Sociology

Abstract

The paper considers the acute issue of racial inequality and prejudice in the field of criminal justice, in particular, juvenile justice. The author provides a brief historical analysis of racial discrimination history in the USA and investigates recent cases and events of racial prejudice in the criminal justice system, leading to significant exceeding of the judgment of conviction for Blacks in comparison with Whites, including a sentence of death. It is shown that deep changes should be made to the principles of decision-making and ethical principles applied in the U.S. criminal justice system. Some practical measures are offered to improve the situation in the field, including at the level of social work.

Introduction

With the recent advancements in social freedom and civil rights for minorities, many people believe that racial discrimination has been eliminated from all aspects of society. However, while there are few or no overt expressions of racism, it is still implicitly present in various social environments. The criminal justice system is one example, and many people allege that it punishes minorities unjustly. This tendency manifests in several ways, Sandra Bland and Michael Brown being prominent recent examples. In both cases, the policemen who were ultimately responsible for their deaths either were exonerated or suffered relatively light punishment. The problem is particularly urgent because mass incarceration affects young minority members, ruining their lives in the long term. Though the U.S has come far in terms of equal rights (in comparison to where it was in the 60s), it is indisputable that the nation has a massively prejudiced racist system that continues to unfairly severely punish people of color, leaving them not only marginalized but also helpless.

Racial Discrimination History in the U.S.

The United States has a long history of racism, beginning with the slavery practices that persisted until the Civil War. Even after the practice was abandoned, a significant disparity existed between white people, who were more educated and owned most of the property, and minorities, which had few resources. White people occupied most of the offices and were more likely to listen to their group than to those outside it. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson, which reaffirmed that racial segregation policies were lawful and did not infringe on anyone’s rights, was a prominent example of this effect. Overall, the history of overt discrimination based on race continued into the 1960s, when the civil rights movement emerged. Afterward, it would change but not disappear, as racism became less socially acceptable and receded into less noticeable forms.

The civil rights movement had to contend with significant opposition from the state, with many riots starting from cases of police discrimination. Some of the police’s responses may have been partially justified, as many of the protests turned violent and led to significant harm. With that said, the movement ultimately prevailed, and racial discrimination and police brutality against minorities became unlawful. However, the same people remained in positions of power, and their biases likely remained the same as before. There would still be issues related to discrimination, though these people would attempt to rationalize them with different explanations. As a result, it would be challenging to determine what caused the mistreatment, as the case of Michael Brown highlights. However, another prominent problem also emerged as a result of independent political and economic developments.

In the 1970s, the United States began putting increasing numbers of people in prisons as a result of stricter anti-crime policies. Using the pretext of enforcing the law and preventing violations, the politicians and prosecutors of the nation secured widespread support from the population of all races and groups. Hutchinson (2018) claims that there was an anti-black stigma at the time, caused by the perception of some community members as dangerous criminals who harm the image of the minority as a whole. As a result, the policy enabled exploitation that led to the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans without inciting the overt disapproval of the community. People knew about the disparity, but attributed it to social rather than racial factors and ignored the inequality. Moreover, there may have been some groups that promoted implicit racial discrimination in the policy for political and economic reasons.

There were racial differences in the types of crime committed in the United States, ones that lawmakers and companies could exploit to affect minorities disproportionately. Fosten (2016) describes a 100:1 sentencing disparity for the possession of crack cocaine against the powder form, noting that white people consumed the latter and used more cocaine than African Americans, who favored the former. In general, minorities were prosecuted more harshly for drug-related crimes than white people. In combination with the rise of private prisons and their demand for prisoners, as described by Fosten (2016), these factors have led to oppression against non-white people. These changes occurred under the banner of reducing the incidences of issues such as drug usage and crimes, factors that affected many minorities strongly due to their socioeconomic status.

The overall results of the policies serve as evidence that they were not intended to achieve their stated purpose. Kamalu and Onyeozili (2018) discuss the ‘broken windows’ policy of New York City in the 1990s, claiming that it resulted in disproportionate arrests of African Americans and Hispanics and did not reduce crime. Instead, economic and social factors led to the shrinking of the crime-prone population and the consequent reduction in crime. Instead, the policy made minorities trust the city police less, as their members believed that they were being targeted. The result is a part of a broader trend that contributes to the creation of a divide between the criminal justice system and minorities. While they may have supported harsh sentencing laws on the national level, they disapproved of the police and saw it as unfair locally.

Overall, the perception has emerged among minorities that law enforcement agencies were racist and would target their members disproportionately and with excessive violence. As Trahan and Russell (2017) describe, African Americans have been significantly less likely to accept police use of force, both generally, and specifically, in all cases except murder, since 1972 and until 2012 or later. As the application of force to apprehend criminals is among the essential purposes of the police, this data highlights a climate of opposition between minorities and law enforcement. The latter should serve the former alongside all other population categories, but to be able to do so competently, it has to obtain every citizen’s trust again. However, as long as the current system continues its promotion of racial discrimination, the climate cannot change to a significant degree.

