Understanding the Evolution of the African-American Race and Their Triumphs over Racism - Coursework Example

?Understanding the Evolution of the African-American Race and their trials and triumphs over Racism I. Introduction The African-American race plays alarge part of the colorful history of the United States and for centuries, the Black race has evolved from slavery to leaders and builders of this nation. Majority of the African-Americans that are now in the United States are descendants from slaves who were either kidnapped or sold to foreigners or were captured as prisoners of war by Europeans and Americans during the early part of the 17th Century. According to Gomez (1998), the first African-Americans came to the country in 1619 when they were brought to Jamestown, Virginia as slaves to the English settlers. These Blacks come from a number of African regions including the West Central African region, the Mozambique-Madagascar area, the Gold Coast, the Sierra Leone region, the Bight of Benin, the Bight of Biafra and the Senegambia areas (Gomez. 1998). Although these people come from different parts of Africa and embrace different cultures and traditions, they are collective referred to as African-American owing to their continent of origin and the color of their skin. The early black slaves were treated as in debentured servants who are under contract to serve their masters for a certain number of years in exchange for their passage or transportation, food, shelter, clothes and others (Foner, 2004). As slaves, these people are under the control of their masters and they can be sold to another master. Since these people are literally owned by their masters, they are not allowed to marry without the express permission of their masters and if they do not follow the rules of their masters, they can be subjected to harsh physical punishment (Foner, 2004). Female slaves who were allowed to marry and have children often have to stay longer with their owners to make up for the “lost” days that they missed when they got pregnant and had children (Foner, 2004). Since indentured slaves are released after a number of years or after they are able to pay their so-called “freedom dues”, many blacks were freed after a certain period (Hine et al., 2002). However, this freedom was short lived since laws were passed legalizing slavery in many parts of the country. The first law that legalized slavery was passed in the State of Massachusetts in 1641 and allow for race-based slavery (Hine et al., 2002). As a result, blacks were relegated to slavery and their children remained as properties of their owners. Children who were born into bondage were treated as properties of their owners and they were under the full control of their masters for the rest of their lives (Hine et al., 2002). The history of slavery among Blacks started the culture of racism against African-Americans and despite the fact that many prominent members of the black community, including President Barrack Obama, have shown the world that Blacks are do not belong to an inferior race, still, racism continue at different sectors and levels in society. Although racism may not be a prevalent as it was several years ago, still it cannot be denied that racism is still very much alive in the United States. According to a survey conducted by USA Today/Gallup poll (Jones, 2008) shows that racism is still very much present in our society and despite efforts to eradicate racism against Blacks, it cannot be denied that Blacks still feel the effects of racism. To get a clearer picture on how race and racism have shaped the lives of the Black community, let up trace the history of the struggles and triumphs of the African-Americans. II. Racism Facts and Issues Faced by African Americans There are a number issues faced by African-Americans over the years and these issues include slavery, racial segregation, political discrimination, economic disadvantages and social inequities. To get a clearer picture of these issues, let us discuss these issues based on facts and historical data. a. African-Americans in the Age of Slavery, Emancipation and Segregation During the colonial American era, the color of the skin became the bases for drawing the racial lines among people. Black slaves were relegated to forced labor in the cotton and tobacco fields as well as in docks shipyards and households (Franklin, 2004). In 1808, the federal constitution outlawed the importation of slaves and in 1820, a national law was passed declaring the act of importing and trading slaves as a criminal act (Franklin, 2004). Yet, despite the fact that the federal constitution outlawed the importation of slaves from Africa and other parts of the world continue. Black slavery continued in the North until it was finally abolished in the early part of the 19th century (Franklin, 2004). Slavery was official written off from the American legislation by the passing of the 13th Amendment in December 6, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln (Franklin, 2004). Yet, despite the constitutional enshrined freedom of Blacks and other races, the idea of racial segregation based on skin color was already deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of the people that racism continues long after the Blacks were released from bondage (Franklin, 2004). The Jim Crow laws which were enacted and implemented around the country around 1876 to 1965 legalized the segregation of Blacks and Whites in public facilities was a clear manifestation of a deeply engrained racial discrimination for people of color (Barnes, 1983). Note that although the Jim Crow laws provided for separate but equal public facilities for Blacks and Whites, in reality, the accommodations provided for Blacks were actually inferior to that of the Whites (Barnes, 1983). Public schools, transportation, hospitals and other facilities for Black people were of lesser quality compared that of the facilities intended for White people (Barnes, 1983). Even the military have its own spaces for Blacks and Whites so even if Black soldiers fight side by side with their White brothers, they still do not get the same kind of facilities as their more favored counterparts. The forced segregation of Blacks and Whites established systemic social, economic and educational disadvantages for