Racial Discrimination between Whites and Blacks in the USA - Essay Example

Racial Discrimination between Whites and Blacks in the USA I. Introduction: The term racism simply refers to the feelings of superiority and dominance about the race one belongs to in comparison with the other ethno-racial groups and communities existing within a social establishment. In other words, having prejudice, generally in positive way, about one’s race comes under the definition of racism. By looking into the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that an overwhelming majority of almost every nation and community appears to be biased in respect of its racial background, and looks down upon the other races by viewing them to be inferior ones comparatively. Theories have been articulated and researches have been conducted in order to discover the causes behind the prejudice and hatred prevailing against the outer racial groups (Ritzer 2003). In addition, several books have been written and literature has been produced in order to protest against the racial discrimination and apartheid from societies. The studies reveal the very fact that although no society could be viewed as free from racial discrimination, yet the same evidently exists in the multicultural regions of the world, particularly the USA, UK, and the Middle East (Macionis 2007), with its extreme awkwardness, high intensity and condemnable severity. Nevertheless, other nations could not be declared as exempt from the same, as the Nazi Germany expressed the same bitter prejudice and abhorrence against the Jews, while the Jews themselves appear to be vehemently racist community, as they not only view them as the beloved nation of the Creator, but also would not allow any outsider to enter their community as its member at any cost due to the very fact that the Jews claim to be the descendant of the patriarchs, the noblest and holiest personalities ever existed on the face of the earth (Diamont 2005). Thus, racism is a universal phenomenon, which has captured the entire globe into its awkward clutches, and producing rifts, differences and conflicts in contemporary societies at large. However, it exists in the United States in its full swing due to the very reality that the USA serves as one of the most diversified countries of the world containing the people belonging to all prominent racial groups and communities in it. The present paper focuses upon the conflicts and clashes existing between the white and black communities, the two major racial groups of the country. II. Literature Review: A. Shelton et al. (2004) have conducted their study under the title “Ironic Effects of Racial Bias during Interracial Interactions” by paying special concentration on the diversified US population, where they appear to be elucidating the long-lasting impacts of ethno-racial prejudice adopted by the individuals belonging to different racial backgrounds while entering into interaction with one another. The researchers, on the basis of their study, submit to state that the more prejudiced individuals look least biased while interacting with the members of other races in order to conceal the level of their bias. Consequently, the other races take more prejudiced as less biased and vice versa (397). It is particularly the case with the black people, an overwhelming majority of which exercise indifference towards racial differences for creating a friendly and an amicable environment in multicultural gatherings (398). Since there prevail a strong and powerful multicultural system in the USA, the Americans observe impartiality and neutrality in the speech and debates contests, sports competitions and other multiracial events and festivals, where the individuals belonging to different races, religions, ethnicities, genders and sexual orientation are participating as contesters (399). It is particularly the case with the African Americans, who not only witness strong care and consciousness while serving as judges in multiracial competitions, but also sometimes put their weigh in favor of the white contesters. The reason behind their extreme consciousness includes their being in minority in the country on the one hand, and their poor social background on the other, as the blacks had been the slaves and servants of the white masters for the last three centuries. B. Alex Molnar (1989) has elucidated the presence of racism and religious discrimination in the USA in his study carrying the title “Racism in America: a Continuous Dilemma.” The author submits to state that all the claims regarding the absence of any racial and religious hatred in the USA are false in nature altogether, and hence the existence of racial prejudice could not be concealed under the curtain of purported claims of complete ethno-racial harmony made by the statesmen and religious people alike. It is partly due to the very reality that clashes and conflicts on the basis of religious and ethno-racial divergences certainly occur in all parts of the globe in general (71). These cultural divergences are not confined to one specific area or department only; rather, the same could be observed in every walk of life including health, education, church, public institutions, private sectors and others. The author alludes to the observing of the same mostly by the white majority, where the African Americans are discouraged to get admission in the colleges being administered by the whites (72). Similarly, the churches specific for the whites do not allow the blacks to enter there for prayers and worship purposes. Hence, the white Christians disclaim the rights and privileges of the blacks the religious teachings offer to them by declaring all humans as equal under the religious platform (73). Consequently, the USA still experiences apartheid and racial abhorrence even after becoming the world leader in international arena, and the claims of being the champion of human rights are confined to the papers and constitution only. C. Pearson et al. have exclaimed the nature and intensity of racial hatred in the USA in their research work with the title “The Nature of Contemporary Prejudice: Insights from Aversive Racism” (2009). The researchers are of the view that constant decline in the open and explicit expression of prejudice against the other races has given birth to apparent ethnic cohesion in the American society (1-2). Since discouragement of expressing racial bias against the opponent and rival groups has turned the social environment as pleasant one, the nation appears to be united and organized under one platform in order to combat with the challenges their motherland undergoes. Nevertheless, a large majority of white and black people maintain disliking for each other, and display the same whenever they have the opportunity for the same (3). The recent wave of religious and racial conflicts appeared in Europe and