Currently, there is considerable discussion about unfairness in the criminal justice system. According to Rosich et al. (2007), African Americans were arrested for 37% of violent crimes and 29% of property crimes despite only representing 12.3% of the population in 2003. Moreover, black people are six times as likely to be murdered as whites, and the rate of African Americans of both genders in the criminal justice system is growing faster than any other group (Rosich et al., 2007). Similar disproportionately high rates of criminal involvement are also present for other minorities such as Native Americans. Some people claim that minorities’ higher propensity toward crime causes this disparity, but dissenting opinions claim minorities are punished disproportionately to create that appearance and reinforce racist stereotypes.

The Juvenile Justice System and Victimization

The juvenile justice system is particularly problematic, as early involvement with it can harm a person’s prospects significantly. According to Turney and Wakefield (2019), arrests, convictions, and incarcerations can create an inequality that lasts throughout one’s life. As such, young individuals who go through the system can lose many valuable opportunities. Minority members, in particular, can have issues readjusting to society due to a variety of factors such as financial status and social support. As such, if the phenomenon persists at a high level and targets non-whites disproportionately, it can contribute to inequality significantly in the long term. People who have nowhere to go will possibly turn to crime and eventually create a local culture that revolves around it. This chapter relates the findings on the matter based on various recent literature.

Overall, minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system at all levels, including juveniles. In the study by Ho and Intravia (2019), 37.5% of the underage convicts throughout a period were African American, though the race did not have a significant impact on recidivism. Young minority members are more likely to receive a criminal record for their actions than whites, who are often forgiven and let off with a warning. As a result, the rate at which African Americans are convicted relative to their population share is much higher than that for whites, with other minorities also being affected. In combination with the racist views some policemen may have about minorities, as indicated by the case of Michael Brown, this factor makes the criminal justice system an actual danger for them.

In addition to the danger of imprisonment or death, juveniles are also affected by issues regarding employment and further life prospects. Lockwood, Nally, and Ho (2015) claim that ex-offenders would more likely turn to crime if they could not find a job after release, regardless of their race or education level. This issue affects every ex-convict similarly, but when combined with other factors, it is exacerbated for minorities. According to Lockwood, Nally, and Ho (2015), past studies show that African American offenders have a high recidivism rate because they return to poor criminal neighborhoods with few job prospects. As a result of a lack of social support and the criminal activity of their peers, they struggle to reintegrate into society and become victimized with few hopes of returning to society.

The factors that affect recidivism are not necessarily racially based, but rather a product of the neighborhoods where many minority members reside. Brisky, Takahashi, and Hernandez (2016) highlight gang membership, drug usage, and nontraditional family arrangements such as single-parent households as significant crime predictors. People from any race or ethnicity are susceptible to these factors, which is the reason why the repeat offense rates among members of the various groups are closer to each other than first-offense convictions. Regardless, while there may not be a racial bias in action, recidivism among juveniles is a significant issue that affects everyone. Its elimination would help minorities improve their prospects and eventually stabilize at a level where their members are no longer threatened by poverty and crime. Then, non-white people would be proportionally represented in every aspect of the nation and make sure that discriminatory policies and practices were addressed.

Welfare systems for juveniles and single-parent families are among the methods the United States currently uses to address unemployment issues. Their purpose is to provide the people in question with some stability while they look for a job. However, the programs frequently backfire, making people dependent on the payouts and unwilling to go through the effort of seeking a job. According to Kolivoski, Goodkind, and Shook (2017), the child welfare and juvenile justice systems are tools of social control despite their benevolent origins due to their focus on the individual over the broader context. It should be noted that the issue of young people who are within both of the systems, known as crossover youth, is beyond the exclusive purview of law enforcement. Social workers have to find ways to help them overcome their numerous issues and reintegrate into society.

Recent Events and Responses

There have been several high-profile cases recently that highlight the issues of the criminal justice system. As Williams (2019) describes, Michael Brown was shot and killed by Officer Wilson during an argument despite being unarmed. The incident sparked outrage and protests within Ferguson and nationwide, and the policeman resigned as a result. However, the grand jury decided that Wilson’s use of lethal force was justified given the circumstances, and he was ultimately not charged with any crimes. Williams (2019) highlights the history of discrimination in the city that emerged as a result of the controversy and the positive changes that resulted but notes that the issues remain unresolved. There are likely similar cases of deep-seated bigotry in many other American towns and cities that nobody recognizes or acknowledges until some incident occurs that brings them to light.

The story of Sandra Bland is an example of a situation where the matter is more ambiguous but suggests significant issues. As Laughland (2019) notes, she was found hanged in her jail cell three days after her arrest by state trooper Brian Encinia for a traffic violation. The death has ultimately ruled a suicide, but the reasons why Bland would commit such an act are unclear, and many people retain suspicions. Encinia was fired but not indicted due to a plea deal, and the Bland family settled a lawsuit against the police for $1.9 million (Laughland, 2019). Moreover, Laughland (2019) claims that a video recording of the arrest from Bland’s perspective surfaced in 2019 after being withheld by the authorities for five years. The officer threatened the woman with a taser despite her not representing a threat, providing indirect evidence to the supporters of the police brutality theory.

