A World of Stereotypes

The world is filled with people of various races and backgrounds. They have different customs, different foods, and different clothing. This diversity causes misunderstanding among races and it is the reason for stereotypes. People from different parts of the world don't understand why others do things the way they do. Their lack of knowledge leads to false perceptions which, as shown in "Black Men and Public Spaces", can have negative effects to the entire community. An example of stereotyping is in our legal system. The U.S. Sentencing Commission reported that African Americans receive a 10% longer sentence than whites for the same crime (See Site). Even people who are a positive contributor to society are discriminated against because of previously held notions about their race.
In order to fix stereotypical views it is necessary for people to inform themselves about the cultures of others. Learning about the culture of others and being open-minded towards them will help to eliminate stereotypes. It will help unite the different races and cultures into one peaceful, loving species.