In racism, there is the belief that certain races are superior to others. It is thus the duty of every person to ensure that racism doe not prevail in the world. Therefore, people have to speak out against racism since silence implies that one affirms the racist beliefs. This would then ensure that all people are treated equally and not on the basis of race.If a colleague made racist remarks in my presence I would respond to the remarks. However, this needs to be done in a way that the colleague does not feel offended by the responses that I give.
To respond, I would discuss the topic with them openly. This takes into consideration that there are various reasons as to why people make such remarks. For some it may be out of ignorance while others it may be out of hatred or even having suffered by similar remarks being made on them before. By having an open discussion, I will be able to make my friend realize that racism should be abolished and help them overcome their hatred or vengefulness if they had suffered the same before.Further, I can openly say that this is racism and walk out on the person.
This openly tells that person that you do not approve of such talks and thus they have no right to make such comments in your presence. Though this does not imply that they will definitely have some changes of mind, by speaking out, they will get the message that the comments they have made are not appropriate. The attitude that they have towards people of other races will definitely change in someway though it may not go away completely.Depending on the interactions that people have had, they learn their experiences and behaviors.
Therefore, I may know the experience that my colleague has had in the past. To such a person who has not been a victim of racism and thus makes racist remarks out of hatred or other reasons, I would tell them that it is offensive. Another response would be to tell them that I did not expect such comments from them and always thought about them in a better way. This sends a message to them that they have to shun from such comments to continue earning the good reputation.
