Racism in America

American history has created a line of racial division in the country that can’t seem to be erased. Black people have been put in an unfair and unjust predicament in America due to circumstances of the past. Dave Chappelle’s “Why Little Bit of Racism is Good For Us” proposes that America has created a prevalent divide between the labor and wealth of blacks and whites with its origins tracing back to slavery and the disadvantage that it put them at.

One of the jokes Chappelle makes refers to the difference in labor between whites and blacks. He suggests this through his use of body language and giving an example of the way in which both groups whistle or sing while doing so. When he explains how black people sing while working, he grabs the chair and slugs it over his back and walks slowly across the stage. During the walk, he hums in a dark and almost eerie manner.

On the other hand, when he explains how white people whistle while working, he skips joyfully across the stage. The insiders in this scenario appear to be white people because they are portrayed as enjoying their work. Just through the skit, evidence shows that blacks are struggling with their work. This struggle reveals that whites overall have much more fun doing their work compared to blacks. The distinct difference in attitude towards the types of labor conveys a strong divide between the type of labor that both groups have been involved with. The level of wealth often exists when discussing what type of work someone undertakes.

Unfortunately, wealth in this country happens to be unequally distributed by race and particularly between white and black households. More often than not, African Americans are viewed as having less wealth than whites. This perspective stems from the fact that white people used to own black people and made them do the work that they didn’t want to do. Black families have a fraction of the wealth of white families, leaving them more economically unstable and with far fewer opportunities for economic mobility. Less wealth transforms into considerably fewer opportunities for upward mobility and gets magnified by lower income levels and fewer possibilities to build wealth or pass acquired wealth down to future generations.

There are many elements that play a part in this harsh cycle of wealth inequality. The continual discrimination has backed African Americans into a corner of our economic system. Due to this, they don’t have as many employment opportunities and the few chances they do receive are often for a lower income job. Therefore, African Americans have fewer connections to financially reliable jobs that have lasting benefits. These lesser jobs are reflected in the joke Chapelle makes about the differences in the work that the two groups encounter. All the market discrimination and hidden segregation continues to make the inequality gap worse. This racial wealth gap leaves blacks in unfortunate circumstances of mental, emotional and physical struggles.

For black people, their knowledge of America began with slavery. Which permitted whites to profit off of the bodies and bloodshed of enslaved people, who by law was able to be under the full control of their designated master. It has been more than half a century since slavery’s abolition, and America has yet to fully reckon with how to atone for this atrocity. The inequities that exist between blacks and whites today can be traced back to governmental policies that set them up for failures such as Jim Crow laws and segregation. These kinds of policies have consistently restrained blacks from having opportunities to grasp the ‘American dream.’ The ‘American Dream’ presents itself as a similar saying to America being a ‘melting pot.’ Such a phrase doesn’t hold as much meaning as it truly should due to the way it has been perceived by minority groups. There is no equality in opportunities.

Chapelle also makes a joke referring to himself as a “racism connoisseur.” A connoisseur, by definition, occurs to be an expert at something specific in his field. He suggests that since he identifies as a black person, he has first-hand experiences of what he perceives as racism. This little series of jokes, he describes how racism is different from region to region. He continues on with the notion that everyone in the south treats each other very openly about discrimination, specifically the whites and blacks.

In this joke, there’s not exactly a clear insider and outsider since he sheds light on the ways in which both parties single out one another. However, the blacks could be recognized as the outsiders here, because of the language he uses in part of the scenario. This certain choice of language used when he makes the comment about how white and black people say good morning to each other shows just how thoughtfully he planned this example out. He also uses a higher tone voice for the white person and a lower, more serious voice for the black person. He imitates a white person saying hello to a black person in a very disrespectful manner and has the black person respond with “sir.”

The different tones of voices used help represent how both people in the scenario would be feeling. Just that little piece of small talk can reveal a deeper meaning hidden in what he attempts to depict. That conversation can unveil the historical relationship between the two groups. The typical relationship between a slave and master was one of brutality. The master was in the clear to treat his slave as his property and they frequently did.

The masters’ understanding of blacks was that they lacked self-control and morality just because of their difference in color. This particular joke has the power to convey how a slave was expected to respond to their master no matter how abusive the terminology or behavior used against them was. This ethic was passed down through generations and still lives through some white people. It also lives through the inequity in the economic system between blacks and whites.

It has become easy to accept the norms, values, and privileges that are in place in America that benefit the majority. In order to come to an unbiased view of America, one must examine and question everything about the world. American history began with waves of immigrants, bringing their own cultures and traditions to a limitless new country. The great amount of diversity gives America the name of a ‘melting pot’ country and yet this diversity creates the challenges it faces.

America as a ‘melting pot’ may not truly define the kind of place this is. Even though America overall has made slight improvements since the abolishment of slavery, there are leaps and bounds still needed to get where we should be. The comedy used by Chapelle is consistently used in a ‘corrective’ fashion because he touches on real-life issues that truly need fixing. Everyone should have the opportunity to live an environment where they feel just as valuable as the person standing next to them, no matter their skin color.

