Racism Toward African Americans - Essay Example

Essay, English Topic: Racism Toward African Americans Introduction Whether legal provisions alone will put an end to the evil practice of racism which is still practiced overtly and covertly in the American social system? How to clear the web of negativities from the psyche and the dispositions of the majority race? The pages of American history are daubed in the bloodshed of African Americans and they are full of heroic deeds of their resistance to the atrocities on them by the white race and details of their great sacrifices. Some of the black leaders made the ultimate commitment—their life itself—for the cause of protecting the dignity and securing freedom for their brethren. As such racism towards African Americans in the US is dangerous. 1. History of racism in US: Atrocities on African Americans There was a time when to read and write was a crime for the African Americans (slaves). Illiteracy and slavery were alternative beats of the same heart. To understand the history of racism in US, one must read the article “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass who argues “Education and slavery were incompatible with each other”. (Douglass) He was born as a slave in 1818 in the darkest period of slavery in America and he did the impossible as he was an ambitious and strong-willed individual. He found his ways to read and write as he had realized that those were the important tools for achieving success in life for the African Americans. He was a rebel against the established procedures by the white society that suppressed the slaves by denying them the right to education. Thus, Douglass was ahead of his times. He tells about his grim experiences of life and the difficult process of achieving literacy. He grabs the attention of the readers by the force of his writings and he emerges as a credible and trustworthy author and his message to the people of America is simple and straightforward. Racism towards African Americans in US is dangerous and the African Americans should challenge racism by educating themselves to occupy the important positions of decision-making in administrative departments and politics. Douglas writes “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes; and in a strange land reduced us to slavery. I loathed them as being the meanest as well as the wicked of men.”(Douglass) Life history of Douglass is in fact the synopsis of history of racism in US. 2. African Americans still face racism as African Americans aged 12 and up are treated as criminals. Adequate opportunities need to be created for African American youth who served terms in jails, often on flimsy grounds for reformation and rehabilitation into the mainstream society. Each and every molecule of the African Americans is surcharged with the hidden grudge as for the inhuman treatment meted out to them in all walks of life, from the cradle to the grave and from the womb to the tomb and this process continued for centuries. They were branded from birth as ‘niggers.’ This insult on their personality is difficult to condone. Slavery is no ordinary crime against humanity. It is one thing to have freedom and protection for the essential human dignity of the individual legally. It is good to have uniform constitutional rights for whites and blacks. But what matters is the interpretation of the laws and their applicability to the ground level situations, concerning the blacks. Most of the black youngsters are viewed as criminals. This has the telling effect in on their day to day disposition and the black people act in unpredictable manner and takes to the path of crimes. Black and white race relations have the possibilities to turn worst, on the slightest provocation, when the black race is making its presence felt strongly, in political, social, and economic spheres. The saga of suffering of the Negro race, the era of slavery, violence and cruelty to subdue their legitimate aspirations rotates on the curtain of their minds. They assert their aspiration in strongest terms. “Black people continue to revolt against laws and customs that are deadly and humiliating…Aggression leaps from wounds inflicted and ambitions spiked. It grows out of oppression and capricious cruelty.” (Grier, 2000, p. 3) The younger generation of African Americans is not willing to wait and accept ‘the tactful handling of the situation’ by the whites when their interests matter. The African Americans are aware, by their bitter past experiences that the whites will go to any extent when their own interests matter. This causes more frustration and apprehension in the black community and adversely affects their psyche. To tell a black youngster to forget the past, saying that he is constitutionally protected and enjoys equal rights as applicable to whites or any ethnic group is as good as telling him a story. The suffering of the African Americans is something very special and closely linked to the destiny of America. They can condone the past; they cannot ignore or forget it. The whites are not obliging the blacks by the present stance of understanding them. They have no other alternative. They must accept their newfound social position—equal in every respect as compared to the black people and it is their duty to say that the black-brother is first among the equal. They must attempt and secure the transformation within. The writers put it crisply and authoritatively. “After all, the thoughts begin, the Negro is also an American and if he is different it is only matter of degree. Clichés are brought forth and there is a lengthy recitation of the names of famous Negroes. Long association has bred feelings of familiarity which masquerade as knowledge. But there remain puzzles about black people; all is not understood; something is missing.”