. Has the perception of Michael Jackson changed because of his skin transition? 
2.  The perception of racial problems by the British Broadcasting Corporation. 
3.  The role of the African American influencers on Instagram. 
4.  The comparison between the Asian students and the Mexican learners in the USA. 
5.  Latin culture and the similarities when compared to the Black culture with its peculiarities. 
6.  The racial impact in the “Boy In The Stripped Pajamas”. 
7.  Can we eliminate racism completely and how exactly, considering the answer is “Yes”? 
8.  Scientific research of modern racism and social media campaigns. 
9.  Why do some people believe that the Black Lives Matter movement is controversial? 
10. Male vs female challenges in relation to racial attitudes.

Argumentative Essay Topics About Race 

An argumentative type of writing requires making a clear statement or posing an assumption that will deal with a particular question. As we are dealing with racial prejudice or theories, it is essential to support your writing with at least one piece of evidence to make sure that you can support your opinion and stand for it as you write. Here are some good African American argumentative essay examples of topics and other ideas to consider:

1.  Racism is a mental disorder and cannot be treated with words alone. 
2.  Analysis of the traumatic experiences based on racial prejudice. 
3.  African-American communities and the sense of being inferior are caused by poverty. 
4.  Reading the memoirs of famous people that describe racial issues often provides a distorted image through the lens of a single person. 
5.  There is no academic explanation of racism since every case is different and is often based on personal perceptions. 
6.  The negatives of the post-racial perception as the latent system that advocates racism. 
7.  The link of racial origins to the concept of feminism and gender inequality. 
8.  The military bias and the merits that are earned by the African-American soldiers. 
9.  The media causes a negative image of the Latin and Mexican youth in the United States. 
10.  Does racism exist in kindergarten and why the youngsters do not think about racial prejudice?

Racism Research Paper Topics 

Dealing with The Black Lives Matter essay, you should focus on those aspects of racism that are not often discussed or researched by the media. You can take a particular case study or talk about the reasons why the BLM social campaign has started and whether the timing has been right. Here are some interesting racism topics for research paper that you should consider:

1. The link of criminal offenses to race is an example of the primary injustice.  
2. The socio-emotional burdens of slavery that one can trace among the representatives of the African-American population. 
3. Study of the cardio-vascular diseases among the American youth: a comparison of the Caucasian and Latin representatives. 
4. The race and the politics: dealing with the racial issues and the Trump administration analysis. 
5. The best methods to achieve medical equality for all people: where race has no place to be. 
6. The perception of racism by the young children: the negative side of trying to educate the youngsters. 
7. Racial prejudice in the UK vs the United States: analysis of the core differences. 
8. The prisons in the United States: why do the Blacks constitute the majority? 
9. The culture of Voodoo and the slavery: the link between the occult practices.
10. The native American people and the African Americans: the common woes they share.

Racism in Culture Topics 

Racism topics for essay in culture are always upon the surface because we can encounter them in books, popular political shows, movies, social media, and more. The majority of college students often ignore this aspect because things easily become confusing since one has to take a stand and explain the point. As a way to help you a little bit, we have collected several cultural racism topic ideas to help you start:

1. The perception of wealth by the Black community: why it differs when researched through the lens of past poverty?  
2. The rap music and the cultural constituent of the African-American community. 
3. The moral constituent of the political shows where racial jargon is being used. 
4. Why the racial jokes on television are against the freedom of speech?  
5. The ways how the modern media promotes racism by stirring up the conflict and actually doing harm. 
6. The isolated cases of racism and police violence in the United States as portrayed by the movies. 
7. Playing with the Black musicians: the history of jazz in the United States. 
8. The social distancing and the perception of isolation by the different races. 
9. The cultural multitude in the cartoons by the Disney Corporations: the pros and cons.
10. From assimilation to genocide: can the African American child make it big without living through the cultural bias?

