The Problem of Racism in the United States - Essay Example

Summary and Synthesis The problem of racism has plagued the United s for many decades. It can be traced to the period of slavery when black people openly experienced the wrath of racism in the hands of the white dominion. Racial inequality was an integral part of the society that the oppressed had to condone. Today, several incidences in American society still reveal racism as a menace that has simply refused to die. For instance, in 2012, George Zimmerman shot dead a 17-year old, Trayvon Martin, but was later acquitted of any wrong doing. Many people imagined that the election of President Barrack Obama would transform the longstanding racial problem in the country. Has race relation become any better since Obama was elected the president? Has the racism disappeared in America? In the article “From Here, Bias Seems Rampant,” Eric Montgomery, Charlotte, N.C. civil rights and employment lawyer believes that no change has taken place in the dimension of racial relationship since Obama assumed office as the president. The author believes that racial cacophony is ubiquitous in the present American society. According to Montgomery, racial dissonance still remains overt in recent years with many people openly showing their aversion for President Obama in the workplace. The author asserts that most people still engage in counterproductive racial discussions, which are not in any way beneficial to the society. He concludes by calling on people to unite rather than antagonise each other in order to close the racial and economic gap. Montgomery is quite accurate in his claim that racial problem is still as rampant as ever before. The author’s assertion that discussions in the line of racial differences are counterproductive to the society is to the point. Racial discussions are an epitome of negative energies that do no good to the welfare of the society. I also concur with Montgomery on his point that prejudice is still rampant in the society today. The author makes it clear that some whites still think that blacks have no rights of expression when he incorporates the quote: “now you have one of your own in the White House, you think you have rights”( Montgomery Para 2). Further, I find Montgomery’s claim that we should embrace diversity and work together in order to triumph over racial and economic challenges. Solidarity is the key to achieve desirable results and division along racial lines can only spell downfall to everyone in the country. However, I find Montgomery’s article exhibiting some dearth. The author gives not a single strategy to help kick out the menace of racism in America. It would be imperative to suggest ways in which people could fight racism to achieve social cohesion in future and work harmoniously towards achieving positive socio-economic objectives rather than expend much of their energies on trivial race issues. Also, by failing to provide any statistical evidence on racial stereotyping leaves the article a mere presentation of opinions rather than facts on the ground. Montgomery should have incorporated some research evidence to prove his point that racism has not improved a bit since the election of president Obama. Nonetheless, the article provides crucial insight into racism as a society nuisance that should be taken seriously. In another article, “Maybe the Same Prejudice. Definitely Not Less,” the author, Josh Pasek, believes that not much has change with respect to racial relations since Obama became the president. According to him, racial prejudice has been an aspect of the American society for a long period of time and the historic election of the country’s first black president has not made things any better. Pasek argues that the 2008 election campaign revealed racial attitudes of Americans. However, he asserts that racial prejudice does little to bar one from achieving his objectives, citing Obama’s triumph amidst racial prejudice. The author concludes the article by citing that high-profile events in recent years leaves a mark that racial relations has not changed for better in Obama’s reign as the president. I find Pasek’s argument that attitudes about the president could be racially motivated very true. Most criticism about President Obama and his policies are based racial grounds, which expose the extent to which racism still plagues America society. The author’s assertion that the opinion America has turned its back to racism only motivates people to openly express their biased opinions and make overt racial slur. In effect, Pasek advocates that people should desist from discussing race issues. Further, Pasek’s point about how people view development agendas in Obama regime remains salient in assessing race relations in modern America. According to him, most Americans view conventional partisan issues via racial lens. Some Americans view Obama’s take on various issues such as health care and taxes as racially instigated. It is true that strong antagonism to the president’s ideas, especially from the whites, may spark racial disharmony. Pasek’s point that race has been extensively used in criminal justice cannot also be ignored. As the author argues, race plays a central role in determining criminal behaviour. Profiling criminal on racial basis can mislead people into making conclusions regarding who the actual offender is or what qualifies to be criminalised. It is true that focus on race is likely to cause biased judgments because it perpetuates racial prejudice. Although Pasek illuminates crucial points to show that the American society has not achieved enough in terms of racial relations, I think he is not absolutely accurate because the society has indeed made some progress, albeit small. Because some people object president Obama’s policies and show their dislike for him publicly does not point to the fact that racism has become overt in Obama’s regime. However, it cannot be disputed that the issue of racial profile in criminal justice is still wanting. On many occasions, blacks have been perceived as the race with highest tendency to commit crimes. Race has been used to profile criminals, leading to social injustices. Critically dissecting the arguments in the two articles by Montgomery and Pasek, it is clear that many people think that race relation has not recorded any significant positive change. In my opinion, the American society has registered only a modest change in race relation since the election of president Obama. In recent years, there have been several incidents that depict racial disharmony in America. The recent killing of a 17-year old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman was an overt act of racism even though some people thought that Mr. Zimmerman acted in self-defense. The racial prejudice that has plagued the country’s justice system is still evident in decisions made by courts today involving black people. “Black students are suspended or expelled at triple the rate of their white peers, according to the U.S. Education Departments 2011-2012 Civil Rights Data Collection” (Resmovits Para 2). This leaves many questions unanswered as to whether America has really moved away from the era of racial discrimination. Several other racial discrimination are happening each day in the workplace and social places, which disown any suggestion that America has grown wiser in the dimension of race relationship. The presidential election itself was a show of how deeply rooted the problem of racism is in America. Some scholars attributed Obama’s success to the ganging up of minority groups that have been subject to the white supremacy against the white race. Many white people do not accept that the blacks have equal rights with them even in the modern era. Despite the fact that America has come a long way in fight against racism, the problem has spread in the society in such a manner that even electing a black president seem to fall behind the schedule in solving the issue. President Obama himself has not taken a solid stance to thwart any behaviour of racism, making some people to criticise his approach to dealing with the problem. It remains a puzzle if America will ever make any significant achievement in wadding off racism and improving race relationship for the best interest of the country. Despite the fact that the days of blatant, extreme sadism and legal racism are slowly fading away, a subtler form of racism experienced in recent time has largely overshadowed the progress (Arnade 16). Racism in modern America is easier to disregard and refute, making it as dangerous as the overt racism that crippled America several decades ago. Works Cited Arnade, Chris. America is still a deeply racist country. Accessed April 23, 2014 Montgomery, Eric. From Here, Bias Seems Rampant. November 21, 2013. Accessed April 23, 2014 Pasek, Josh. Maybe the Same Prejudice. Definitely Not Less. November 21, 2013. Accessed April 23, 2014 Resmovits, Joy. American Schools Are STILL Racist, Government Report Finds, 2014. Accessed April 23, 2014 Read More