Ultimately, hearing these words negatively shapes our view of the people to whom they refer, and when we view others as less than fully human, it becomes easier to hurt and even destroy them. We must recognize the power of our words. Rape, through coercion, violation, and violence, forces women and some men to feel intimidated, frightened, and helpless. It makes them think twice about going to the corner store at night and can make them hesitate to trust a lover or friend.
Racism also narrows people's worlds and limits people's freedom.
It makes a black man avoid browsing in a store for fear of being seen as a thief, or dread that a traffic stop will end in a beating. We must open our eyes to the constraining impact of oppression. The United States was built upon racist and sexually violent practices. A time when Africans were enslaved and forced from their homelands by the millions, when Native Americans were driven west and massacred, and when black women were routinely sexually assaulted by white slave owners. People of color played a vital role in the birth of our country and were rewarded with violation and humiliation.