Final answer:
The question addresses the importance of how textbooks represent white racism and its impact on society's ability to correct racial inequality. Failure to accurately depict the history of racism could hinder progress in racial equity in the 21st century. Actions towards becoming anti-racist, rather than non-racist, are essential in combating systemic racism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the role of textbooks in representing white racism in the 20th century is a critical aspect of studying Social Studies. If these issues are not accurately depicted, the absence of this historical knowledge could affect society's ability to address and overcome racial inequality in the 21st century. Among the similar patterns observed from the early 20th century to the early 21st century are systemic and institutionalized racism that have continuously disadvantaged people of color. However, there are also differences, such as the legal abolishment of segregation and the rise of movements like Black Lives Matter, which show a growing awareness and a push for change.
In the early 20th century, racism was often overt and legally sanctioned through Jim Crow laws, and while these laws no longer exist in the 21st century, systemic racism persists, albeit in more covert forms like 'color-blind' policies. This is further complicated by beliefs perpetuated among some white communities that suggest that people of color are to blame for their socio-economic status, overshadowing the systemic factors at work. The sanitization of historical narratives in education continues to enforce the notion of white supremacy by omitting significant events and narratives pertaining to communities of color.
Part of the process towards achieving racial equity involves not only acknowledging the full extent of historical racial injustices but also actively making efforts to be anti-racist, as opposed to non-racist. This includes critical self-reflection, education, and a concerted effort by all aspects of society, including white individuals and communities, to understand and dismantle systemic racism. Only then can there be meaningful progress toward a more equitable society.