Racism Essay Ideas in Literature 

One of the best ways to study racism is by reading the books by those who have been through it on their own or by studying the explorations by those who can write emotionally and fight for racial equality where racism has no place to be. Keeping all of these challenges in mind, our experts suggest turning to the books as you can explore racism in the literature by focusing on those who are against it and discussing the cases in the classic literature that are quite controversial.

1. The racial controversy of Ernest Hemingway's writing.  
2. The personal attitude of Mark Twain towards slavery and the cultural peculiarities of the times. 
3. The reasons why "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee book has been banned in libraries. 
4. The "Hate You Give" by Angie Thomas and the analysis of the justified and "legit" racism. 
5. Is the poetry by the gangsta rap an example of hidden racism? 
6. Maya Angelou and her timeless poetry. 
7. The portrayal of xenophobia in modern English language literature. 
8. What can we learn from the "Schilder's List" screenplay as we discuss the subject of genocide? 
9. Are there racial elements in "Othello" or Shakespeare's creation is beyond the subject?
10. Kate Chopin's perception of inequality in "Desiree's Baby".

Racism in Science Essay Ideas 

Racism is often studied by scientists because it's not only a cultural point or a social agenda that is driven by personal inferiority and similar factors of mental distortion. Since we can talk about police violence and social campaigns, it is also possible to discuss things through different disciplines. Think over these racism thesis statement ideas by taking a scientific approach and getting a common idea explained:

1. Can physical trauma become a cause for a different perception of race? 
2. Do we inherit racial intolerance from our family members and friends? 
3. Can a white person assimilate and become a part of the primarily Black community? 
4. The people behind the concept of Apartheid: analysis of the critical factors. 
5. Can one prove the fact of the physical damage of the racial injustice that lasted through the years? 
6. The bond between mental diseases and the slavery heritage among the Black people. 
7. Should people carry the blame for the years of social injustice? 
8. How can we explain the metaphysics of race? 
9. What do the different religions tell us about race and the best ways to deal with it? 
10. Ethnic prejudices based on age, gender, and social status vs general racism.

Cinema and Race Topics to Write About 

As a rule, the movies are also a great source for writing an essay on racial issues. Remember to provide the basic information about the movie or include examples with the quotations to help your readers understand all the major points that you make. Here are some ideas that are worth your attention:

1. The negative aspect of the portrayal of racial issues by Hollywood.  
2. Should the disturbing facts and the graphic violence be included in the movies about slavery? 
3. Analysis of the "Green Mile" movie and the perception of equality in our society.  
4. The role of music and culture in the "Django Unchained" movie. 
5. The "Ghosts of Mississippi" and the social aspect of the American South compared to how we perceive it today. 
6. What can we learn from the "Malcolm X" movie created by Spike Lee? 
7. "I am Not Your Negro" movie and the role of education through the movies. 
8. "And the Children Shall Lead" the movie as an example that we are not born racist. 
9. Do we really have the "Black Hollywood" concept in reality? 
10. Do the movies about racial issues only cause even more racial prejudice?

Race and Ethnic Relations 

Another challenging problem is the internal racism and race and ethnicity essay topics that we can observe not only in the United States but all over the world as well. For example, the Black people in the United States and the representatives of the rap music culture will divide themselves between the East Coast and the West Coast where far more than cultural differences exist. The same can be encountered in Afghanistan or in Belgium. Here are some essay topics on race and ethnicity idea samples to consider:

1. The racial or the ethnic conflict? What can we learn from Afghan society? 
2. Religious beliefs divide us based on ethnicity. 
3. What are the major differences between ethnic and racial conflicts? 
4. Why we are able to identify the European Black person and the Black coming from the United States? 
5. Racism and ethnicity's role in sports. 
6. How can an ethnic conflict be resolved with the help of anti-racial methods? 
7. The medical aspect of being an Asian in the United States. 
8. The challenges of learning as an African American person during the 1950s. 
9. The role of the African American people in the Vietnam war and their perception by the locals. 
10. Ethnicity's role in South Africa as the concept of Apartheid has been formed.