Asia, the researchers argue, has augmented the differences between the races, and has challenged the apparent cohesion between the races subsequently. The researchers also seek variance of prejudice in the individuals on traditional and historical foundations. Consequently, the white individuals, adhered to age-old conventions and traditions, still consider the blacks as their slaves and the descendants of the slaves of their forefathers. The same is the case with the black extremists, who take the majority of the white citizens as their exploiters and intriguers, which leave no stone unturned to inflict pains and sufferings upon the blacks at every social, political and cultural platform. III. Book Review: Rosa Parks (1999) has elucidated the existence of racial discrimination in the USA in its full swing till late 1960s, which she aptly witnessed during her visits to public places including healthcare centers, schools, transports and recreational spots. Being an African American by race, she had keenly observed the feelings of dislike and displeasure in the attitude and behavior of the white people for the black individuals. Not only this that the majority of the whites looked down upon the blacks, but also did not appear to be ready to grant the blacks a respectable social status equivalent to them in the USA. It was particularly the case with the black passengers travelling in a public transport, especially the buses, where the blacks were allowed to keep their seats provided no white individual was standing in the bus. In other words, the black male and female passengers were bound to vacate their seats provided a white passenger has boarded a bus, and there was no place for him to get seated (13). The same took place on December 1, 1955 with Parks, while her travelling in a metro bus in Montgomery, Alabama, where the author had occupied a seat with ticket no. 7053 (15). The Montgomery Bus had segregated their buses into white and black sections, in the light of the 1900 City Ordinance, and the drivers used to expand the white section in case the white passengers are in need of the seats. The driver of the bus on which Parks was riding, ordered her to leave her seat, as he had expanded the colored section for the convenience of the white passengers (19). However, Parks refused to vacate the seat, and even did not take any notice of the driver’s threat of calling for the police. Consequently, she got arrested for violating the rule of local law, though it gave a new turn to the civil rights in its wake. The news of her clash with a white bus driver on defending her cause, and subsequent arrest spread in the area, which united the black community under one banner. They launched demonstrations in order to protest against the racial apartheid prevailing in the Montgomery city. Hence, the blacks came out on roads to struggle for the protection of their rights as well as for escaping humiliation and insults they had been undergoing at the hands of the white majority of the city. Since over 70% of the passengers of the Montgomery bus service, according to the author, belonged to the black community, it was really challenging for the service to sustain its business and profit level despite the boycott was being observed with great enthusiasm. Similarly, though the continuity of boycott of the bus looked hard nut to crack for the poor and downtrodden black community, yet they stood as firm and dauntless as rock in the face of hardships. As a result, the city had to revise its policy on December 1956, and segregation in the public transport came to an end eventually. The incident served as a serious blow to racism had been in vogue in the state, where Parks’ refusal, arrest and finally release paved the way towards the boycott of the bus service and the government had to make amendments in the statute of law in order to provide equal chances of travelling to all racial groups without discrimination. IV. Analytical Summary: The above discussion has explored the nature and causes of the racial discrimination observed by the people belonging to the USA, according to which sense of superiority and lust for dominating over others creates feelings of supremacy and prejudice against the other ethno-racial, religious and cultural groups in the minds of the people at large. In addition, fears and perils regarding the thinking and activities of the rival racial communities also invite conflict and rift among the individuals coming of the dissimilar groups and factions of society. Twentieth century literary pieces, produced by the American authors, demonstrate that the white maintained grave concerns regarding the imprudent and savage behavior adopted by the African Americans; it is therefore the whites used to keep them at the arm’s length. The novels including The Marrow of Tradition by Charles Chesnutt (1901), A Rose for Emily (1930) by William Faulkner, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) by Harper Lee, and several other fictions portray the reasons behind the abhorrence of the white majority against the blacks, as the former regarded the latter as the offspring of the slaves and servants of their ancestors on the one hand, and the mischievous and law-breaking community on the other. The analysis elucidated above also reveal that the fear of distribution of wealth, resources and opportunities also divide the nations into factions also brings disapproval of the already existing racial group against the newly migrated populations. Rosa Parks in her autobiographical work has also endorsed the presence of racial hatred in her social, cultural, religious and political environments, where the race in power or majority exploited the minority races by dint of their numerical majority and political powers. The same is not confined to the white people; on the contrary, the other US communities including the Jews, the Arabs, the Asians and even the blacks had also displayed their racial discrimination for the rival nations in one way or the other, which endorses and authenticates the presence of racial abhorrence and apartheid in the USA. Works Cited Dimont, Max I. Jews, God and History 2nd Edition New American Library 2003 Print Macionis, John J. Sociology 2007 Eleventh Edition Pearson Prentice Hall Inc Print Molnar, Alex “Racism in America: a Continuous Dilemma.” Educational Leadership, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Retrieved from (Visited October 24, 2012) Pearson, Adam R., Dovidio, John F., & Gaertner, Samuel L The Nature of Contemporary Prejudice: Insights from Aversive Racism Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2009 Retrieved from (Visited October 24, 2012) Shelton, J. Nicole., Richeson, Jennifer A., Salvatore, Jessica., and Trawalter, Sophie “Ironic Effects of Racial Bias during Interracial Interactions” 2004 Retrieved from (Visited October 24, 2012) Read More