Inequality refers to lack of equal treatment and opportunities for the various group of people. Over the past years, racial inequality has become a major social issue especially for the minority groups living in the United States. Racial inequality is the discrimination and lack of equal treatment for a particular group of people based on their race ( Bonilla-Silva, 2015 ). Most people affected by the racial inequality in the United States are the people of color, especially the African Americans and Hispanics. This group of people has suffered from historical injustices resulting from unequal treatment and discrimination that is based on the race of the group. The African Americans have over the years experienced racial inequality in many areas including labor markets, health accessibility, education, and economic opportunity. According to the report by Pew Research Center, African Americans experience income and economic inequality ( Bonilla-Silva, 2015 ). The income gap between the whites and blacks is extremely wide. Most blacks have continued to work extra hard to have their income reach the level of the whites, but they remain to earn six times less than what the whites earn. The labor market discriminative, and the employment rates amongst the blacks is 15% lower than that of the whites.
Racial discrimination towards blacks is also evident in the accumulation of wealth and economic opportunities. The people of color have limited opportunities to accumulate wealth compared to the whites, and even if they work hard, they are less likely to make savings or investments. Despite the blacks doing odd jobs and working extra hours to increase their income, they have continued to live in poor neighborhoods ( Sharp & Hall, 2014 . The inequality has also been witnessed in healthcare,and due to racial disparities, the blacks are less likely to access medical care than the whites. Due to low income, the black children also have low educational achievement than the black. With the low educational attainment compared to the whites and in a discriminative society, the blacks are less likely to land well-paying jobs thus the generational poverty.
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Theoretical approaches to inequality based on race have been explained using functionalism theory. According to the functionalist theory, racial inequality exists to serve an important function in the community. looking at the functional and dysfunctional side of racial inequality, the functionalism theory serves as a function to the dominant group. The dominant group uses racial inequality as a benefit to maintaining their dominance ( Sharp & Hall, 2014 ). Since race is a socially constructed concept, the dominant group views the minority group as unequal and thus requiring unequal treatment. The other way in which functionalist theory to racial inequality applies is the way it positively contributes to the functioning of the society by strengthening the bonds between the dominant groups through viewing the minority group as an unequal group. Therefore, the functionalist approach to racial inequality views it as a benefit to the dominant group and a problem to the minority group.
Solving the issue of racial inequality require a strategy that focuses on addressing both the institutional and individual sources of prejudice and discrimination. The sources of racial inequality have deep roots from the historical and social contexts, and these are usually shaped by institutional structures. The goal should be to seek to change the racial discrimination at the institutional levels and then moving to the individual levels. The institutional level requires the change in laws to ensure no racial discrimination occurs at any institution ( Sharp & Hall, 2014 ). Once the institutional context is dealt with, the individuals’ levels will require not only awareness but also the motivation to make people view each other as equal and not based on their ethnicity. The creation of a strategy for improving the racial and ethnic relations require the creation of opportunities for positive equal interaction amongst people from different groups.
The institutional inequality refers to the unjust and discriminatory treatment of individuals in society. An example is the formation of law that is discriminatory and promotes racism. Thiswas seen in the court decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson U.S Supreme Court case where the judges ruled in favor of racial discrimination. The individual inequality is where an individual forms prejudice over another person due to differences in race and ethnicity.
Even though the fight to end inequality based on racism, the social problem has continued to exist in society. This has been attributed to the barriers that prevent the efforts made to end the problem. The first barrier to ending inequality is the lack of leadership support and motivation. Institutionalized inequality existsbecause of those who are in a leadership position. In many cases, some policymakers pass laws that appear to promote racial discrimination and then this is taken to the individual level ( Carter & Reardon , 2014). Some political leaders have also used racial discrimination as a political strategy during elections where they make certain sensitive and discriminatory statements targeting a particular group of people. Addressing the problem of racial inequality needs to start from the top leadership downwards and not the other way round. The leaders need to lead by example both in their actions and words. They should lead in promoting awareness on the importance of living together as a community and viewing each other as equals.
The war to end racial discrimination should involve all the key stakeholders and should start at the top level. The government must be seen to be the leading in the call for an end to racial inequality by introducing policies that can end this social injustice. The policymakers should be at the forefront in leading the war against racial inequality because they have the power to enact laws that can help end the injustice. At the same time, all the other stakeholders including the NGOs, the employers, and even the citizens should be involved in the matter. Racial inequality is a national problem that requires the efforts of all individuals and institutions to find a solution. With the top leaders leading in promoting awareness and creating the motivation for an equal society regardless of race, this long social injustice can be ended.
The transformation of the society into one in which people view each other as equal regardless of race can be a great step to achieving racial equality. Through the empowerment and education for the young people on the importance of equality, a step ahead can be made in creating a society where people view each other as equal regardless of race. This can then be reflected in the other sectors such as employment, education, economic opportunities, and income equality. Through legislation, laws can be made barring the payment of minimum wages to a group of people based on race and to increase the call for diversity in the workplace ( Carter & Reardon , 2014). Inequality which is a long historical injustice has continued to exist, and the most affected people are the minority groups who are viewed by the dominant group as being unequal. Unless measures targeting both the individual and institutional contexts are introduced, the other measures used to end this social injustice will continue to remain futile.
References
Bonilla-Silva, E. (2015). The structure of racism in color-blind,“post-racial” America. References
Sharp, G., & Hall, M. (2014). Emerging forms of racial inequality in homeownership exit, 1968–2009. Social Problems , 61 (3), 427-447.
Carter, P. L., & Reardon, S. F. (2014). Inequality matters. William T. Grant Foundation Paper, New York: William T. Grant Foundation .