Works Cited

1. Url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLt4-6Nypn8

America is much admired and looked upon by many due to its development, technology, modern infrastructure, political stability plus several good things the country has achieved. America is viewed as “the land of opportunity” because people are certain of whichever dream can be accomplished in America. Also, everyone is accepted irrespective of who they are, yet, America is a diverse region sheltering people from all races, intuition is still faced especially by blacks. Americans got their slaves from Africa to grind their agricultural estates. All republicans steered by Abraham Lincoln needed captivity banned, but the southern states felt that banning slavery would violate constitutional privileges and it would be a setback to their economy during the 1850s and 1860s. The civil war broke out in 1861 after President Abraham Lincoln’s appointment, when the Confederate force attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina. The southerner feared ban of slavery by Lincoln; their fear brought uncertainty and tension thus break out of civil war. In 1863, an unrestraint declaration hand out by the head of state ended slavery. Later on, the civil war ended in April 1865, leading to the liberty of the remaining slaves and marking the beginning of the Reconstruction era. This paper discusses how the political policies and movements in the period from 1865 to the 1920s largely promoted diversity plus “the melting pot” despite the strong prejudices of a few.

When the civil war came to an end, slavery was banned. Racism was discouraged, and everyone had equal privileges and chances although the position of Negro was a challenge in rebuilding. The southerners were single-minded to keep the blacks in their place, socially, politically and economically. However, the northerners viewed this as a restoration of slavery in disguise and the first body of statutes; perhaps it was the toughest passed in Mississippi in November 1865. Every freedmen, free Negroes, and mulattoes below legal age in the interior of their respective counties, beats, or districts who were orphans, or whose parents declined to provide or had no resources to do so, it would be the obligation of Probate Court to apprentice said minors to some capable and right person, on such terms as the court would direct, having a precise care to the interest of said minors. It also provided that, if the apprentice had a good reason to quit his said boss the court would release said apprentice from the said agreement and also enter a verdict against the master or mistress for not more than $100, for the use and benefit of said apprentice, to be collected on execution.

In 1898 the Spanish-America War permitted the South to validate its loyalty and honor under fire. During the wake of the conflict, and amid a state resurgence of racism that solidified reconciliation among whites stress-free, most Northerners joined in the celebration of the Confederate combatants. Robert E. Lee became a state hero, and Blue-Gray reunions deep-rooted the norths respect for its former rivals. With northern acknowledgment of southern honor and with regional confidence restored, the Confederate celebration lost much of its intensity. In 1930 the Nashville agrarians sought to pledge both new south commercialism and the ills of modern industrial society by promoting an image of agrarian south, even if one that all but ignored the existence of slavery. Novelist William Faulkner, journalist W.J Cash, historian C.Vann Woodward, and others viewed slavery as central to the sectional confrontation, stressed the civil wars.

It is true to say that racism in America has dramatically reduced over the years. This is because discrimination is discouraged in the constitution and if one is discriminated he/she has a right to go to court and justice will be served.

For instance, in our workplace or place desired profession, the fight over racism in the past has helped all races to work freely in any workplace and have the same position as long as they are qualified without fear of being discriminated, for example, America had a black president.

Introduction

Racism is a social issue that has existed in the United States since the colonial period. Even after 150 years since Slavery was abolished in the United States, its legacy continues, and some people continue to suffer. Many racial groups in the country are being mistreated because of racism. A considerable number of people in the United States will agree that the country has not made enough progress to solve the problem of racism. There are people in the country who are continuing to suffer injustices because of racism. These ethnic groups of people in the United States are unfairly treated and hurt in the process (Juliana et al., 2019).

African Americans especially have been the most adversely affected by the social problem. They are doubtful that the government and the society are not doing enough to help bring the issue to an end. In this paper, I am going to discuss the social problem in the police department. I am going to delve into the topic and discuss how differently the police treat people of different races. The paper aims to prove that police are likely to be violent with some racial groups than others.

It is a fact that there have been changes, and the cases of Black-White disparities in fatal police shooting have reduced. However, many African American in the country still feel pain from injustices due to racism. There are still some cases of racism in the country in many professional departments. I believe that the police are likely to treat people of a different racial group than them with violence because of the repeating history of white police officers mistreating and shooting unarmed Black Americans.

Besides, there is not much that has been done to try and solve the problem. To date, there is still the unfair treatment of the people of different indigenous groups in the country like it was centuries ago. The government also seems unconcerned with the problem, and by the look of things, the issue is not going away anytime soon. There has been a minimal effort made by the government to help solve the racism problem.

Annotated Bibliography

Mesic, A., Franklin, L., Cansever, A., Potter, F., Sharma, A., Knopov, A., & Siegel, M. (2018). The relationship between structural racism and black-white disparities in fatal police shootings at the state level. Journal of the National Medical Association, 110(2), 106-116. The research article is about the police shooting in the United States, researching the racial structure of the victims of the event. The study aimed to identify the racism between different indigenous groups in the United States. It studies the cases of unarmed blacks and whites who have been shot by the police.

