Discrimination is a general term that is defined as preferential or prejudicial treatment of people based on race, gender, age, color, sexual orientation, and several other categories. Racism is is a sub category of discrimination that is a practice of prejudicial treatment of people of other races, groups, communities etc because of feelings of superiority of one’s own race and culture. For example: (1) The boss does not like to hire anyone over the age of 50 since their near retirement age. (The boss is practicing age discrimination.) (2) Black people are only good at sports. (That is a racist statement) Hope that helps!

'Racism' means a dislike or even hatred of people of another race. 'Discrimination' is actually treating people differently than others. The different treatment may or may not be based on race, though it usually is. A person could be guilty of racism if they disliked people of another race and/or thought they were inferior. However, as long as that same person didn't treat those people differently from others, at least outwardly, they would not be guilty of discrimination. Usually, a person who is a racists also discriminates, but this is not always the case.

By definition, “racism” is the notion that one’s ethnic stock is superior. The primary meaning of “discriminate””as an intransitive verb is “1. to make a clear distinction; distinguish, differentiate.” The secondary definition is “to act on the basis of prejudice.” As a transitive verb it means “To perceive the distinguishing features of; recognize as distinct.” Note that there is nothing inherently racial or pejorative in the words “discriminate” or “discriminating.” Although recent generations use the word ”discriminate” in an almost exclusively negative, racial context, it was not too many years ago that to be called a “discriminating person” was actually a compliment. It implied that one made decisions by recognizing and understanding the differences between the choices he was confronted with and then making the proper choice. There is also nothing inherently racial in the word “prejudice.” It is defined as “an adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts; a preconceived preference or idea; bias.”