Racial discrimination is a powerful tool that has often been used to cause fear and hatred towards a particular race which at times brings conflict and war. Throughout history in America, racism, especially of the black community is evident as there are numerous examples of how people have been maltreated based on the color of their skins. From the delivery of social amenities to education, the preferential treatment of a specific group of people who are regarded as superiors is a problem that has existed for centuries. Although the American system has made significant steps in bridging the gaps brought about by racism, there are more miles to cover because even of late, there are still cases of discrimination. This is shown by the police killings, incarceration, and stratification, inequality in the war on drugs, justice systems as well as educational facilities. Racism not only creates hostility from within the population but also bars qualified and talented individuals from achieving their goals and dreams due to the limited chances offered to people of a particular race.
Poverty is associated with discrimination because when a defined group of individuals is denied jobs, they are unable to cater for their basic need, and thus they end up living below the poverty line, which is the plight of many black Americans. For instance, in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina happened, the difference could be seen based on how various residents reacted, especially in New Orleans where the storm hit hardest (Wilson, 2011). While many of the financially stable residents were able to flee, some of them, mostly the poor black residents stayed and braved the storm, holding on to the little property that they had. This is because they lacked money for transport and accommodation in lodgings. In the same way, when it comes to healthcare, specifically maternal care, the white privileged individuals can afford the best insurance policies that guarantee treatment and care from the modernized state of the art hospitals. In the contrary, the poor black communities can barely afford basic needs, and thus healthcare to them is based on what is affordable. The result of this is higher infant mortality rates among black women.
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Different forces affect the lives of minorities in the United States which are political, economic and cultural. The political forces encompass all the policies and laws that are enacted to allow harmonious co-existence among everyone. The economic forces encapsulate the different opportunities that are available to the individuals, and cultural forces include the norms of the individual and how they contribute to the success or failure of Americans. History can prove that the opportunities have always been more for the whites that their black, Latino, Asian and Native Americans. For example, in college admission, blacks were about 5% of the total population while whites were 30% of the entire college population in 2008 (Wilson, 2011). What is more, a survey conducted in the same year showed that in prisons, 31% of the prisoners were white while 36% were black (Wilson, 2011). In the same way, a study conducted in the second quarter of 2008 revealed that the unemployment rates among black males were twice as high as that of their white counterparts (Wilson, 2011). All hope is not lost as several foundations are established to campaign for equal representation, especially in the education and employment sectors. Such foundations like The Schott Foundation for Public Education are dedicated to an all-inclusive environment (Wilson, 2011).
Drug and substance abuse is an ongoing epidemic in the US whose fight has unfortunately been caught up in the racial war. Some of these substances such as pain relievers are addictive as doctors say and it is considered a medical problem. For this reason, Harry Anslinger used his post as commissioner for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to argue that drug addicts are the most dangerous criminals a country can have (Provine, 2011). Harry laid the groundwork for the war on drugs through his Harrison Act. In line with the policy, several antidrug activists tried to capture the media's attention by having campaigns to declare drugs illegal (Provine, 2011). Although Anslinger had the right intentions when formulating the act, it was easy for him to instill racial fears as he used the dislike of white voters to push for his agenda. The move was capitalized by other activists whose racialized campaigns controlled the early narcotics and marijuana problem. Preying on racial fears worked since it is known to loosen social control, particularly in the context of drugs.
In 1988, the Congress formulated a law that demanded a five-year minimum sentence for the possession of drugs, even for 5 grams which made a crack to be the only legal substance then (Provine, 2011). The law was put into practice to target major drug dealers. The law was however received with controversy with debates arguing on the proportion of crack and powder cocaine that would lead to the sentence. The policymakers concluded that crack was associated with black ghetto surroundings while powder cocaine was associated with wealthier and whiter neighborhoods (Provine, 2011). Instead of the law reducing the number of drug barons, it led to an increase in the black prisoners, some of who were young and convicted of drug-related crimes. Similarly, for marijuana possession cases, despite most of the users being white, the respondents in the cases majorly comprised of black and Latinos.
On social stratification, the reviews of the twentieth century rarely addressed social stratification as a form of punishment, but the implications on social inequality mean that the reports can no longer be ignored (Wakefield & Uggen, 2010). Although the links between stratification and incarceration are general, the growth of the US incarcerated population is tremendous compared to other countries. For example, in 2006, out of 100,000 individuals, 611 were incarcerated in the United States compared to 66 in Croatia, 82 in Sweden, 95 in Germany, and 107 in Canada (Wakefield & Uggen, 2010). Nevertheless, prison populations reflect massive inequalities in race and class. Correctional facilities classify individuals the same way that schools divide students based on merit and talents, but the majority of the individuals housed by prisons come from poor and minority backgrounds. Most of these felons are usually casual laborers which cause inequalities in the labor markets since potential workers are locked up. Consequently, the poverty cycle continues since once the breadwinner faces criminal charges and goes to prison, the dependants ate left to wallow in abject poverty and their situation is worsened by the fact that most lack proper education.