The study was carried in several States in Black-White disparities in the police shootings that resulted in the death of the victims. The finding of the study was that most of the blacks were the victims of the Black-White disparities. The study concluded that racism still exists in the police department, and the African Americans are the most affected. A higher percentage of the victims of structural racism, which has resulted in the shooting of unarmed criminals are black people in the States. The journal will help me in my research paper by supporting my thesis statement that states that police are likely to be violent with some racial group than they are with their own. I will use the facts of the study to provide scholarly evidence to my claims.

Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. V. (2013). Racism and police brutality in America. Journal of African American Studies, 17(4), 480-505. The article questions why there have not been enough actions taken against police brutality and racism in the United States. The study aimed to find out how the public views the problem and from it come out with a recommended solution to the social issue. The article also relates the problem to the legal department and questions the government as to why they have not taken the necessary steps to fight the problem.

The African Americans, together with other indigenous groups in the United States, continue to suffer due to racism. The journal includes injustices done to the indigenous people in the State when they are victims of crimes committed against them, and the police fail to take action because of racism. Information in the article is relevant for my study because I will be able to prove that there are injustices done against the indigenous groups in the states because of racism. It will help me prove that the social problem exists, and actions should be taken to solve it.

Reference

1. Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Anna Brown, & Kiana Cox. (2019, December 31). Views on race in America 2019. Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/04/09/race-in-america-2019/
2. Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. V. (2013). Racism and police brutality in America. Journal of African American Studies, 17(4), 480-505.
3. Mesic, A., Franklin, L., Cansever, A., Potter, F., Sharma, A., Knopov, A., & Siegel, M. (2018). The relationship between structural racism and black-white disparities in fatal police shootings at the state level. Journal of the National Medical Association, 110(2), 106-116

“In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man, the white man always wins” (Lee 252). The book, To Kill a Mockingjay, by Harper Lee, explains a view through a child eye of racism in southern states of the depression era. Sadly, racism can still be found in all aspects of life, like in the areas of neighborhood and criminal justice systems.

In addition, racism is shown throughout the book. The people in Maycomb consider gambling a sin but are content with the lower class gambling in a place of worship when it belongs to Negroes. “Negroes worshipped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays. Church was a place of gambling, they wanted it to be a place of worship but it was a place of gambling for the white men”(Lee, 118). Later on the jury convicts Tom Robinson, the community knows Bob Ewell’s Reputation but Tom is still convicted. “I shut my eyes.

Judge Taylor was polling the jury: Guilty . . . guilty . . . guilty. But in the secret courts of men’s hearts, Atticus had no case. Tom was dead a man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed”(Lee, 93). As the testimonies are being told, an understanding of Tom’s innocence is shown. Atticus tries to explain to the children that the jury can get away with a decision like this because of racism in the town. “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash” (Lee, 220).

People in the town of Maycomb are racists even to the children. “‘But I want to play with Walter, Aunty, why can’t I?” She took off her glasses and stared at me. “I’ll tell you why,” she said, “Because- he – is – trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. i’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what. You’re enough of a problem to your father as it is’ (Lee, 257). In other words racism is a major problem in this book.

In simulatrity, with the thousands of articles on racism, it’s obvious that it’s still an issue today. In the article, “Poll: 64 percent of Americans say racism remains a major problem” by Andrew Arenge, Stephanie Perry and Dartunorro Clark, shows the american look and opinions on racism today. “Pluralities of Americans said race relations in the United States are getting worse (45 percent) and think that too little attention is paid to race and racial issues (41 percent)” (Arenge, Perry, and Clark). The percentage of racism raising, it’s clear that the human race hasn’t learned from the past.

Another quote from this article is when “Three black Airbnb guests in Southern California were detained after a white neighbor called the police. About a week later, a white Yale University student called the police when she found a black student napping in the common room of their dorm”(Arenge, Perry, and Clark). This shows how people doing nothing wrong can still be a victim to racism. So how much racism does a person face everyday? In the article, “How Much Racism Do You Face Every Day?” by Amy Harmon, she does study on 101 black teens. “Collectively, the 101 black teens participating in the study reported more than 5,600 experiences of racial discrimination over two weeks.

That boils down to an average of more than five instances per day for each teenager. That’s more than 70 over two weeks” (Harmon). So why are these kids facing racism? “‘Part of why these types of microaggressions are so insidious is that a lot of times, white people can see them as not real, or not a big deal,’‘ said Devin English, a psychologist at Rutgers University who led the study. “But this is showing us the magnitude of the discrimination faced by black adolescents. It’s happening all the time. And it’s affecting how they feel’” (Harmon). As shown here most people don’t think it’s a big deal but that is the reasoning on why it’s still an issue. With the percentage rise of racism in the first article and the reasoning for some of it in the second article. It’s pretty clear that there is still an issue today.