At the start of the 20th century, Jim Crow laws still crippled the rights of the African American community and segregation was at an all-time high. Even occupations such as Federal employment were degraded through segregation. Consequently, small protests began; insignificant in the short term, but it truly laid the foundation for the civil rights movement to have a major impact throughout America. Despite the limits and obstacles in their path, men and women rose to new heights, disregarding the concept of white supremacy. Whilst they had to endure a life of hardship, being denied higher education and the vote, many would not allow themselves to remain ‘separate but equal’. This essay will explore the accomplishments of African-American leaders but focus on how they couldn’t have succeeded without the influence of other factors, such as the federal government, a view shared with Miles Mulin who stated that ‘… in combination with their own persistent efforts, only the concerted efforts of a muscular federal government guaranteed the most fundamental rights…’…
In her piece for the Catholic weekly publication America, “Race in America: ‘We Would Like to Believe We Are Over the Problem’,” Maryann Cusimano Love responds to a comment made by Delegate Frank D. Hargrove Sr. and discusses the still prevalent issue of racism in the United States of America. Love provides many facts and figures in obstruction to Delegate Hargrove’s belief that the blacks in America need to move past the grudge of slavery because it is not an issue today. Love obviously disagrees with his statement and spends the majority of the article arguing why he is wrong, as well as providing her solution to the problem. I do not believe that Love was successful in her argument against Delegate Hargrove’s comment. While she gave multiple statistics in defense, they tended to be weak in reliability as well as being emotionally driven. Love relies on manipulative language to carry her article, which makes her writing seem shallow and poorly developed.…
Within this essay, there are many uses of rhetorical appeals including logos, pathos, and ethos. Jonathan Kozol uses reasoning, or logos, to prove that the education systems of today are still as separated and unequal for students based on the color of their skin or their race, as they were 50 years ago. An example of this is when Kozol informs us of the exact percentages of students by race in schools across the country, “In Chicago 87% of public-school enrolment was black or Hispanic; less than 10% was white. In Washington D.C., 94% black or Hispanic; to less than 5% white. In New York City, nearly three quarters of the students were black or Hispanic.” (Kozol 202) Using statistics and facts really make this issue apparent, and show us just how real this problem in America is. Another…
In her piece for the Catholic weekly publication America, “Race in America: ‘We Would Like to Believe We Are Over the Problem,” Maryann Cusimano Love argues that racial issues are still present in America today. Love argues mostly against Delegate Hargrove’s suggestion that it is counterproductive to dwell on the past because not a soul today had anything to do with slavery. Love presents a strong argument that inequalities of the past still persist today…
In today’s time discrimination is a highly used factor when it comes to the way people form their opinions about societal issues as well as different individuals we may come in contact with. We base our perceptions of people off of what only the eye can see rather than getting to know a person for the skills they possess and what the can bring to the table. Back in 1967 discrimination was something that was common to use amongst the white or rich community towards the blacks, poor, or uneducated folks in the south. One situation in particular was a Supreme Court case of Furman v the state of Georgia. As you read throughout this paper I hope you began to form your own opinion about discrimination and the way it is used in our society as well as how this Supreme Court case has impacted the change in the way our judicial system works when it come to a fair and just conviction.…
| The author make a real good argument for affirmative action, he stated in his opening statement that affirmative action is coming to a end, but, how do we make this transition from a paradigm in which race just seeps out of everyone pore of the body politic. He also mentions the only way to resolve this problem is not by racism. I believe if we come together as a nation and a family and forget about the color of a person skin, we can end racism. There is too much prejudice in our society, sometime we camouflage our prejudice, because we don’t want anyone to know. The author points are will state and valid.…
This book was published in 1994 and later republished and expanded in 2012, since its publication it has been very resourceful material in the matters of the origin of racial oppression in the United States of America. It has brought about more debate with substance, facts, etc, and without it we would have none of the sort. He paints a clear picture of how racism came into existence in the United States. He shows that racism is a matter that recently came into being after the founding of America. The initial America had no such thing as racial discrimination and the attitudes and long lasting effects…
Racism has an economic, political and health factor, as many leaders in the world as well as average citizen’s use race as a motivating factor to make decisions. Presently, a countless number of people whose social imagination has been obscured like to believe that racism is so ambiguous in the post-civil rights generation that indubitably it ceases to stand. Royster Deidre’s book which is titled “Race and the Invisible Hand: How White Networks Exclude Black Men from Blue-Collar Job” falsifies this understanding and gives American racism a palpable image.…
