On 16 th May 1997 President Clinton begged forgiveness for the shameful tests carried out from 1932 to 1972, in the Tuskegee experiment, on four hundred black men, without their knowledge or consent.
Racism is a reality.
It is a collective sin which has condemned millions to a permanent status of subordination and to daily devaluation. In this article I propose to explore racism in the light of Rene Girard s theory of mimesis and scapegoating. The project was undertaken not for the purpose of assigning guilt but in the hope that the good people who non-consciously are caught up in the implementation of racism, as well as their victims, may gain insight into the problem and work together for a solution. Racism is putting prejudice into practice. It may be felt or expressed.