the Blacks in the United States. Note that the Jim Crow laws did not only decree de jure segregation, it also limits the civil rights and liberties of Black people (Barnes, 1983). As it is, Blacks was never really in equal footing with the Whites in terms of protection and rights under the law. The drawing of the racial boundaries based on the color of the skin and by relegating the Black race into a less privilege situation set a bitter tone for people of color in the country. At dawn of the 20th century, institutionalized racism and legally sanctioned discrimination against African Americans in the United States made life difficult for Blacks living in most parts of the country. In many parts of the country, Blacks suffered acts of discrimination and even terror brought about by people who wants to promote white supremacy. In the early parts of the 1900s, anti-black violence was common especially is in the areas of Chicago, Boston and Harlem (Barnes, 1983). By the 1920s, race riots and race related lynching were common in these areas. Moreover, the legally sanctioned segregation of Blacks and Whites in public places limited the opportunities for advancement among Black people. b. The African-American Civil Rights Years The Civil Rights Movement marked a big leap in the history of the African-American race in the United States. The movement was sparked by many notable incidents of discrimination in different parts of the country including the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 (Gains, 1996). Note that in this case, the Supreme Court ruled that the segregation of white and black children in public schools is detrimental to the development of Black children as this segregation is often interpreted by people that the Black race is inferior to the White race (Gains, 1996). According to the Supreme Court, the segregation of white and black children in public schools is unconstitutional as all of these children have equal rights under the constitution. The decision of the Supreme Court encourages Black leaders including Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr., Macolm X and Rosa Parks to protest in a non-violent manner and demand for equal treatments for Blacks and Whites under the law (Gains, 1996). The widespread protests against legally sanctioned discrimination against Blacks prompted the government to institute changes in the legal system. The non-violent movements peaked from 1955 to 1968 when the movement finally gained monumental results which lead to the creation of the Commission on Civil Rights in 1957 and the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 (Gains, 1996). The passing of these laws eradicate the legally sanctioned racism in the country and opened a lot of opportunities for Black people. Following the desegregation of Blacks and Whites in public places, many Black people enjoyed economic advancement as they become gainfully employed in companies that otherwise would not have hired them (Takaki, 1993). c. The Post Civil Rights Movement Years Although the Civil Rights Movements brought down some barriers for Blacks, it did not completely eradicated racial discrimination in the country. Blacks can go mingle with the Whites and other races in public places and they enjoy the same rights as their White counterparts but it cannot be denied that the shadows of racism is still very much present even in our present society. It cannot be denied that even today, racism is alive in the political, economic and social arena. A good example of how racism plays a big role in the political arena is the election of President Barrack Obama. The election of President Barrack Obama was considered as a milestone in the history of Blacks in the United States but even that victory carry with it a tinge of racism (MSNBC, 26 January 2008). According to the Los Angelis Times (Wallsten, 5 November 2008) white Americans played big roles in electing President Obama during the last presidential election but figures from the exit polls showed that more White American votes actually went to McCain than to Obama. According to an article published by the MSNBC (26 January 2008), 8 out 10 Blacks voted for Obama while over 60 percent of White voters favored McCain. According to a survey conducted by the MSNBC, race was one of the main factors which swayed the voters. The voting preferences of people during the presidential election may be a bit less racially charged the voting preference of people during the Democratic Party primaries. According to an exit poll survey conducted by the MSNBC, in certain areas around the country, most Whites named Hilary Clinton as the most qualified Commander-in-Chief and the most likely leader to unite the country as oppose to Obama (MSNBC, 26 January 2008). On the other hand, the survey showed that two out of three Blacks were in favor of Obama over Clinton. Taking a closer look at the figures and the results of the survey, it is clear that even though people may profess to be against racism, many of them cannot really help but notice the color of the skin of the person that they want to put into office. The political arena is not the only place where racism is showing its ugly claws. In the economic sector, it cannot be denied that Whites are generally more affluent than the Blacks. Of course there are a number of African-Americans who are wealthy but their number is smaller compared to the Whites. According to Shapiro (2004), the economic gaps between the Blacks and the Whites in the United States can be traced back to the historical legacy of race. Shapiro noted that the merits and achievements of Blacks and Whites are affected by the fact that Whites enjoyed preferential treatment by the government in the past years so they are more likely to accumulate and pass on wealth to their descendants. The fact that many Whites inherited wealth from their ancestors created a pre-exiting economic disparity among Blacks and Whites in the United States. Note that since more Whites inherited wealth from their families, they often start off with more assets and liabilities as compared to their Black counterparts who did not inherit much from their ancestors. The fact that the present government tax system give more rewards to investors than to wage earners make the economic disparity between Blacks and