The title of Black men in society is used to refer to most men who are colored or those who are just black (purely African). Unfortunately, these black men experience racial prejudices from slavery time to date and this disadvantages them. This paper provides a research on the black males and his plight in the current society. In particular, the paper explores black males living in poverty and raised by single mothers, their deaths by gun violence and lack of education.
The notion of treating black men as ‘others’ and as people not belong to this society dates from a long time ago. Numerous black people always complain colors because of reactions from white people. For instance, a black man could be followed by cops to his him in a middle class settlement. When he gets out of the car, the police ask him to prove that he lives in that home. It is even worse that the police could be black but nonetheless they engage in racial profiling. Consequently, black men have to struggle to appear non-threatening in order for people not to treat them as though they were not criminals (Schiller, 2003).
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The black men who are between 24 and 54 years seem to be the ones most hit by the stereotypical views. Their lives are complicated as they end up in jails for crimes they either committed or they die prematurely. No one can compare this situation with the white men who enjoy their lives to the fullest (Akbar, 1991). Additionally, the absence of black men in their societies automatically creates an emasculated society in which women are the heads. Indeed, few black men are married and able to raise families and in turn create a vicious cycle of dysfunctional families (Roscigno, 2007).
The racial profiling that exists does not allow black men to earn decent incomes as no one wishes to employ them. This makes them poor and resort to criminal activities in order to sustain their families. Poverty could be the hardest challenge that any black is faced with as it interferes with sound reasoning. Immoral behavior could be used as a defense mechanism to escape reality that they face. This leads to the birth of ‘fatherless’ children who also fail to be good fathers when they grow up. Since these children lack fathers to guide them, they hardly complete even their high school education and for most of them collage is just a white reality (Nielsen & Nelson 2005). The statistics given are shocking as by 2004, 74 percent of black men were reported to have dropped from school and in turn increased the impossibility of getting employment (Chin, 2004).
Consequently, the rate of incarceration is equally worrying as 60 percent of black man would have served time in prison by the time they are thirty. A report by the US Sentencing Commission revealed that black males get ten percent longer sentences for similar crimes committed. In cases of drug offences, black males have a twenty percent more likelihood of serving prison time than white males (Boothe, 2007).
The perception of the public about black men could be also attributable to how the media portrays black men. Their existence in the society originates from the slavery time when their ancestors were forced from Africa to come and provide cheap labor. It is true that most black men engage in crime and make people dislike them. However, there are those that are just victims of circumstances and pay dearly with their lives for being the wrong color. For example, there is a recorded case of one Mr. James Byrd who was tied behind a moving truck and the white men drove away leading to his death on that truck (Robinson, 2013).
Indeed, there is a notable playing ground that is not fair for these black men to play on. For example, in case a black man wishes to own a house it becomes extremely an attainable for a goal. Firstly, he is given lower ratings and banks decline his loan application because of is black color. Where the settlements are known to be inhabited by black men, sites for damping dangerous wastes are placed there (Weatherspoon, 1998).
There are notable black males whose agenda was to stop the racial discrimination which seemed like it would never end. Such influential black males include Martin Luther King Junior and Malcolm X who led protests against the unfair treatment. Currently, the advancement of technology seems to improve the discrimination of the black males. For example, Uber and Lyft drivers are skeptical when a group of black males approach them for a ride to their respective homes. In a black males were noted to have waited one and a half minute more that the white males had to wait for the same rides. That could explain why several black males are still uncertain that the issue of racial discrimination against them will ever end (Blauner, 1989).
In conclusion, there needs to be more reforms that will ensure black men stop suffering as the unfairness has taken place for long. There needs to strategies that will enable black males be protected from early ages. They could also be encouraged to complete school by creating black only scholarships as an incentive. Social campaigns could also ensure that the black males are made aware of consequences of engaging in criminal activities and even premarital sex. When all these are applied, there is a high chance that the black males will receive fair treatment eventually.
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