In line with employment, health issues and complications are a challenge that inmates go through once they are separated. The racial differences and social, economic status play an important role in seeking medical advice even for necessary procedures such as physicals and screenings. Subsequently, the same health problems are transferred into prisons once they are locked up. Complementary to this is a study conducted by the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare, which provided the health statuses of prisoners about to be released (Wakefield & Uggen, 2010). The study revealed that most inmates suffer from infectious illnesses such as hepatitis C, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS as well as mental diseases triggered by stress and trauma. (Wakefield & Uggen, 2010). In addition, there are family complications of the soon to be incarcerated persons which include changes in the family structure, childhood traumas and mental illness, and household disadvantages (Wakefield & Uggen, 2010). The inequality is further experienced in how former prisoners find it hard to find employment and move on with their lives, which often lead them back to their previous ways of crime. In most cases, they end up going back to prison shortly after the release.
The momentous collision between slavery and democracy is as a result of the conception that race is a principle for social division and principle, which America invented (Wacquant, 2005). Throughout history, slavery and bondage, particularly of the black community were regarded a norm which was first abolished in the Cape Colony in 1834, after a combination of the principle of social and political organization (Wacquant, 2005). As a former slaveholding republic, the United States, along the doctrine of natural rights came up with an explanation of an all-inclusive conception of race that all men are created equal and are entitled to certain unalienable rights. In spite of that, several theorists have aligned ghetto and prison, which solidifies the centuries-old notion that associates criminality and blackness (Wacquant, 2005). Although Negrophobia has been condemned in the public sphere, the contempt and fear felt by the whites towards black people have not extinguished yet. White people are still suspicious of the lower-class members of the society with whom they think to identify with social disorder, economic regression, violent crimes, sexual dissolution, and school deterioration (Wacquant, 2005). The discrimination is identifiable in prison settings where prisoners are denied access to basic amenities such as traditional capital and receiving maximum sentences for crimes that their white partners are often released or given lesser sentences.
The 2012 incident of exoneration of Officer Masso of the Oakland Police Department after shooting a black teenager named Alan Blueford is an example of racially instituted police brutality (Martinot, 2014). These incidents, which at times occur daily, are an example of how the American society is still racially divided. Ironically, the police are supposed to be the guide and protectors of the people in society, but they are the perpetrators of these heinous acts. More often than not, the officers that are involved in the talk of the crimes of rogue elements and are exonerated by internal investigations. The trend has become a habit in that the media treats each case individually, thus failing to connect the dots. A police officer shoots an individual, mostly an unarmed teenager, the incident gets mass coverage on the news, people are angered, but after a while, another occurrence makes people forget the previous one. Statistics, therefore, become a measure of its rampant nature. It is of paramount importance to examine each case differently to get all the details of the situation so that the officer in charge can face the consequences if they are found guilty.
When pulling the trigger to kill, the officers assume if the victim is black, which is not the case if the alleged criminal is white. The complicated relationship between the one who pulls the trigger and the institution that join collectively to back the officers is cultural and not political as no policy is made (Martinot, 2014). The killer is allowed to assume the social value of the killing, where there is no necessity for the execution. For this reason, if the case involves a black person, there is this unspoken code that provides institutional solidarity which will protect the officer's value, which boosts their confidence when killing the individual. On the flip side, shooting a white person can only be if they are threatening the officer or another individual or during emergencies. Based on this theory, in situations involving a black individual, nothing holds the killer back, as it will be assumed they threatened the officer based on the predetermined notion that blacks are naturally aggressive.
Conclusively, has and will continue being a significant issue in American society. Historically, the origin of racial differentiation originated from slavery and bondage, and although those inhuman practices were abolished centuries ago, the fear and contempt of white people on minorities, especially of blacks and native Americans which creates enmity, is evident. The difference is visible in education systems where talented and gifted individuals are denied equal chances based on skin color. Moreover, incarceration and stratification, along with the war on drugs, have policies that seem to favor the whites and put the African-American, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans at a disadvantage. In the same way, the justice systems are unfair to the minorities, which are evident in the numbers of minority compared to white’s population in prisons. The icing on the cake is the police killings, which, in a way, protects officers involved in killing African-American individuals. Although various institutions that advocate for equality have been set up, the country has a long way to go in achieving equal representation in all aspects.
References
Martinot, S. (2014). On the Epidemic of Police Killings. Social Justice , 52-75.
Provine, D. M. (2011). Race and Inequality in the War on Drugs. Annual Review of Law and Social Science , 7 , 41-60.
Wacquant, L. (2005). Race as Civic Felony. International Social Science Journal , 57 (183), 127- 142.
Wakefield, S., & Uggen, C. (2010). Incarceration and Stratification. Annual Review of Sociology , 36 , 387-406.
Wilson, W. J. (2011). Being Poor, Black, and American: The Impact of Political, Economic, And Cultural Forces. American Educator , 35 (1), 10.
