Black Community of America - Essay Example

145663 "Necessity knows no law and discriminates in favor of no man or race," Fortune (1970, p.150). Necessity came along with the industrial revolution and Black community of America had to provide the much needed working hands. Enslavement of centuries had numbed the demanding voices of Blacks and they had to emerge out very slowly. When they did emerge, America had to wake up from its racial reverie and since then, every step had been seen as the undoing of previous discrimination. In spite of this, there are dark areas where a certain amount of inequality still persists, especially in education and political sectors. There were many inequalities in the education system of whites and blacks of America even till 1960s and 1970s. They do not exist any more, but the sensitivity to discrimination has not vanished and even the smallest notion of it is adequate to fuel the fire. Same applies to the political system. According to Professor Greenburg, there is a slight difference between white and black children, when it comes to political system, because the black children a they grow older become less supportive. The blacks are really 'invisible men' when it comes to political region. Possible racial differences in political socialization are persisting. MEREDITH V. JEFFERSON Meredith v Jefferson had been an interesting case showing a small flaw in the policy of modern schooling. Education system in America over the years had been painstakingly non-racial. Americans have been happy over the education policies that treated the children equally, irrespective of class, region, creed and race. Minority children had not been marginalized in any way. Still, in Kentucky's Jefferson County, some Black children were subjected to long journeys up to three hours to reach schools and return, for the simple reason, because there existed a law saying that every public school should not have more than 50% black student population, but not less than 15%. The law existed not due to racial discrimination, but only because it was thought not to have too overwhelming a majority of any race. Only a minority number of students were affected due to this law, resulting in long journeys spending more time than they should to reach school and back home. It was also argued that children and their parents were kept out of the entire community because they go to a far off schools and that community could not belong to them as they were not part of it. "The current arrangement, instituted in 2001, has some students being bused cross-county, taking up more time per day than most students spend in transit in several weeks. It poses obvious logistical issues and detaches children and their parents from the communities they call home, parents say" http://docket.medill.northwestern.edu/archives/003698.php Parents were also upset about the long process of annual admissions to magnet and non-magnet schools, and brought a civil suit against the county in the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The claim was that their children's equality rights have been violated, and this particular act was against the 14th Amendment on the Equal Protection Clause and the District Court upheld this claim and gave the following ruling: "The 2001 Plan is a proper 'fit' because it is sufficiently flexible to determine school assignments for all students by a host of factors, such as residence, student choice, capacity, school and program popularity, pure chance and race." (ibid). It also opined that the plan was 'narrowly tailored' and should not have been based on race alone, which could give a discriminatory color to it, because America is not a separated society any more, like it was in the 1950s. The attorney representing the county argued that a small amount of inconvenience is negligible while comparing to the diversity that prevailed due to the plan in educational institutions. The plan came into existence in 1975 and under this plan, the Board maintained the same system for 25 years. POLITICAL SYSTEM Race has always existed as an undercurrent in US politics from the initial days and will stay there. In the days of black subjugation, America remained white, because white was the only visible color, while blacks remained far behind in the background. Things have changed in painstakingly low pace over centuries and at last America has reached the hour of equality. "Even though the law is neither uniform nor explicit in all instances, in protecting settled expectations based on white privilege, American law has recognized a property interest in whiteness that, although unacknowledged, now forms the background against which legal disputes are framed, argued, and adjudicated. -Cheryl Harris, "Whiteness as Property" http://www.nathanielturner.com/raceinuspoliticssyllabus.htm The impact of racism on US politics had been like an interwoven thread running throughout. Western ideas of race superiority and inferiority were never more dominant in any other country. At certain point of time, it had legitimized killing, slavery, rape, genocide and colonialism. "By racism I mean the self-deceiving choice to believe either that one's race is the only race qualified to be considered human or that one's race is superior to other races.