It is not just how people were raised, there are the facts.
Blacks make up a higher percentage of the prison population than whites and all other races.
Changing those statics will help end racism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States#Race
In 2010 black non-Hispanic males were incarcerated at the rate of 4,347 inmates per 100,000.
White males were incarcerated at the rate of 678 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents.
The argument is that is because blacks are more or less targeted for arrest more often than white which is why there is a higher percentage of blacks in prison than whites.
There is a good basis for part of that. When it comes to drug use, the usage of drugs has statistically been equal percentages of use by whites and blacks. Meaning about the same percentage of the population for either whites or blacks use drugs according to most law enforcement studies and many 3rd party studies. The difference is there are far more drug users that go to prison that are black than there are white. Even those that face a trial, more often the white drug user comes out with only a fine or community service and the black person gets jail time.
Part of this goes back to the ability to afford good legal representation. More often white people in court have better legal representation due to them being able to afford it.
Which is really the greater disparity as I see if for the imbalance in the justice system due to race. That being poverty and the ability to get adequate legal representation.
Now if one wants to further study and expand upon why black people tend to be more likely to be poor versus white people, one can look at school records. In a mostly merit based society, those with better education and skills to offer tend to get better jobs. Better jobs means better pay. Those with jobs are less likely to commit crimes, and if they are committing a crime, they are likely to pay for better legal representation to get them lesser sentences for their crimes.
So people will argue that education is a problem. It pretty much is, but it's a complex problem. One is that blacks are more likely to get inferior education, due to many living in poor black communities in highly urban areas. The other flip side is many black children do not strive, for various reasons, to want to have a good education. Which ends up as a vicious cycle in a way.
Anyhow, the problem is not one of race really, but of bad socio-economic issues due to several "vicious cycle" factors involved. People tend to commit crimes because they are poor. They are poor because they have little opportunities for good jobs that pay well. They have little opportunity because they have poor education. They have poor education in part because they start poor, and there is a perceived notion that education is not "cool" to do when young. It's a rebellious response of the Aesop sour grapes fable. Scorn that which you don't think you can have fully for whatever reason. Which makes those trying to help less likely to help due to the scorn.
To blame the whole thing on race though IS racism. I assure you that the problems facing the black minorities in this country are not based upon their race. It's a complex problem that has many factors that feed off each other making smaller problems into bigger problems.
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