The Problem of Race Relations in the USA - Essay Example

The Problem of Race Relations in the USA “…The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line, thequestion as to how far differences of race will hereafter be made the basis of denying to over half the world the right of sharing the opportunities and privileges of modern civilization” (W.E.B. Dubois) To begin with, one should admit that racial problems in the USA have very long history. In addition to this, the United States during the last decades try to “disarm the bomb” of the interracial conflicts which appeared many centuries ago. “…America is becoming a more diverse place, and social mechanism need to be in place to deal with it properly” (Davis, Bangs, p. 8). First of all, it is worth to mention some historical facts. In 1790 there were three distinct groups: Whites, slaves and others. In 1850 the term “Black” became in use, as it was a result of an increase of immigration. Thus, Census started to collect the data on the individuals in order to distinguish them, and therefore in 1890 appeared more racial categories as: White, Black, Indian, Japanese, Mulatto and so forth (Davis, Bangs, pp. 2-6). One cannot deny the fact that the number of births will grow over the next twenty years, and their parents will be of different races. The concept of race and origin identification helps to monitor and to enforce civil rights legislation for employment, housing and educational opportunities (Davis, Bangs, pp. 6‑7). However, the position of Black Americans for example, became much better in comparison with a situation which was forty years ago (the duration of their life, level of education and welfare have considerably grown). On the other hand, the imbalance between Black and White citizens still remains to be present: The Black American twice more often than White becomes an unemployed and three times more often has low level of income. Another important thing is that today it is difficult to find direct evidences of racial discrimination in the American society. In any case, the policy of the statement of the equal rights for racial and ethnic minorities gave results: an action or the statement with racist background can bring serious legal problems to the violator. It is worth to mention that CBS News/New York Times Poll in its survey that was conducted in April, 2015 has shown that 57% of Americans have negative views concerning relations between races and most of these people are Blacks. Furthermore, African Americans perceive everything more critically than whites, especially when it concerns criminal justice system, different statistics show that in prison of the USA there are more black people. Moreover, both whites and blacks think that race relations have a lot of negative aspects, but at the same time admit that the relations in their own community became much better than before. One more thing is that 71% of people think that there is an evident progress of getting rid of racial discrimination since the 1960s. As for the personal experiences concerning discrimination only 31% of whites think that there were such situations when they felt discriminated, another situation is with blacks, their percentage rises to 72%. People at the age of 45 and over are more likely to know white who are prejudiced against black. What is more, “…58% of Americans support programs that help minorities to get ahead, and these people affect the quality of life over the years” (“The State of Race Relations in the U.S.” p. 3). Nevertheless, one should point out that for Americans it is difficult to talk about race and the majorities of both blacks 71% and whites 60% feel uncomfortable when discussing this topic, but they feel positive on their comfort level (“The State of Race Relations in the U.S.” p. 4). Another important fact is that blacks are more tend to believe that Obama’s presidency made all races closer to each other, actually, people have a mixed review concerning that. Besides, 62% of white Americans and 85% of blacks think that the president’s policies treat all races equally in all aspects and spheres. It would be unfair not to mention that fact that there have been a number of deaths of black people by police in recent years. Such killings of unarmed black people by white policemen lead to marches and riots around the US (“US Race Relations are Deteriorating”). 82% of whites say that their police helps them to feel safe while other part of them and 37% of blacks has an opposite views. When the question concerns voting, most of white people think that all the residents are treated in the same way, but 50% of African Americans do not agree with such opinion (“The State of Race Relations in the U.S.” pp. 5-7). The other side of the coin is that 51% of Afro-Americans see the relations more positively than whites whose total sum is only 45%. Finally, despite all the events and misunderstandings Americans still view these relations as positive and hope that everything will change for a better (“US Race Relations are Deteriorating”). To draw the conclusion, one should admit that the United States of America is a country in which people of different cultures and nationalities live together. Every day they need to communicate and cooperate with each other. That is why the problem of relations between different races is so important. It is undeniable that the best relations should be in the form of peaceful and harmonious coexistence, as people of different races should work together for the sake of achievement of identical standards of living and keeping their racial heritage. On the other hand, if two races with different cultural levels come into contact, the stronger and more advanced race always try to master the weaker and to become the leading one for the sake of its own benefit. As it was mentioned above, today it is difficult to find direct proofs of discrimination, however there are some even if the American society do not want to admit that. For instance, blacks have fewer opportunities to get a well payed job; there is an increased number of black people who were killed by white policemen and so forth. Nevertheless, the problem of racial discrimination is very important for the US society, and is strictly controlled in the country, and those who violate it will have problems with law and will stand trial. All in all, cooperation and interaction of different races and cultures can influence on the people’s lives in all aspects, people need to respect and help each other, because this is what living in society mean. Works Cited Davis, Larry E., and Ralph Bangs,. “Race in America.” 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. Dubois, W.E.B. “The Souls of Black Folk.” 1903. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. “The State of Race Relations in the U.S.” CBS News/New York Times Poll survey. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. “US Race Relations are Deteriorating.” Business Insider. 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015. Name Instructor name Class Date The Problem of Race Relations in the USA I. Introduction Thesis Statement: “…The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line, the question as to how far differences of race will hereafter be made the basis of denying to over half the world the right of sharing the opportunities and privileges of modern civilization” (W.E.B. Dubois) II. The historical background of race relations in the US The position of blacks in American society The CBS News/New York Times Poll survey III. The role of Obama’s presidency in people’s lives IV. Conclusion: the United States of America is a country in which people of different cultures and nationalities live together. Every day they need to communicate and cooperate with each other. That is why the problem of relations between different races is so important. It is undeniable that the best relations should be in the form of peaceful and harmonious coexistence, as people of different races should work together for the sake of achievement of identical standards of living and keeping their racial heritage. Read More