However, acts of dishonesty and dangerous practices occur among minorities as well as the authorities, further complicating the situation. Madhani (2019) discusses the recent story of Jussie Smollett, who reported a racist, homophobic crime against himself to the police but was contradicted by an overwhelming amount of evidence. The case is still ongoing, but the consensus among the authorities and the population is that the actor committed a hoax for publicity and a salary increase. Madhani (2019) describes sentiments to the effect of the case distracting attention from numerous murders and shootings that occurred in Chicago while the case was being investigated. Overall, cases like that of Mr. Smollett discredit legitimate accounts of racism because it creates the suspicion that they may be exaggerated or untruthful, complicating efforts to improve the situation.

Overall, attempts to address the situation can be categorized into two different varieties: institutional and social. The former will attempt to resolve the various biases and racially discriminatory issues in the criminal justice system. To do so, activists and politicians have to identify laws that create unequal outcomes and change them so that they address the original issues without disadvantaging any section of the community excessively. Moreover, situations such as those described above, where there are problematic practices that do not usually surface until there is a controversy, have to be addressed before an unfortunate incident happens. To do so, people have to call out potential issues and conduct analyses to see whether there are problems. Moreover, they have to apply pressure to law enforcement agencies so that positive change happens while balancing the efforts to prevent abuse.

Concerning social improvement, workers should apply their efforts to improve the condition of minority communities as a whole. They should reduce people’s and families’ reliance on welfare and help young people find jobs. A reform to the welfare system would reorient it to address community issues instead of supporting individuals with no long-term effects. In general, minority youth should receive help and be encouraged to avoid committing crimes because of the potential dangers to their future that could come from an arrest and conviction. Education to that end would be beneficial, as would some addressing of various issues with the American education system that harm minority prospects. People without a criminal record can integrate into society and achieve upward mobility, eventually equalizing the various ethnic and racial groups in the nation.

Additionally, social workers and authorities should try to address the general conditions that lead a significant portion of the juvenile convict population to recede. Poverty is a significant issue that keeps various populations down and leads to the emergence of other issues such as gang violence and drug usage. As a result, crime is rampant in poor communities, making law enforcement more likely to observe and raid such neighborhoods. If at least some of these problems can be alleviated, the involvement of disadvantaged populations in the criminal justice system can be reduced. Employment opportunities would be highly advantageous, as a steady job and prospects would reduce the likelihood that existing offenders will resort to crime again. Consultations with the national police, representatives of the judiciary and the legislature, NGOs, and representatives of African-American and Latino communities would seem appropriate to assess the discrepancies between existing national practice and national-international police and judicial standards. In general, “systematic analysis” is a study that allows identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s current activities in comparison with several norms, measured based on actual results, so that appropriate measures can subsequently be taken to achieve these standards (Simonis, 2017). This analysis should be carried out within the framework of a clear system of norms and appropriate organizational procedures to solve the task.

However, measures are taken only at the level of social work are not sufficient. Deep reforms in so-called “racial profiling” should be implemented. Consultations with the national police, representatives of the judiciary and the legislature, NGOs, and representatives of African-American and Latino communities would seem appropriate to assess the discrepancies between existing national practice and national-international police and judicial standards. In general, “systematic analysis” is a study that allows identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the justice organization’s current activities in comparison with several norms, measured based on actual results. Thus, the appropriate measures can subsequently be taken to achieve these standards (Simonis, 2017). This analysis should be carried out within the framework of a clear system of norms and appropriate organizational procedures to solve the task set.

The result should be the development of a strategic plan of action to eliminate the identified discrepancies and the formation of institutional mechanisms to ensure compliance with these standards in the future. In particular, racial profiling should be abandoned as a practice that a priori degrades human dignity and promotes incitement to racial hostility. In addition, it should be taken into account that the competence, independence, and impartiality of the judiciary are of great importance for the courts to fulfill their role in maintaining constitutionalism and the rule of law (Schudson, 2018). Thus, a more stringent selection of candidates for the positions of judges at all levels should be carried out, and reduce the period between scheduled ‘performance appraisal’ should be reduced.

Particular attention should be paid to the analysis of the psychological characteristics of judges about their racial beliefs, which can be done using specially designed tests and cases. In law enforcement bodies (police), in-depth training is needed on issues of racial equality and ethical standards for the representative of the rule of law agencies, and monitoring its results, preferably according to the Kolb method. The Kolb method is today the universally recognized most effective method of adult education, contributing to a deep understanding and assimilation of educational material (Kolb, 2014). In particular, the method involves self-reflection based on personal experience, which ensures the consolidation of knowledge in subsequent practical activities.

If the above-mentioned measures are not taken, and the situation remains the same as it is now, it will cause even more social tension in the society as one can observe now. New Ferguson pogroms, new school, and church shootings – this is quite not the full list of possible consequences of failure of authority to act to change the situation. Moreover, further problems in the check and balances system between the federal and states judiciary system can arise, as well as aggravation of separatist tendencies in some historically ‘explosion-prone’ states.

Conclusion

There is significant racial discrimination in the U.S. criminal justice system despite the various laws that address the issue and attempt to eliminate it. The concept pervades the nation’s history too deeply for superficial measures to suffice for resolving it. The involvement of specific minorities in the system is disproportionately high for all population categories and has been so for a long time. Juveniles, in particular, are victimized by convictions that harm their ability to obtain a job later on and have to return to crime to survive. As such, non-white communities are estranged from the police, and the relationship between the two entities frequently becomes hostile. Recent events and the responses to them show that there are earnest attempts to address the problem, but the efforts are mostly unsuccessful due to bad-faith actors on both sides. Urgent and comprehensive action is necessary on both the institutional and the social fronts to address the concern and achieve a fair justice system.

