racism

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Prejudice, discrimination, or hostility directed against individuals or groups on the basis of race or ethnicity. Traditionally, racism has been understood as judging people according to racial characteristics rather than their individual character and conduct. In contemporary critical social justice theory, racism is often defined more broadly as a system of power and privilege that benefits dominant racial groups and disadvantages others, a definition that critics argue departs from the traditional principle that racism can be committed by any person regardless of race.