Race and Ethnic Relations in Ferguson - Case Study Example

The Social Analysis Of Race/Ethnic Relations In Ferguson Social mobility is like a multidimensional and a complex phenomenon thatincorporates the income and the wealth of groups, but also, their social recognition and political power. is what defines inequality and race (Glen, Steven & Tariq, 2005). The events in Ferguson, MO are differently seen in the African–American community and the white community. The core of this study is the recent killing of unarmed African-American teenager named Michael Brown by a white policeman, Darren Wilson. When the cases decision came out the police officer, is acquitted despite the much evidence against him. The experiences and historical data show that the two communities are very different and are separate communities. In relation to such experiences and brutality in Ferguson, this paper aims to explain how the grand jury not to indict the policeman further marginalized and oppresses the citizens of Fergusson. Further, it examines the opportunities presented by these experiences. A number of scholars are trying to produce quite an exhaustive account of the first emergence of when diversity in America discoursed (Bell & Hartmann, 2007). The violent attack on the police against brown and black people of color is not unfamiliar, but, rather a norm in Ferguson. It communicates sharply that the brown and black people need policing, rather than violence that is state-sanctioned as a response to the brutality they undergo. As a result of this state-sanctioned violence, they have lost lives that would have been of great impact in the community, including Mike Browns death. The reason as to why they should arise is because; many Americans appear to be unfamiliar with these brutalities against the brown and black communities. The late Martin Luther King, Jr., in an interview with Mike Wallace in 1966 indicated that incidents of the brutality in Ferguson, do not on their stand. But, they are a greater narrative of history that well represents by what response and collective memories find a total shape through these incidents. The late Martin Luther King Jr. responded that, he contended that the black powers cry is at the bottom. A reaction to the white powers reluctance to make necessary changes to make justice a reality for the Negro. He also affirmed that riot is the only language of the unheard. The marginalization of the citizens of Ferguson through the predominant structure of the white power is through the failure of the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCullochs failure to charge Officer Darren Wilson. Even after listening to overwhelming witness against him. The news that the white police officer would not be an indict for shooting and killing the teenage boy, who was unarmed showed a deep anger and a deep sense of marginalization. The African- American in Ferguson felt that the decision of the court is bias reached because; the number of the white juries superseded the number of the African- American juries. They felt as if the African- American juries voice could not hear due to their number, hence, the depressing decision (Adkins & Garry, 2003). This decision came after listening to a 70 hours testimony that was all against the police officer, but yet, the court could not help but, show their marginalization of the blacks through their final verdict. The function of the grand jury is to determine any probable cause to think, whether a crime may or may not have commit. In this case, the court or the prosecutor from the word go, seemed not to have wanted to indict their white police. The life of an innocent black teenager was for this reason left in the hands of only twelve white juries to find justice for it, which was further from being achieved. There is a sign of the great marginalization of the three black juries and the entire community of the African-Americans. The manner in which Mr. McCollun moralized news on the day of announcing the verdict of the court was also marginalizing. He called witnesses, who were mostly African-Americans as liars and asserted that the unrest was due to the 24-hour cycle of news and social media. Though, the verdict was not pleasing, going further to cause emotional torture was worse for the black community. Abusing them in front of a national press that would later be worldwide news was a sign enough to show that they were marginalized and ill-treated because of their color. In looking at the oppression of the African-American community, St. Louis County grand jury oppressed the family of Brown and the entire community of Ferguson by, not indicting Ferguson, Mo. Police officer, Darren Wilson for fatally shooting Michael Brown. The case of Michael Brown is one out of many other cases of the killings of the policemen who are supposed to be their protector. It portrays how the American system oppresses the black and brown Americans, but favors the white Americans. The black and brown Americans are being oppressed by the same system that is supposed to protect them. A black or brown body in America believe to posses threat by the whites, including the whites in the authority of the state and even those who wear uniforms and possess guns. There is also exacerbation of racial inequality by not just criminalization poverty alone, but also criminalization of brown and black and brown bodies. There is fostering by inequality and segregation that have taken place in Ferguson and most American metropolitan areas for decades. After hearing the news, the protesters resorted to fierce violence in Ferguson on that fateful night the verdict of the grand jury announced. There lacks the proper way of dealing with the situation, but, the anger and bitterness triggered all this and sent black and brown protesters in the streets (Abramm & George, 1996). From the America’s history, this kind of response has never achieved any good result from the government or any other law enforcing mechanism. Rioting, unfortunately, sends a bad message to the oppressors and confirms that no good thing can come from such a community. The citizens of Ferguson and Baltimore demonstrated fiercely towards this decision. The best method would have been jointly channeling all the frustrations and anger of a political action and in a non-violent protest to be heard and their grievances taken into considerations. All this happened when the first black president was in power. The President was overwhelmed to cease racism and the oppression of the black and brown Americans. In his power, he struggled to determine what he could do as the first president of America who is equally black as the oppressed people. He feels the urge to diffuse the sense of injustice the African Americans feel, that is always profound. Without legislations, token politicians, executive orders and verbal platitudes to protect the oppressed people, any capitalist system will fail for lack of those to super-exploit as the workforce. They are the engines that drive the economy. Hence, their needs and rights should be put into consideration before any proper working capitalist system fails. Racism and the oppressive nature of the United States legal system reflect by the police who act with the full power of the State to ensure that black and brown communities are terrorized. They acquit, or no charges are brought against them by the judiciary (Paul, 2015). The death or shooting of Michael Brown is neither a statistical outlier nor a social anomaly. It is the product of the ever piling deadly and bitter tensions that is born from decades of white flight, housing description, intergenerational poverty, and profiling of race. During the Movement of the Civil Rights in 1960s causes the militarized response of the police to any peaceful assembly by the people of Ferguson. The oppression and marginalization of the working force that acts as the engine of the economy is a dangerous to the future of any capitalist nation. The history of America has much oppression since it is where the human slavery began. No one ever knew that such oppression and marginalization would reduce and that even the black and brown Americans would have a say to the growth of America. The struggle towards achieving this took along with it many lives of young, able and innocent black and brown Americans. Such incidents attracted violence, riots and destruction of properties and goods. Though, in the eyes of the oppressed, these were not seen as riots, but the protest against injustices they got from the white Americans. A clear incident is the one of Michael Brown, who dies innocently as many others have always died. The community of Ferguson rises up to protest against such an act, not only that of Michael, but also about many others that have always happened and gone unclaimed. With the proper legislations, representation and recognition of the middle class, such protest that affect the economy in one way or another is controlled and put under check. There should be the remedy of Ferguson, even as the elite sees them as thieves, looters, and trouble causers. Reference Abramm, B & George F. S. (1996). Cultural Diversity Sourcebook. Amherst, MA; ODT, Inc. Adkins, Y & Gary, Y. (2003). Diversity Beyond the Numbers. Long Beach, CA; GDI Press. Bell J. & Hartmann, D. (2007). American Sociological Review, “Diversity everyday Discourse; The Cultural Ambiguities and Consequences of Happy Talk.” New York. Oxford Press. Glenn C., Steven M., & Tariq, M. (2005). Ethnicity, Social Mobility and Public Policy; Comparing the USA and UK. Boston: Boston Press. Paul, R. P. (2015). Commission Seeks Data Standards in Child Maltreatment Cases. Retrieved from www.socialworkblog.org/news-article/2015/01/commission-seeks-data Read More