Over the last two centuries, our society has grappled with the perpetual strife of perceived racial discrimination. Inalienable Rights and founding principles of our nation have been tarnished by the belief that these are mere privileges, reserved for a select few fortunate enough to indulge in such luxuries. However, the last few decades have ushered into existence a transformed nation, where Supreme Court cases and social revolutions have seemingly eroded the dichotomous barriers of race. On one end of the spectrum, open wounds of our nation’s tumultuous past have been stung by the racial inequities of household income and a maliciously disproportionate incarceration system. On the other end of the spectrum, patriotism and unity swell to heights of exuberance at the sight of the increasingly diverse entertainment industry and…
This article was originally published in June 2014, and it sounds eerily similar to W.E.B. DuBois’ words in his 1903 book, “The Souls of Black Folk.” In that excerpt the class read during the first week of the semester, DuBois wrote, “The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins (of slavery); the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land.” It is disheartening that 111 years later, the same problem of America not completely healing from its sins of slavery/apologizing to African Americans for the atrocity is at hand. Still, it is exciting to know that this class is providing me with knowledge that I can use to combat racism and discrimination of all types on all levels. “The Case for Reparations” was an excellent example of how everything we have been learning about it linked. Writing this, I kept finding ways in which to include certain points in our class discussions and readings. Just reading and analyzing an article about racism and discrimination is much different than experiencing it and trying to put an end to it, though. After reading this article and seeing how complicated all the interconnected layers of racism/discrimination are -- even in just the one industry of the housing market -- I can only imagine how difficult it can be to make substantial change through legislation. To start that process of ridding the country of racism, though, I think what we are doing in this class, and what Coates was trying to accomplish through this article, is the route to take. If one by one, people are educated on race and its history in the United States, the inequalities that are presented to people of color by the effects of the color line can be realized, and minds can be changed to make for a more unified…
The dismissal and brushing off of injustices faced by minorities, more specifically African Americans, is a gesture of complacency and and willingness to coexist with racism within one’s society.In their day to day lives, people of color come face to face with a multitude of micro aggressions. Often times, fueled by deeply rooted racism. Thus preventing advancement of people of color’s communities. In present times, racism is viewed as an ideology of the past. Which gives birth to the harmful mindset of dismissing and brushing off injustices faced by minorities. Although racism was at it’s most extreme and brutal form during the years of slavery, it has morphed into a more toxic and shifty form over the years. The murdering of African American men, women and children at the hands of predominantly white police officers.…
The authors expose the myth of American meritocracy by informing us of all the ways that we maybe never paid attention to, such as how many black leaders there are in the sports arena’s such as coaches. They also expose the racial realist to the point that everything is not race based. Racial hierarchies are shown in ways that show us that American meritocracy is a myth by where blacks live. If blacks live in white neighborhoods how some would feel uncomfortable, or would even move out of the neighborhood. If racism was a thing of the past then we would no longer need affirmative action. Racism still exists and will forever exist in the world because the history it has of getting here.…
A world is made up of different elements: water, earth, and life. Elements that define human’s life; and evolution of humanity starts with these ingredients, ingredients that achieve peace in humanity. However, in present day, there is a large issue circulating around the globe and that is racial inequality. Alas, this particular issue has been present for an abundance amount of time; and the only difference between racial inequality in the past and in the present is slavery has been abolished in North America. Yet, there are a considerable number of people who are supporting racial equality in the United States. It might seem difficult, but it is a possible task to attain racial equality in the land of dreams.…
| This article covers the views of Benjamin Mays, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. on three key questions: 1) What is the nature of racism? 2) What is a vision of a just society? and 3) What are the means to enact the vision? Benjamin Mays addresses the pervasiveness of racism and calls for realizing the ideals of the American dream. Malcolm X addresses the role of White people in racism and calls for separation and judgment on racism. Martin Luther King, Jr. addresses the multiple dimensions that racism affects, citing economics and the violation of rights that occurs when something is…
This essay will focus on the basic tenets of critical race theory (CRT), a theory that identifies analyses and challenges racism as it is experienced, responded to and accounted for in the U.S and the world over, in relation to the American Literature. The theory also seeks to explain the role of racism and race in the United States and challenges the other many forms of human subordinations such as class and gender. This essay will also attempt to answer the question about what critical race theorists believe. The CRT theory was brought forth by collection of scholars and activists who were interested in in transforming the relationship among race, racism and power.…