References

Brisky, S., Takahashi, Y., & Hernandez, V. (2016). Disproportionate minority contact: Impact of race and risk factors of first-time juvenile offenders on recidivism. Journal of Gang Research, 23(3), 1-11.

Fosten, G. K. (2016). Perspectives on social inequality, criminal justice, and race in the United States: A critical analysis. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 9(9), 122-141.

Ho, T., & Intravia, J. (2019). Racial disparities and similarities in risk assessment among adjudicated juveniles. Justice Policy Journal, 16(1). Web.

Hutchinson, D.L. (2018). Who locked us up? Examining the social meaning of black punitiveness. Yale Law Journal, 127(8), 2388-2447.

Kamalu, N. C., & Onyeozili, E. C. (2018). A critical analysis of the ‘broken windows’ policing in New York City and its impact: Implications for the criminal justice system and the African American community. African Journal of Criminology & Justice Studies, 11(1), 71-94.

Kolb, D. (2014). Kolb learning style inventory V3.1. Los Angeles, CA: Hay Group.

Kolivoski, K. M., Goodkind, S., & Shook, J. J. (2017). Social justice for crossover youth: The intersection of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Social Work, 62(4), 313-321.

Laughland, O. (2019). Sandra Bland: Video released nearly four years after death shows her view of arrest. The Guardian. Web.

Lockwood, S. K., Nally, J. M., & Ho, T. (2016). Race, education, employment, and recidivism among offenders in the United States: An exploration of complex issues in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 11(1), 57-74.

Madhani, A. (2019). How did police catch ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett? Lots and lots of cameras. USA Today. Web.

Rosich, K. J. (2007). Race, ethnicity, and the criminal justice system. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association.

Schudson, C. B. (2018). Independence corrupted: How America’s judges make their decisions. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Simonis, M. (2017). The role of judicial ethics in court administration: From setting the objectives to practical implementation. Baltic Journal of Law & Politics, 10(1), 90-123.

Trahan, A., & Russell, J. (2017). Race and police use of force: A regression analysis of varying situational approval from 1972 to 2012. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 13(2), 142-154.

Turney, K., & Wakefield, S. (2019). Criminal justice contact and inequality. The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 5(1), 1-23.

Williams, T. (2019). Five years after Michael Brown’s death, his father wants a new investigation. The New York Times. Web.

Introduction

Since time in sundry, mankind has been a religious being who believes in the existence of some higher power or medium. The boundary of religion expands between thoughts and mystics in an attempt by mankind to experience self-discovery. These religious teachings influence a belief system organized into notions, cults, and practices that are generally synergetic and enclosed in a self-contained structure (Evans, Petkoff, & Rivers, 2015).

Same as men, women are religious. However, their religious freedom is limited to marriage, society, artifacts, and belief systems defining expected behavior. Some of these religious artifacts limit the free will and ability of women to express their freedom. This blog examines religious fundamentals that are detrimental to the scope and ability of the womenfolk to exercise free will.

Main body

In nearly all modern societies, religious groupings and associations have limitations on the scope of women’s participation in functions associated with religion. This means that the role of women during any religious function has strict limitations as compared to the male gender (Kiraly & Tyler, 2015). Although women are equally distinct and committed followers of these religious beliefs, they are assigned to lesser roles, which is against the principle of equal rights.

For example, in the Islamic religion, the womenfolk are not allowed to lead in any event or prayer when men are in the gathering. The same scenario is witnessed in the Greek Orthodox churches, Hindu, and Buddhist religious affiliations (Inman, Iceberg, & McKeel, 2014). This is an indication that the mainstream religious settings depict women as lesser beings as compared to men in society.

Religion has played a fundamental role in limiting the female gender’s freedom of choice. Although packaged as a product of freedom of choice, religious grouping across the globe have used their influence to institutionalized clauses directed towards controlling the productive health of the womenfolk. Most of these clauses are extracted from ‘divine’ books that cannot be challenged because they are considered as the epitome of sanctification.

Women have no option but to adhere to these teachings. In research by Parker (2017) on the position of women’s productive health as influenced by religion, the findings revealed that mainstream religious groupings have a direct impact on how women view their sexuality and productivity. For instance, Kiraly and Tyler (2015) note that Catholicism religious grouping opposes family planning in totality and declares it a sin against the deity. A similar trend is present in other religions. These restrictive teachings have adversely and negatively affected the reproductive health of women due to unplanned and constant childbearing.

In all religious groupings, there are clauses defining the role of the male and female gender in society. These teachings are deeply entrenched into religious institutions and transformed into universal laws controlling the conduct of all subscribers. In all the mainstream religious groupings, these teachings have been used to restrict and subject women to control by men (Parker, 2017). For instance, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and Christianity teachings dictate that women must submit to their husbands even when subjected to psychological and physical abuse (Association for Progressive Communication, 2016). Although religion is a matter of choice, I concur that it is limiting the role of womenfolk and demeaning to their psychological orientation.