(Grier, 2000, p. 23) If the revengeful attitude persists amongst the African Americans, it will take them and the nation nowhere. If the Nation does not survive how will the black and white races survive? 3. Supporting ideas The legal battle for the abolition of slavery began with the North West Ordinance in 1781 that addressed mainly to the territorial adjustments of States. That was a feeble attempt to address to the grave issue of slavery, and the grievances of the voiceless slaves. The Constitution-1787 contained provisions that were more of an insult to the slaves than an effort to find solution to their problems. Whether or not slaves should be counted as part of the population was a contentious issue between North and South. Further, slave trade was extended till 1808 and more restrictions were put on the slaves and the door of freedom was totally shut on them. The various “scientific” theories put forth ill-conceived evidences to prove that the slaves were not normal human beings and their standard was low even from biological considerations. Slaves had no ability to resist the intense injustice meted out to them from all ends. But documented historical events prove this assertion wrong as the slave leaders did not give up their plans of resistance, insurrections were common, conspiracies were hatched and organized action plans and revolts were conducted against the whites. The slaveholders constantly lived in fear of being ambushed. Some of the important acts of rebellions were organized by Stono Rebellion, Gabriel Prosser, the famous Nat Turner, Black Seminole Rebellion, Haitian Revolution, Saint Dominque etc. The American economy depended on slave labor and labor exploitation was order of the day, but the awakened African Americans were a constant threat to their masters and incidents of pillage and rape were on the rise. America owes its unity and independence in the real sense of the term to the slave rebellions. The contention that the slaves are biologically inferior is a heinous thought process and those with the cross on their neck should hold such conviction is the indicator that they do not possess Christ in their hearts. Though legally the Africans-Americans are guaranteed freedom and equal rights, the shadows of racism still chase them in all walks of life and put hurdles in their path of progress. What is expected of the white majority community is not tolerance but acceptance that the blood below the color of the skin is red, whether the skin-color of the individual is white, black or brown. American society can no more afford to practice racism. 4. The attitude of Americans: They consider the African American (black man) as the killer. In this connection, my submission is about the problem of fear psychosis as articulated by Brent Staples in his article Black Men and Public Space which arises out of historical reasons. Turn the pages of racial history of America and it is daubed in bloodshed and atrocities against the African Americans. The African Americans are free citizens now and they enjoy as much rights and responsibilities as the white people do. But a sense of fear grips the mind of the average white man, and he fears revengeful attacks from the combustible younger generation of the African Americans. They think that their inclinations are either to loot or to kill. After going through the history of the blacks and their sufferings, the whites should clearly know that racism toward African Americans in US is dangerous. The illiterate African Americans, during the era of slavery, silently endured suffering, physical torture and humiliations but the educated younger generation of today will certainly retaliate violently if they are subjugated. The American Constitution grants them equal rights on any count and practicing racism is one of the highest forms of criminal offence. Now let me try to come to terms with the realities of his life, generated out of color of the skin. I am not willing to condemn any particular individual, but attribute the plight to the prevailing societal conditions. Both blacks and whites need to have a detached view of the past, to overcome the fear psychosis. The problem of fear is not confined to race factor alone. African Americans and whites fear each other, for own reasons. The root cause of all such situation is the classical conditioning of the mind that visualizes the negativities which may not be there. Brent Staples gives a simple formula and writes “And on late evening constitutionals I employ what has proved to be an excellent tension—reducing measure: I whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi, and the more popular classical composers” (p.316). Here is the important lesson for the black men being stereotyped. Not all black men are bad; not all white men are good. The color of the blood that flows in the veins of both black and white people is red! Conclusion Will US ever awake in to that heaven of freedom, and when it will be free from the division of narrow domestic walls created by race prejudices? More acts and legislations have helped to create a stir in the minds of whites and blacks. But the problem eludes permanent solution. This is so, because the feeling of superiority within the minds of the whites has to change. When the thought process will change, the action process will also change! Then only we can way equality in the real sense of the term pervades US, not otherwise! Works Cited Grier, William H (Author) Cobbs, Price M.(Author) Black Rage. Wipf & Stock Publishers. 2000; Print Staples, Brent. New Republic. American Journal of Politics and the Arts; January 1, 1996; pp. 314-316 [PDF] Douglass, Frederick. Learning to Read and Write; Web www.pasadena.edu/files/syllabi/dlbronstein_29682.pdf; Accessed on May 9, 2014 Read More