Final answer:
Tom may be taken with theories of white superiority due to a superiority complex, historical prejudices, and a systemic distortion of knowledge that maintains racist ideologies. These theories are not based on scientific fact, but superstition, and they persist due to deeply ingrained societal and mental frameworks passed down through generations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding why Tom is so taken with racist theories of white superiority involves unpacking the various underpinnings of racism and white supremacy. Individuals may cling to these theories due to a superiority complex, historical prejudices, and a misguided belief in their own race's dominance. Racism often thrives on misinformation and the willful ignorance of a country's harmful past against non-white peoples. It is perpetuated by power imbalances and control over mainstream knowledge or dissemination of knowledge. Control of language and communication also plays a significant role in shaping perceptions and realities that support racist ideologies. The Anderson Hypothesis of Explaining Racism summarizes this by stating that when a culturally dominant group assigns superiority to itself while neglecting scientific knowledge and historical facts, racism will continue to exist and persist.
Racial equality is obstructed by these theories, which are not based on science or positive experience, but rather on long-held superstitions and biases. The mental enslavement of Black people has instilled a false sense of natural order and superiority in the minds of some white individuals, which continues across generations. It's important to realize that while individuals of color can exhibit prejudice, the systemic power dynamics typically preclude them from exercising true racism as defined by the ability to enforce their biases widely across society.