Conclusion

Apparently, religion is a good thing. However, it has been used to push for the male dominance agenda and deny women their right to choose. Therefore, there is a need to empower women to apply critical thinking and open consciousness in practicing religion. Moreover, men should be encouraged to embraced inclusivity and respect for women’s rights.

References

Association for Progressive Communication. (2016). Violations of freedom of expression in the name of religion increasingly taking place online, impacting women and sexual minorities. Web.

Evans, M. D., Petkoff, P., & Rivers, J. (2015). The changing nature of religious rights under international law. London, UK: Oxford University Press.

Inman, M., Iceberg, E., & McKeel, L. (2014). Do religious affirmations, religious commitments, or general commitments mitigate the negative effects of exposure to thin ideals? Journal for Scientific Study of Religion, 53(1), 38-55.

Kiraly, M., & Tyler, M. (2015). Freedom fallacy: The limits of liberal feminism. Brisbane, Queensland: Connor Court Publishing.

Parker, W. J. (2017). Life’s work: A moral argument for choice. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

In recent years, an increasing number of incomprehensible multiple killings committed by students at schools are being reported and many students, parents, and teachers are surrounded by threats of violence. There is a grave concern across the nation on the epidemic of youth crime that spills from streets to schools, which are considered as safe havens from violence, and safe school programs are being evolved to tackle this menace.

Addressing this social problem that triggers youth violence and crime, particularly among adolescent school goers, is the first step to a long-term solution. Evaluations of past incidents reveal that the tragic social and personal background, and complexity of the individuals involved in the crime are responsible for such reprehensible actions. Major contributors to school violence include “exposure to violence within the family and community, child abuse and neglect, poor parenting practices, and lack of interest in children’s activities, social prejudices, peer pressure, unsupervised access to firearms, excessive exposure to violence in mass media, drug or alcohol abuse, negative student self-image, and lack of adult supervision after school” (IACP, 1999).

Detailed case studies conducted to identify circumstances that led to extreme lethal violence in schools and a review of antecedents of adolescent violence in urban, suburban, and rural schools reveal that, though drug abuse and carrying of firearms led to school violence and homicide, bullying is the major cause for school violence. Though it may be difficult to curb the social menace of school violence, formulating intervention strategies for making our schools safer places of learning require integrating diverse bodies of knowledge from social ecology, child and adolescent development, life course studies, criminology, to the field of public health and active participation of parents, schools, peers, and students.

There is an alarming increase in school-aged children who have gone on violent rampages and multiple-victim homicides, which has become an issue for urban, rural, and suburban communities alike. It is significant to remember that children differ in social behavior for a variety of reasons, and have distinct personalities and temperaments from birth. In addition, family background, social behavior, and cultural influence play a crucial role in a child’s personality development.

Children in adolescence have a multitude of problems, ranging from serious emotional problems to behavioral problems, and large number of needs, which cuts across all segments of society. Identifying possible causes of violence and suggesting the most effective interventions require a better understanding of the potential threat and how healing might be promoted in affected communities. The dramatic incidents of violence in schools signaled an implicit and growing fear that these events would continue to occur and even shoot up in scale and severity, which captivated national attention for finding solutions to prevent school violence.

The key aggressive behaviors noticeable in school settings are hostile teasing, pushing, bullying, ostracism, robbery, and physical fighting, which can have a major impact on the lives of all those involved. Literature reviews reveal that the rate of victimization in the form of theft, vandalism, or threats of violence without a weapon at schools is very high and the majority of the incidents are not being reported either to the police or school authorities.

The first statistics released by Safe School Study Report to Congress in 1978 indicated that “approximately 282,000 students and 5,200 teachers were physically assaulted in secondary schools every month” and subsequent surveys confirm that there is an increasing apprehension among students that their schools are becoming more violent (Elliot et al, 2006). Researchers found that the development of aggression during childhood and adolescence can involve broad changes in child behavior across multiple settings, and environmental influence determines different forms of disruptive behaviors like serious fighting and criminal violence.

It is also important to note that children spend the majority of their time in schools, and creating safe schools, a tranquil and conducive place of learning, requires developing and implementing safe school plans so that teachers could teach and students could learn without detraction. Creating an appropriate learning environment provides an encouraging educational climate, where behavior expectations are clearly communicated, consistently enforced, and fairly applied.

It may be observed that a small percentage of young people make most of the school problems and creating appropriate educational and behavioral plans with special counseling support and referrals to appropriate community resources for this small group of serious habitual offenders could transform them and help reduce violence in schools, as well as the community. Schools are using a wide variety of approaches to addressing issues of conflict and violence, ranging from adopting zero tolerable policies or employing various security measures such as using metal detectors or having police or other law enforcement representatives stationed at the school to offering students education programs that teach problem-solving and social skills or that work to create caring and supportive school environment.

Safe Schools/Healthy students initiative aims to provide students, schools, and communities the benefit of enhanced comprehensive educational, mental health, social service, law enforcement, and, as appropriate, juvenile justice services that can promote healthy childhood development and prevent valence and alcohol and other drug abuse. It is envisaged to help young people develop the social skills and emotional resilience necessary to avoid drug use and violent behavior and establish a school environment that is safe, disciplined, and alcohol and drug-free. Following six key elements:

1. a safe school environment;
2. alcohol, drugs, and violence prevention and early intervention programs;
3. school and community mental health preventive and treatment intervention services;
4. early childhood psychosocial and emotional development program;
5. educational reforms; and
6. safe school policies are considered comprehensive safe school plans to tackle the major issue of increasing violence at schools.

