Race and the Image of American Democracy - Essay Example

[Teacher’s African American History African Americans and Native Americans are two cultural groups in the United s which make up the minority of the community however both have different histories in terms of their rights and social statuses. Native Americans were the original occupants of the North American lands now known as the United States. Their history however, is unclear as it was passed through each generation orally and the current documentation was rewritten by European settlers hence is open to bias. African Americans first came to the United States through the inhuman act of slavery in the 17th century and were required to labor under very harsh conditions which violated almost every aspects of their rights as human beings (D’Souza, 20-45). Despite the difference in the two ethnic groups, they share similarities in the injustices and discrimination they have both faced over the years. As society progressed many necessary changes were made during which a large amount of the injustices faced by Native Americans and Black Americans were corrected. The lives lived by these people today are very different to those they lived in the past and this paper will assess the historical changes that have taken place in the experiences of African Americans in the United States. In addition, their rights in present times will be compared with those in the past and what difference this has made in society and to the lives of people in these ethnic groups. In the 17th century when the first slaves were sold in Virginia they were considered as property and some were indentured servants. Therefore, these individuals were legally bound to work for a certain period of time without any wages in exchange for freedom. As mentioned above, the conditions in these times were extremely harsh and the owners of the African American slaves had the authority to beat or punish a slave if they assumed he or she acted inappropriately (D’Souza, 20-45). This punishment was not subject to negotiation but was solely on the opinion of the master. Therefore, this made the majority of slaves vulnerable as they were by law regarded to oblige and is they were violated they had no means to state their complaints. Indentured servants however were different from slaves as they were free after serving their terms and in addition they were given “freedom dues” upon completion of their term (D’Souza, 20-45). The children of these individuals also did not inherit their parents’ status and were born free. By the Mid 17th century numerous African servants were free and had reasonable wealth owning several farms and indentured slaves of their own. Though slavery existed in the above mentioned period, the act only became race based around the 1700s. During the late 17th century, areas such as New Amsterdam passed a law legalizing the deportation of all free African Americans and creating a community were all African Americans that remained were slaves. The population of African Americans continued to rise and by the late 18th century this ethnic group was the second largest after the whites and comprised approximately 20% of the entire population with the colonies of America (Dudziak, 118-149). It was clear within this time that Africans had become an integral part of the American community. This can further be testified by the fact that in the rebellions that took place in the 1770s, the African Americans fought alongside the whites in the revolt and where influential in helping America attain its Independent status and remove the oppressive and growth inhibiting British rule. To be me more precise, the American army that fought at Yorktown was estimated to be 25% black. In the 19th century there were more than 3,5 million enslaved African Americans, however, the Emancipation act that was signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 declared that all slaves that were in the states which succeeded from the union. This act was then confirmed by other states and Texas was the last state to sign this Proclamation in the year 1865. Despite this act, the history of black people in America made them get treated as second class citizens and some people individuals were not in agreement with freeing all slaves. African Americans created congregations that in some ways resembled civil associations. These were aimed at addressing the civil rights issues that involved black people in this time. The era was progressive, however, was also marked with some inhibiting acts such as laws in the Southern part of America which aggravated racial segregation and were also aimed at denying African Americans rights such as the ability to vote. Some members of the African American community saw these acts as very threatening and hence built their own organizations such as banks, schools, business and other social facilities (Dudziak, 118-149). The acts of discrimination in the late 19th century continued to escalate and some of the actions were supported and upheld by the Supreme Court. These actions were adequately expressed in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. In this period disfranchisement was also accompanied with a reduction in economic opportunity, acts of racial violence that were neither objected nor encouraged by government officials (D’Souza, 20-45). This atmosphere meant that an African American was more disadvantaged socially and opportunities were limited resulting in these individuals engaging in certain criminal activities. The effects of such laws and policies can be seen in the society today as most of the African Americans were segregated to communities which placed them in hostile environments and communities. I addition, many African Americans in this environment were at a disadvantage to the white citizens with approximately 43% of the black community being below the poverty line. However, between 1965 and 1969 the salaries of black families rose but were still below the white population (D’Souza, 20-45). The mid 20th century was marked by the civil rights movements and migration of many African Americans from the southern part of the country. These movements were aimed at annihilating racial acts against the African Americans and other movements also included marches for jobs and freedom. Other discriminations on public accommodation, voting rights and labor unions were also contested and Lyndon Johnson showed support for these movements and increased the level of federal control over the states to ensure that black citizens were allowed to freely participate in certain activities and were also given equal opportunities. Analyzing the events after the civil rights movement and today, one can see the strides and progress that has been made by the African American community. By the late 20th century, African Americans had the possibility to occupy government posts and in 2008, the election of the first black president took place in 2008 (D’Souza, 20-45). Today, African Americans have similar access to every citizen and can partake in any national events. However, historical structures in terms of demographics make a large percentage of the African American community incapable of attaining a certain social status. In addition, race is still an issue in society and is surrounded with many stereotypes. Many authors have often stated that in present times the African Americans are still by far more disadvantaged and have labeled modern society as an “epidemic of racism” accompanied by a economic system which is largely reliant on class division. These individuals have utilized certain epidemiological data to prove that African Americans and other minorities are still underprivileged in terms of civil rights. For example, an average black individual 1.5 times more likely to be raised in a family of at least one uneducated parent and 3 times more likely to be raised by a single parent. In addition, African American women are 4 times more likely to have inappropriate prenatal care. Other statics are more horrifying, for example the fact that African Americans are 9 times more likely to be victims of homicides (Dudziak, 118-149). Therefore, this data and many other sociological values that were documented such as life expectancy, life chances and average income all indicate that there is still a big gulf between African Americans and the mythical American dream. Approaches such as affirmative action have been taken and these have seen substantial progress in some sectors of the black community. However, many civil rights activists argue that this has only led to an increase in the black Middle class and has not given this population a chance to achieve greater heights and make up parts of the upper class. In summation, the African American today is far different that which lived in the earlier times. There are numerous strides that have been taken to ensure that there is equality in the community and today discriminating acts that were common in the past are now prohibited by the law. By law, African Americans now have equal rights to any individual who is considered an American citizen. However, despite the abolishment of slavery and the above mentioned acts, some civil rights activists believe that there is more to be done in terms of creating equality in America and ensuring that race does not play a biased role. When assessing historical actions such as the inability for African Americans to vote or even eat meals in certain restaurants and comparing them to modern times, the steps that have been made are worth acknowledging. Works Cited Dsouza, Dinesh. The end of racism: Principles for a multiracial society. New York: Free Press, 2010. 20-45 Dudziak, Mary L. Cold war civil rights: Race and the image of American democracy. Princeton University Press, 2011.118-149 Read More