Whites even more noticeable (McGeal, 17 May 2010). Although the law may not intentionally create a racial divide, since more Whites have money to invest, they eventually enjoy more privileges compared to the average daily wage earners (Shapiro, 2004). Also, the existence of persistent discrimination in the housing, credit and labor market makes it difficult for Blacks to accumulate wealth as fast as their White counterparts (McGeal, 17 May 2010). Another factor that hinder the Blacks from accumulating more wealth as they enter into the labor market is that many Blacks incurred debts to pay for their education and they end up paying for these debts during the first few years of their career (McGeal, 17 May 2010). Given this situation, Blacks tend to accumulate wealth slower than the Whites. As it turns-out, average White Americans are five times richer than the average Black American (McGeal, 17 May 2010). In the social arena, Blacks still experience racial discrimination especially in the areas of healthcare. According to the American Journal of Public Health, from 1991 to 2000, 886,000 deaths could have been prevented if Black Americans received the same kind of healthcare treatment as the Whites (Woolf et. al., 2004). According to this report, many of these people did not have enough insurance coverage and they were reluctant to seek medical help because of the cost it entails. Some of these people are also afraid to see a doctor because they distrust the public health system. The report noted that many black people became distrustful of the public health system after hearing about the number of government experimental studies which involved Black people in the past, the most notorious of which is the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (Reverby, 2009). Note that the Tuskegee Syphilis Study recruited impoverish Black Americans from 1932 to 1972 and subjected them to medical experiments of questionable ethical standards (Reverby, 2009). III. Conclusions and Recommendations The racial divide between African-Americans and the White Americans have blurred over the years and the eradication of racist laws which sanctioned segregation helped improve the quality of the lives of Blacks in the country. However, despite the fact that racist legislation has been outlawed, racism is still very much alive in this country. Systemic biases in many sectors of society still exist and whether we like it or not, Blacks still suffer from racism. The fact that Blacks tend to have less wealth compared to Whites in our present society often put Blacks in a more disadvantageous position. However, there is hope for the future and as more Blacks go to school and become leaders of the country, there is a big possibility that Blacks will eventually enjoy genuine equality with the Whites. To eradicate completely the racial divides between the Whites and Blacks, there is a need to provide equal protection to both races both in the letters of the law and in its implementation. Strict implementation of laws prohibiting racism should be done in all parts of the country. Also, there is a need for the government to come up with programs for Black people to help improve their economic status through education, training and gainful employment. Note that if the more Blacks remain economically deprived, there will be no meaningful equality between the races. There is also a need to look into the healthcare system of the country to make healthcare affordable to all people. References Barnes, Catherine A. Journey from Jim Crow: The Desegregation of Southern Transit. Columbia University Press, 1983. Darlene Clark Hine, William C. Hine, and Stanley Harrold, 2nd ed. The African- American Odyssey, Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall 2002 Franklin, John Hope rev. ed Alfred Moss. From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans. McGraw-Hill Education, 2001 Gaines, Kevin. Uplifting the Race: Black Leadership, Politics, and Culture in the Twentieth Century. University of North Carolina Press, 1996. George Lipsitz. The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: Racialized Social Democracy and the White Problem in American Studies. American Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 3. (Sep., 1995), pp. 369-387. Gomez, Michael A. Exchanging Our Country Marks: The Transformation of African Identities in the Colonial and Antebellum South. Chapel Hill, 1998 Jones Jeffrey M. Majority of Americans Say Racism Against Blacks Widespread More than three-quarters of blacks say racism against blacks is widespread. 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2011 http://www.gallup.com/poll/109258/Majority-Americans- Say-Racism-Against-Blacks-Widespread.aspx MacGreal, Chris. $95,000 question: why are whites five times richer than blacks in the US? 17 May 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/17/white-people-95000-richer-black MSNBC. Strong Black Vote Gives Obama Big Boost. 26 January 2008 retrieved 10 April 2011 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22859978/ Reverby, Susan M.. Examining Tuskegee: The Infamous Syphilis Study and its Legacy. University of North Carolina Press, 2009. Shapiro, Thomas M. The Hidden Cost of Being African American: How Wealth Perpetuates Inequality, 2004. Takaki, Ronald. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 1993 Thomas M. Shapiro, The Hidden Cost of Being African American: How Wealth Perpetuates Inequality, 2004. Wallsten, Peter. Red and Blue, Black and White. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2011 http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/05/nation/na-assess5 Weiner, Mark S. and Knopf, Alfred A. Black Trials: Citizenship from the Beginnings of Slavery to the End of Caste, 2004 Williams, D.R. Race, socioeconomic status, and health. The added effects of racism and discrimination. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 896: 173–88. (1999). Woolf SH, Johnson RE, Fryer GE, Rust G, Satcher D. The health impact of resolving racial disparities: an analysis of US mortality data. Am J Public Health 94 (12): 2078–81. (December 2004) Woolf SH, Johnson RE, Fryer GE, Rust G, Satcher D. The Health Impact of Resolving Racial Disparities: An Analysis of US Mortality Data. Am J Public Health 94 (12): 2078–81. December 2004 Read More