Drug abuse is considered as one of the reasons for violent behavior among adolescents, and it is pointed out that the use of antidepressants may also develop assaultive behavior. According to Kelly Patricia O’Meara (1999) “there are nearly 6 million children in the United States between the ages of 6 and 18 taking mind-altering drugs prescribed for alleged mental illnesses that increasing numbers of mental health professionals are questioning.”

Analysis of past incidents involving school violence and multiple shooting, for example, Kip Kinkel of Springfield, Oregon; Shawn Cooper of Notus, Idaho; Eric Harris of Columbine, Colorado; T.J. Solomon of Conyers, Georgia; Elizabeth Bush of Williamsport, Pennsylvania; and Jason Hoffman of El Cajon, California points to the relation between “violence and influence of psychiatric drugs” (CCHR, 2008). Investigations revealed that all were taking one or another antidepressant or undergoing anger management before or during the incident. CCHR(2008) also opines that most recent psychiatric drugs, which have not been tested to determine short-term side effects, albeit

long-term effects, could create “horrific physical and mental side effects including suicidal thoughts, hostility spasms, grimacing movements, manic reactions, seizures, and much more” and ”children are vulnerable because their brain circuitry and hormones are still developing.” Experts in the field of mental health may defend this allegation and argue that the benefits of psychotropic drugs far outweigh the consequences. Professionals in mental health shall be able to provide important insight into the possible connection between the senseless acts of violence being committed by school-age children and the prescription of psychotropic drugs.

It is probable that people can have difficult problems in their lives and can be mentally unstable, but this obstacle could be overcome through the help of non-psychiatric practices and natural alternatives that treat our whole selves, including physical, intellectual, and emotional rather than symptomatic mental disorders.

Though there were relatively fewer violent incidents of weapon-related crimes at schools than on the streets it is observed that one of the reasons for increased hostile confrontations in schools becoming lethal is linked to the carrying of guns and lethal weapons by students. There is clear evidence that weapons are more frequently being carried into schools as the statistics show that between 1987 and 1997 gun carrying at school increased 138 percent in Central Texas and California the number of guns confiscated doubled between 1985 and 1988 ( Elliot et al, 2006, p.6).

Keeping firearms and ammunition locked up and in separate locations and teaching children about the dangers of firearms will be effective in preventing unauthorized use of guns and lethal weapons. Sporadic incidents of shooting are reported even recently installing metal detectors at all entry and exit points of schools, preparing threat assessment strategies, and constant check by security will reduce student’s weapon carrying practice to a larger extent.

Among all the major reasons for adolescent violence, bullying is considered as a possible contributor to school violence and past incidents of school shootings establish that the attackers experienced some form of bullying at schools over a long period. “Bullying is repeated harassment, abuse, oppression, or intimidation of another individual physically or psychologically” (UCLA 2005). The National Educators Association estimated that “160,000 students miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by a bully and 90% of all students felt that bullying caused social, emotional, or academic problems and

60% of students believed that schools respond poorly to bullying and victimization” (Weinhold and Weinhold, 2000 cited by Garette, p.36). It is observed that constant bullying can diminish self-esteem, decline grades, increase dropping out of school, and develop depression and the victims will eventually become either withdrawn or aggressive. Bullying and harassments are community issues that need multifaceted, systematic approaches which can include parents, teachers, community leaders, and national stakeholders.

Parents play a crucial role in identifying abnormal behavior in their children and noticing changes in appearance, habits, and attitude comprise monitoring and assessment of victimization or aggression and decide whether intervention is needed for their child. Mutual trust and cooperation between parents and schools are primary to identify abnormal behavior in children and for interacting with them to develop resilience.

Parents should teach their children to recognize and express emotions nonviolently, develop skills in conflict management, and promote empathy by pointing out the consequences for others of the child’s verbal and physical actions. Similarly, schools have to play a major role in reducing bullying by fostering the active involvement of teachers, administrators, school support personnel, parents, and the community.

Prompt intervening in bullying situations include talking with the perpetrator(s) and victim(s), consulting with administrator and other teachers, as well as staff to get broad information on the problem and getting advice to handle the situation according to school policies, and informing the parents of both bullies and victims, as soon as possible. Establishing a reporting mechanism, where incidents of bullying are recorded immediately, that meets applicable standards for confidentiality with due care to protect witnesses, accused, and victims from retaliation will be essential to establish a conducive environment for learning in each school.

It is also necessary to boost the morale of the victim through peer help, and social skills, and confidence development. Students should be educated to be polite, but firm with the bully; stand straight and tall and look straight in the eye; do not cry or show their feelings when upset; report incidents to an adult immediately when encountered by a tormentor. Programs to reduce isolation and alienation and to promote self-respect and respect for others, establishing better lines of communication with students who have low self-esteem, and developing a climate that encourages open interaction between students and adults will maximize the options to exchange student’s concerns about violence to school personnel and foster an environment of trust.

