Post Racial Society - Essay Example

Life as an African-American Growing up in a predominately Caucasian society, I have witnessed firsthand the hardships and heartache many African Americans must overcome. From the age of innocence to young adulthood, I have observed the strength of African Americans during moments of weakness, as well as when the anger and frustration becomes too great to bear. Like the spread of a contagious disease, hatred and racism are alive and festering in this country, continuously searching for a vulnerable host to feed on.

After the election of President Barack Obama, many seemed to question the strength that race now plays in our society. Since an African American male was now elected President of America, it seemed evident that race no longer had the ability to prevent or impede success for minorities; however, this belief was not necessarily valid. In his essay titled, “Post-Racialism,” writer, Sumi Cho examines the impact which President Obama’s Presidency has had on race relations: “In addition to the material retreat from race, post-racialism also levels the discursive playing field, allowing whites to oppose civil-rights remedies and advocate for race-neutral policies because society has transcended the racial moment, or civil-rights era” (p. 1594). According to Cho, the election of President Obama and the creation of a post-racialism society, allows non-minorities to assess the need for race-centered incentives for minority groups, such as affirmative action.

However, as the current statistics show, minority groups have never been in more need of assistance. Although President Obama has succeeded as an African American male, the statistics concerning unemployment, poverty, and imprisonment, still reveal a need for equality among races in America.Works CitedCho, Sumi. “Post-Racialism.” Iowa College of Law (2009): 1591-1641.