Biology and Racial Issues 

If you are majoring in Biology or would like to research this side of the general issue of race, it is essential to think about how we can fight racism in practice by turning to healthcare or the concepts that are historical in their nature. Although we cannot explain slavery per se other than by turning to economics and the rule of power that has no justification, biologists believe that racial challenges can be approached by their core beliefs as well.

1. Can we create an isolated non-racist society in 2022? 
2. If we assume that a social group has never heard of racism, can it occur? 
3. The physical versus cultural differences in the racial inequality cases? 
4. The biological peculiarities of the different races? 
5. Do we carry the cultural heritage of our race? 
6. Interracial marriage through the lens of Biology. 
7. The origins of the racial concept and its evolution. 
8. The core ways how slavery has changed the African-American population. 
9. The linguistic peculiarities of the Latin people. 
10. The resistance of the different races towards vaccination.

Modern Racism Topics to Consider 

In case you would like to deal with a modern subject that deals with racism, you can go beyond the famous Black Lives Matter movement by focusing on the cases of racism in sports or talking about the peacemakers or the famous celebrities who have made a solid difference in the elimination of racism.

1. The Global Citizen campaign is a way to eliminate racial differences. 
2. The heritage of Aretha Franklin and her take on the racial challenges. 
3. The role of the Black Stars in modern society: the pros and cons. 
4. Martin Luther King Day in the modern schools. 
5. How can Instagram help to eliminate racism? 
6. The personality of Michelle Obama as a fighter for peace. 
7. Is a society without racism a utopian idea? 
8. How can comic books help youngsters understand equality? 
9. The controversy in the death of George Floyd. 
10. How can we break down the stereotypes about Mexicans in the United States?

Racial Discrimination Essay Ideas 

If your essay should focus on racial discrimination, you should think about the environment and the type of prejudice that you are facing. For example, it can be in school or at the workplace, at the hospital, or in a movie that you have attended. Here are some discrimination topics research paper ideas that will help you to get started:

1. How can a schoolchild report the case of racism while being a minor?  
2. The discrimination against women's rights during the 1960s. 
3. The employment problem and the chances of the Latin, Asian, and African American applicants. 
4. Do colleges implement a certain selection process against different races? 
5. How can discrimination be eliminated via education? 
6. African-American challenges in sports. 
7. The perception of discrimination, based on racial principles and the laws in the United States. 
8. How can one report racial comments on social media? 
9. Is there discrimination against white people in our society? 
10. Covid-19 and racial discrimination: the lessons we have learned.

Find Even More Essay Topics On Racism by Visiting Our Site 

If you are unsure about what to write about, you can always find an essay on racism by visiting our website. Offering over 150 topic ideas, you can always get in touch with our experts and find another one!

5 Tips to Make Your Essay Perfect

1. Start your essay on racial issues by narrowing things down after you choose the general topic. 
2. Get your facts straight by checking the dates, the names, opinions from both sides of an issue, etc. 
3. Provide examples if you are talking about the general aspects of racism. 
4. Do not use profanity and show due respect even if you are talking about shocking things. The same relates to race and ethnic relations essay topics that are based on religious conflicts. Stay respectful! 
5. Provide references and citations to avoid plagiarism and to keep your ideas supported by at least one piece of evidence.

Recommendations to Help You Get Inspired

Speaking of recommended books and articles to help you start with this subject, you should check "The Ideology of Racism: Misusing Science to Justify Racial Discrimination" by William H. Tucker who is a professor of social sciences at Rutgers University. Once you read this great article, think about the poetry by Maya Angelou as one of the best examples to see the practical side of things.

The other recommendations worth checking include:

- How to be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi.
- White Fragility by Robin Diangelo.
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo.

The Final Word 

We sincerely believe that our article has helped you to choose the perfect essay subject to stir your writing skills. If you are still feeling stuck and need additional help, our team of writers can assist you in the creation of any essay based on what you would like to explore. You can get in touch with our skilled experts anytime by contacting our essay service for any race and ethnicity topics. Always confidential and plagiarism-free, we can assist you and help you get over the stress!