It may not be possible to eradicate the bullying problem in schools as there are lots of bullies and role models for children in their own homes and communities as well as fuming personalities they see in the media. Only by modeling adult behavior and with the help of comprehensive bullying prevention programs for creating a school climate of “respect, acceptance and caring, and statewide promotion of proven anti-bullying programs” would be a powerful instrument toward reducing the effect of bullying behavior as a concerted effort to reduce school violence. (Garrett, 2003)

An individual’s ability to live and work peacefully and productively with others is the prime characteristic of a successful human being, and the social capacity of an individual is measured by his or her ability to interact positively within the intimate social relationships of a larger social arena. As a nation, we want our children, especially our adolescents, to avoid drugs, violence, and crime as well as do not want them to drop out of school.

Every parent wants their children to be happy and emotionally healthy, have positive relationships with other people, and contribute positively to the community. Parents and peers influence adolescents during their developmental years and positive interactions influence a child’s social and moral development. A good relationship with peers helps perfect pro-social behavior, develop cognitive skills, cooperative and mutually beneficial relationships, and instill resilience.

Better communication between students, faculty, parents, and peers makes the students feel that they are part of a community that is built on trust, not fear. In short, problems should be openly addressed, and not swept under the carpet or pushed out the door—which is exactly what is happening in schools in the post-Columbine climate (Murray, 2000). Thus, the social menace of school violence could be checked with the concerted effort of parents, teachers, peers, and the community.

Works cited

Social and Interpersonal Problems Related to School Aged Youth. Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. Los Angeles, CA: Author. 2008. Web.

What is Causing the Violence. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). 2008. Web.

Elliot, Delbert S., Hamburg, Beatrix A., and Williams, Kirk R. Violence in American Schools. Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Garrett, Anne G. Bullying in American Schools: Causes, Preventions, Interventions. New York: McFarland, 2003.

Guide for preventing and Responding to School Violence. IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police). Alexandria. (Produced by Security Research Centre), 1999.

Kelly, Patricia O’Meara. Doping Kids. Insight. P.10-13. 1999.

Mark H. Moore et al. Deadly Lessons: Understanding Lethal School Violence. National Research Council. 2003. Web.

McClellan, Diane E; Kartz, Lilian G. Assessing the social Development of Young Children: A checklist of Social Attributes; Dimensions of Early Childhood. Pp.9-10. 1992. Web.

Murray, N. Creating a Violence Free School for the Twenty-First Century: Striking a Balance: Students, Educators, and the Courts: School Safety: Are We on the Right Track? New England Law Review, No. 34. 2000.

Addressing Barriers to Learning. UCLA. Vol. 10. No.1. 2005. Web.

Media history is full of various events, such as the invention of the television and the Internet, the introduction of Apple products, or the popularity of Instagram blogs among individuals. Those moments have shaped the modern perception of media services and how the global community is receiving and exchanging information. The increase of social media platforms’ influence brought numerous movements because people have realized that it can be an effective way of introducing a specific issue to a higher part of the community.

One can say that Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is also a part of media history and represents a moment that had a significant impact on social, cultural, and political levels. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the essence of the BLM movement, analyze how it has influenced the identity concept, and evaluate the significance of this media history element.

Today, BLM is a world-wide known activist movement, originated in the US in an African-American community, and, curiously, it has started as a Twitter hashtag trend in 2013. At that time, three women built a project with a name #BlackLivesMatter in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who killed an African-American unarmed high school black boy, claiming it was self-defense (“Herstory,” n.d.). Later, in 2014, Michael Brown was killed by a police officer (“Herstory,” n.d.). Those events highlighted the need for action and the need to unite and work on changing the harsh reality. Hence, three women started a movement that transformed into a global network of those who fight for justice and liberation.

It is crucial to observe the background of this media trend. Negative stereotypes about black people from poor neighborhoods are prevalent. According to Carney (2016), those stereotypes are rooted in the society to such an extent that “they serve as a way to legitimate police violence against unarmed black boys and men” (p. 182). Those beliefs exist not only in American society but also in other cultures, which brings the issue to the international level and which explains the massive growth of the BLM movement.

One can claim that the scope of the problem became one of the reasons why the movement started its journey from the Twitter platform. Social media offers a new way of access for individuals around the globe, which often can engage those who would not have the ability to participate in public debates (Carney, 2016). Thus, Twitter plays an essential role in the discussions about racism or other social and cultural issues, and BLM became one of the most prominent ones.

At this point, it is crucial to look at how the BLM movement has influenced the concept of identity. The network is directed towards uniting African-Americans and raising awareness within the communities about present issues with the call to combat them. As the paragraph above mentions, the prevailing stereotypes about black identity drives the regime to target its representatives. BLM addresses real problems that “touch the lives of a wide segment of people of color” (Rickford, 2015, p. 36). This point emphasizes that this project has united people from various backgrounds and diverse cultural contexts in the fight for justice. Besides, it has strengthened the feeling of identity within African-Americans communities and gave them a voice at different levels of a global society.

Although BLM, just like every activist program, had many opponents, it managed to grow into something huge that keeps attracting individuals from different corners of the world. One of the most popular counter slogans was #AllLivesMatter that aimed to challenge the initial message of the movement (Carney, 2016). The use of the words is essential in the context of social media because they can be interpreted in different ways, as it happened first with the BLM hashtag. The message sent as a call to confront the system, where individuals who committed murder are acquitted, was twisted and faced criticism. Nevertheless, the movement continued to expand, and the cohesion of its members brought change.

