Critical thinking and racism

To start this diary I had to take some time to research and think about this topic. I have written these texts for a subject I course at the university. And when I was reading the teaching plan of this week I saw that I should write about critical thinking. So, here I am. But first I was thinking: "Do I really know what critical thinking is?"

After my research and to reflect a little bit about it I concluded that critical thinking is exercised when someone decides not to limit themselves to a superficial way of thinking. It happens when we think analytically and don't get stuck just to what we hear or learn in some way. If we want to think critically we should get used to reflect about issues and it requires our personal effort. 

When we hear about some data, we acquire information and from reflection it will become knowledge. And that's so important to us! Imagine if we just received information and didn't stop to reflect about it? Someone who doesn't think critically has high chances of being deceived and consequently manipulated.

But now, not changing the topic but complementing what  I was saying, I want to write something about racism. Currently, this theme is quite present in the news and social media around the world. Maybe we have the hope that the voice which cries out against prejudice is beginning to echo stronger. And by relating racism to critical thinking I can imagine the problems the lack of reflection can cause in people's lives and therefore in society. For example: someone who has little information about the prejudice that affects the black people every day across the Earth and who doesn't exercise their critical thinking can have wrong views about it. They can hear that the black people don't have much to "complain" about, or that racism is not so real nowadays. However, if we just think critically the truth is clear: the black people are killed and judged because of their skin color, many times innocents are seen as criminals, they also don't usually have good oportunities for study and work, etc.

So, there are many lies being spread around. There are many ready opinions. There are many people who don't want to stop and think, specially about social issues. But here I'm as a proof that critical thinking is really efficient. I started to do that more often and by the way, I'm having more opinions of my own and worrying more about how I see the world around me. And because we live in a society we need to think critically about the social issues. So what about start with this very important: racism? Racism must end, but first we need to change our minds and our way of thinking.