--Lewis R. Gordon, Bad Faith and Antiblack Racism" (ibid). Whiteness has always dominated the American political arena even though today's American would deny it wholeheartedly and conscientiously. The exalted liberty, fraternity and equality that America talks about today was not there just a few years' ago, and to some extent even now there are indications that it is yet to be achieved absolutely. Some thinkers feel that America cannot claim that it is a fully democratic state, while the political system still remains subtly colored. Interpreting some of the systems might not be so easy, but their existence could not be totally denied, if thought critically and analytically. Social, political, economic and cultural life of Blacks has always not been easy to understand and assess. There is no doubt that in the US political system, black and white separate worlds do exist. Media and leaders themselves, never get tired of talking about Negro vote pockets and pleasing the Negros, so where is the scope for integration Republicans, whom Blacks kept at a distance for some strange reason, have been trying hard in recent decades to get closer to Blacks in all possible ways, because this action is considered to deplete the strength of Democrats, who always enjoyed immense support from Blacks, especially so, the southern workers. "They are wedded to the Democratic Party not so much because of a belief in their fidelity to their economic interest as because of the historic significance the Republican party bears to the Negro with whom white workers are at cross purposes," http://www.jstor.org/view/00377732/di010671/01p0625d/1frame=noframe&userID=82d10629@gla.ac.uk/01cce4406200501b3519b&dpi=3&config=jstor This has resulted in conflicting political race psychologies making it virtually difficult for any kind of political thought integration. Education was considered to be the vehicle that could at last shatter all ill feelings of past racism with its connected atrocities. It is appropriate here to wonder if the problem exists in color, class or tradition. It is interesting to know the social segregations like men and women mostly preferring their own color spouses or partners. Psychology with negative vibes that was created by slavery and white free people is difficult to erase and will take many more centuries to vanish from all spheres. Howard Dean said: "In 1968, Richard Nixon won the White House. He did it in a shameful way - by dividing Americans against one another, stirring up racial prejudices and bringing out the worst in people." It is interesting to know that American political ecology exists on divided lines, and not a monolithic. Black communities to a large extent, depend upon their preachers who also become their leaders in Martin Luther King Jr. style. "Though the black community was served well by ministers who doubled as political leaders in an era when the pulpit was often our only podium, today, the African-American community is no longer limited to the pulpit as our primary lecture post. We now have thousands of African-American politicians elected to serve our interests, nonprofit leaders funded to lead our communal efforts and academics educated to research our options, and convey their findings to the world" http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/05/jakes.commentary/index.html As Blacks feel that they should be protected and have to fight for their rights continuously, it is clear that the total sense of security is yet to arrive and Modern American Liberalism is yet to reach home in spite of it being closely associated with Civil Rights and political bonhomie, because Black Power Movements are still felt necessary. "At the same time, the civil rights movement itself was becoming fractured. By 1966, a Black Power movement had emerged; Black Power advocates accused white liberals of trying to control the civil rights agenda. Proponents of Black Power wanted African-Americans to follow an "ethnic model" for obtaining power, not unlike that of Democratic political machines in large cities" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_liberalism The Centre for the Study of Race Politics and Culture, University of Chicago, about Katrina disaster and racial attitudes, concluded that the Black Americans have nursed a definite distrust towards the Government machinery, but felt closer to the religious organizations that helped them during hours of need. "While expressing a deep distrust for Government, African American, adult victims of the disaster spoke very positively of their interaction with faith-based charitable organizations in the aftermath of the hurricane," Dawson et al (2006)1. In spite of above possible prejudice and distrust, thinking process have changed quite a lot in recent years with slave mentality and self-pity receding. There is a popular saying that racial minorities are internal colonies and American capitalism is not genuine. EDUCATION: When Allan Bakke was denied admission twice to California Medical School, despite good grades, he thought he was a victim of discrimination and went to court to establish his Civil Rights, setting up a legal precedent. Higher education institutions, till then, had been evaluating all applications depending on color, race applying them to given quotas. "Ironically, the Bakke decision terminated the use of quotas or set-asides based on race or ethnicity and, for some time, served as a restraint on diversification," Ball (2000, p.201). This was an invaluable decision in the diversification of universities and colleges campus. An equally legendary situation that developed around James Meredith in Oxford, Mississippi, when he was refused admission to the University of Mississippi in 1961, and was barred by Governor Ross Barnett himself, forcing President Kennedy himself to interfere had never been forgotten. During President Kennedy's tenure a little known, but enduring action took place through the Executive Order of 1961. "Affirmative action came to signify positive discrimination in favor of African-Americans in the spheres of employment and education on the grounds that only by way of such race-conscious selection of African-Americans could the crippling legacy of centuries of institutional racism be overcome and African-Americans rewarded with the same opportunities of employment and education as