White supremacy is a constant in some portions of the population, and it seems to remain active regardless of the majority of people or the conditions in the world. In times of economic uncertainty, it may become more prevalent, and it can be difficult to subdue once it has begun to grow. White supremacy spreads the belief that white people are superior to those of other skin colors and has led to colonisations around the world of white policies.
Slavery
One of the effects of this belief system was the enslavement of people in many different countries, which often resulted in their transportation to other countries such as the USA. While the slavery of Africans by the USA is one of the most widely studied and discussed occurrences, this was not a stand-alone time in history, and slavery was present both before and after. The U.S. wasn’t the only country to enslave blacks either, countries like Australia were guilty of their own white policies that infringed on the rights of the aboriginal people.
Groups
Throughout history, several groups of white supremacists have left their mark on history, while a few will forever stand out as the largest and strongest groups. The Klu Klux Klan may be the most well-known and remained active for several decades, even having pockets of members active today. Nazis played a huge role in the history of the world and will continue to do so. This group shows signs of strong growth during some time periods and, even when it is greatly dropping in popularity, maintains some members dotted around the world. Neo-Nazi groups spread around the countries that they are sprouted in and find supporters almost anywhere they have meetings or plan events. Apartheid in South Africa has also left scars on the country and affected people around the world.
Structural Racism
Within mainstream society, the beliefs and the effects of past white supremacy groups have remained ingrained in the structure of many systems. There are still vast differences in the access for people of different ethnicities and skin colors, especially in the USA and some other countries, where the beliefs were wider spread and built into the government processes. Those who are white will often have better access to education, are more likely to have access to generations’ wealth that built up over each generation of the family, and will have better access to and representation in political parties and platforms. Perhaps the most dangerous part of these occurrences is that the belief that racism is no longer prevalent makes large parts of society unable or unwilling to see these differences and the advantages that they have. The racism that is most often seen today may have moved away from the blatant violence of the past but still remains within school systems, where students of color are likely to receive harsher punishments, in voting areas and access to them, and with better access to the universities and higher education that is offered. Policing differences can often be seen between areas of the same city, and while many people are blind to it, others believe that it is how it should be, which allows these differences to continue.
