Prejudice and discrimination have both been prevalent throughout human history. Prejudice concerns the inflexible and irrational attitudes and opinions of other members of one group over those of another. Discrimination, on the other hand, refers to behaviors directed against another group. Prejudiced individuals have preconceived beliefs about groups of people or cultural practices. There are both positive and negative forms of prejudice, but the negative form of prejudice leads to discrimination. Individuals who discriminate do so to protect their opportunities, denying access to those who they believe do not deserve the same treatment as everyone else. An example of discrimination based on prejudice concerns Jews. “Biased feelings and negative stereotypes about Jews have been part of Western tradition for centuries and, in fact, are stronger and more vicious in Europe than in the United States. For nearly two millennia, European Jews were berated and persecuted as “Christ-killers” and stereotyped as materialistic money lenders and cunning business owners (Healey, p. 65). Prejudice against these groups has led to discrimination against them. The most well-known example of anti-Semitism would be the attempted genocide or systematic murder of all Jews during World War II. Both prejudice and discrimination are based on mistreating an individual because of their race, gender, sexual orientation or disability. However, discrimination is a specific form of institutionalized prejudice, for example women being paid less than men or ethnic minorities being treated differently due to stereotypes imposed on them from other situations. The book "Prejudice: Its Social ...... middle of paper ...... society has been intergrouping individuals for many years. Society creates an image for various individuals, and many follow these associations and do not try to deny it. The most important civil rights event for African Americans between the years 1600 and 1881 would be the first mention of the abolitionist movement which was in 1688. The first protest against slavery took place in 168 in Germantown. This was the starting point for the end of slavery against which people began to revolt. “In 1688, just seven years after William Penn received the charter for his “Holy Experiment” based on religious liberty and tolerance, four German Quakers, none of whom had been in the colony for more than five years, issued the first official protest. against slavery in Pennsylvania; in fact, it was the first official protest issued in the British colonies of North America” (Hull,1).