whites," Cashman (1991, p.168). Minority education had thrown up many issues and problems and it was stated that black children are tired of 'acting white'. KOREAN EDUCATION AND POLITICS Leaving behind American occupation and military junta's misrule of a coterie, South Korea today has cultural and institutional dynamics of democratization of electoral process, a result of careful nurturing and monitoring. With the financial support of the West, in an enduring struggle, South Korea, after the collapse of the military regime, it has made huge strides towards civil liberty and democracy. She had overcome uncertainties and set backs, and has faced unkind world politics; but has managed to emerge triumphant. Economically, Korean democratization strikingly contrasts with that of Latin America or Western Europe. Culturally it is bound by conservation and pragmatism. Transforming from authoritarian rule and instituting a democratic regime overcoming rivalry from the other half of undiluted Communism had been impressive and Korea stands fourth in the world in the actual practice of democracy. It has fulfilled the key concepts like expansion of political freedom, participation of general pubic in country's politics, striving hard for economic development, and provides livelihood to its population and also ensures free competition among political parties. Its media are free; justice is above reproach and has equality of races and genders. No doubt, it is a slightly different from the democracy compared with the American patent, but definitely more suitable for Korean situation. "It is embraced as an evolutionary process which is premised and fueled on the universal principle of human enlightenment. Thus instead of focusing on the building of electoral and representative political institutions, democratization is understood as a communal project that reduces human suffering and enhances human happiness," Shin (1999, p.63). Country has worked with commitment to democratic consolidation. Its economy is maturing into a developing economy with liberalizing reforms, towards a balanced growth. Politically, pluralism and equality have gained root and today it is a rising middle power. Korean educational system was in shambles, because it concentrated on literary, skilled work force. Students faced intense competition and lack of funding and the situation was grave, with able students being unable to complete their studies. Today Korea has reformed its education system under ambitious policies of Ministry of Education, which has allowed private and public educational institutions. Its private institutions are run by tuition fees (80%) while it is only 38.7% in US. It is not a perfect system, but has been able to provide education without discrimination and also has achieved high rate of literacy in a short time. Both in politics and education, Korea has adopted the policy of avoiding violent confrontation and adopting political maneuvers. "Political and economic turning points have been reached almost simultaneouslyIt is evident that the quest for democratization, beyond the stage of procedural democracy and the quest for sustainable and equitable economic development, remain real but somewhat distant and idealized goals for the Republic of Korea," Chiang Oh (1999, p.245). Unlike in Korea, America had been facing trouble due to inequalities and indiscrimination. The acute racial differences have created a missing link which is yet to fill. Greater black political participation is yet to happen. Black activism was at its peak in 1960s both violent and non-violent. Today, Blacks have attained equality, but for a few jarring political marginalization. Blacks are so very used to it, and centuries of neglect has created such a self-pity, that sometimes even though they were not ignored, they imagine it, and no one could blame them for the psychological mind set. America has many races, whereas Korea's minorities are negligible and Korea does not need quotas based on racial lines. America's political institutions are old and hence, have become arguably perfect over the years. Korea, no doubt, does not have that kind of expertise in the field. Still it is learning fast and unlike America again, it does not have enormous minorities either born in the country or bought to the country. Same applies to the educational system. Even though, Korea does not have a perfect education system, if had been very effective in recent years. America with all its riches and power, still is struggling with the policies that would make all Americans happy, irrespective of color, creed and race. It had never been easy to rule America. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Ball, Howard (1984), The Bakke Case, University Press of Kansas. 2. Bedeski, Robert E. (1994), The Transformation of South Korea, Routledge, London. 3. Cashman, Sean Dennis (1991), African-Americans and the Quest for Civil Rights, 1900 - 1990, New York University Press. 4. Chiang Oh, John Kie (1999), Korean Politics, The Quest for Democratization and Economic Development, Cornel University Press, Ithaka. 5. Fortune, Timothy Thomas (1979), Black and White, Johnson Publishing Company Inc. Chicago. 6. Shin, Doh C (1999), Mass Politics and Culture in Democratizing Korea, Cambridge University Press. ONLINE SOURCES: 1. http://docket.medill.northwestern.edu/archives/003698.php 2. http://www.nathanielturner.com/raceinuspoliticssyllabus.htm 3. http://www.jstor.org/view/00377732/di010671/01p0625d/1frame=noframe&userID=82d10629@gla.ac.uk/01cce4406200501b3519b&dpi=3&config=jstor 4. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/05/jakes.commentary/index.html 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_liberalism 6. http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/06/images/katrina_report.doc 7. Read More