Summary: The Declining Significance of Race - Essay Example

Summary: The Declining Significance of Race s laws along with the development system are there contributing in reshaping the racial issue in the society. Due to the changes in the economy over time the change in racial behavior is also observed. Plantation economy based on the slave system got changed with the horizontal and vertical hierarchal changes. Class interest of the elites in the slavery system is maintained by handing over the slaves to the economic systems. Black slaves and white with no slaves are almost equally deprived in that society.

Investment in slavery made by the elite class was protected by creating the juridical system. It was the scenario of the Southern America but North American was nevertheless more promising in the development and progress of black and they make it sure that none among the black people can be their future competitor in the economic system. It was the late nineteenth century when the emerging powers of the white labors get noticed in the southern part of the state. Class interest of the concerned was always maintained in the emergence of state laws.

Only few among the black people get the educational opportunities in the time period between 1870 and 1890. Segregation system introduced by Jim Crow in southern part, just pushed out the black people from the skilled jobs they ever had. Economical and Industrial development leads to the more deprival of the blacks. Northern part never launched a united movement against blacks conducted by white. Due to high wages demanded by the white people, industrial management started replacing skilled and unskilled black labors in place of white and this initiative leads to even more segregation among the different unions and political parties.

The union movement launched by the white workers was being under-cut by the competent black labors in the same period. Despite the emerging racial changes in the labor market, government didn’t take any initiative to ensure any measure for or against the racial discrimination. Power struggle between the worker class and management was increasing to a greater extent in result of absence of political consideration made by the white elites. Regardless of no governmental influence in the racial segregation the black people were not allowed to get sound government jobs and services because of the indirect hold of white leading figures in the higher institutions.

Business class was playing its part in the exploitation of black labors and the economic, social and political people were trying their level best to eliminate the black competitors from the market. With the shift from pre industrial to the industrial era, migration of blacks from the southern part to the comparatively less racial oppressed northern part took place. It was the same time when the black communities grew up and started the establishment of their own institutions and organizations.

Remarkable advancements were not noticed, despite the intense competition of the blacks, in the racial status of black people till the end of World War II that is the modern industrial period. Characteristics of the white class organizations were also there in the organizations established by black class. Blacks got the governmental jobs for the first time being equivalent to the white people on the academic and skilled basis. With the participation of leading black in social, political and economic sectors, it was almost impossible to replace white high waged labor with under privileged blacks.

It’s the class affiliation and will to achieve more that leads black to prove their best part and to get the place they deserve on the basis of their skills. Thus policy makers started taking initiatives in terms of providing social equity to all of the people sharing the society. Reference: Wilson, William J. 1978. The Declining Significance of Race: Blacks and Changing American Institutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.