Why do you think racism is kept alive?

Because, unfortunately, there are racists out there who keep instilling hate into their children.

It's very sad that the people of the world cannot get along. The problem is larger than just racism, I think. Whole cultures spend time instilling hatred of other cultures into their youth. The youth grow up with this hatred implanted in their mind. It is molded into their thinking. Unless something can break the cycle totally, it will, very sadly, continue.

Once a group forms, it starts acting like a group, highlighting the differences of that group from other groups. There is strength in numbers. Other groups may feel threatened by this, and begin to build boundaries and “walls” between groups. Individuals compete for jobs and other social status, and groups will support their own members before members of other groups if the walls are high enough. These groups tend to follow racial lines, but there are religious groups and ethnic groups and economic groups also. Nowadays, racism and discrimination are not about thinking that one individual is better than another based on their membership in a group. It is more about supporting members of your group over members of another group in a competition for limited resources. The racism springs from the walls between the groups. These walls are shortsighted, but they are a part of human nature.