Besides the most popular counter slogan #ALM, there were numerous arguments against the BLM movement on Twitter. One of the statements was #SupportPolice, and many individuals claimed that it is not about appearance and those men paid with their lives for resisting the arrest and being disrespectful to the police (Carney, 2016). Social media platform represents not only a mean of spreading the information but also can be a place, where one’s argument meets intense opposition and raises questions in those who seemed to be undoubtful.

According to Carney (2016), there is significant diversity within each group of Twitter users, and the active integration of the project on this media reveals crucial information about people’s opinions and what drives them. Consequently, Twitter served as a useful platform for holding the debates about the issue of BLM, and the active users’ contribution to the problem.

It is also crucial to mention that the events contributing to the emergence of the BLM movement are dramatic and severe because they involve official authorities, the members of the police. The project faced extreme resistance from the policemen who started to claim that it is an assault towards them and that the statement itself is absurd (Rickford, 2015). One of the aspects for the BLM movement to continue making an influence with the presence of powerful opponents is to “develop a firm ideological foundation while retaining its resiliency” (Rickford, 2015, p. 39). The project imposes challenges for the existing arrangements and measures, and, as discussed earlier, vast expansion within media brings the fight to another level, making more individuals aware of the issue.

One of the most significant aims of the BLM movement is to confront the issues that arise due to racism. Besides uniting people of color, BLM has also contributed to the creation of such campaigns as ‘Native Lives Matter’ and ‘Say Her Name’ (Rickford, 2015).

Those projects are directed to the rights’ protection and just judgment of different groups. It represents another aspect of the BLM’s influence on society and the global perception of ethnic minorities or gender discrimination.

An example of BLM and its initiation in the social media point out the necessity of looking at history. The fight for the rights of African-American started decades ago. Even though at a specific point in history, their rights were considered equal, injustice and such cases as the murder of Michael Brown are the echoes of massive racial discrimination. One of the examples of the previous social confrontation is the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Similar to BLM, SNCC emerged due to the murder of Emmett Till in 1955 and represented a coalition that addressed racism issues (Rickford, 2015). Today, while everyone possesses equal rights, prejudices exist among the communities and cause numerous injustice cases and unfair judgments. Thus, BLM is fighting for “self-definition and human rights rather than for mere social inclusion” (Rickford, 2015, p. 36). This particular movement goes beyond the standards and aims to unite people around the globe, using social media platforms as the foundation to spread the word and to be heard.

The emergence of SNCC happened during the time of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s when African Americans were fighting against discrimination and demanding justice. Existing media played a significant role in spreading the word and attracting public attention at that time. Before the 1950s, the African-American issues were not lighted in the press. Still, with the protests’, like Montgomery Bus Boycott, despite the pressure from the national news dictating what to cover, the night television started to present the issue of inequalities (“How the media covered,” 2013).

The role of media in bringing many Civil Rights movement events to light “helped the nation progress towards more equality” (“How the media covered,” 2013, para. 18). Hence, the BLM movement, in a digitalized and globalized world, got a broad media coverage of the issue that had emerged decades ago, when the television brought to light the Civil Rights movement events.

Another crucial point in this specific media history event is the changes that the movement has caused at different levels of society. Today, BLM includes various projects like Black Youth Project 100, Dream Defenders, the Organization for Black Struggle, and others (Roberts, 2018). Moreover, the vast expansion of the movement and its activities helped to start changing the system. The ousting of some prosecutors involved in corruption and the removal of those prosecutors who failed to convict the murderers became some of the BLM victories (Roberts, 2018). One more example of the impact that the movement has can be the case of the University of Missouri.

With the project’s support, the students managed to achieve the resignation of the university’s president, who continuously ignored the racism issues emerging on campus (Roberts, 2018). Those examples portray how something that gains the attention of social media users can change the reality and lead to significant transformations for different groups.

In conclusion, the BLM movement originated as the hashtag on Twitter, becoming a significant event in the history of digital media. Numerous social platforms’ challenges and trends arise often, but #BlackLivesMatter represents an issue that concerns serious social and political aspects, which gives it a completely different value. With the enormous scope of users in social media, BLM managed to attract many followers as well as the opponents. Still, the project continues to exist, bringing change and fighting for fair judgment. In such a way, the BLM movement significantly contributed to the cohesion among different communities. It raised awareness about the existing issues for the people of color, using social media platforms as the foundation.

References

Carney, N. (2016). All lives matter, but so does race: Black lives matter and the evolving role of social media. Humanity & Society, 40(2), 180-199.

Herstory. (n.d.). Web.

How the media covered the civil rights movement: The children’s march. (2013). Web.

Rickford, R. (2016). Black lives matter: Toward a modern practice of mass struggle. New Labor Forum, 25(1), 34-42.

Roberts, F. L. (2018). How Black Lives Matter changed the way Americans fight for freedom. Web.

The scopes of alcohol consumption have become a serious concern over the past decades for the world community and the US in particular. Unlike European countries, the US government decided to raise the minimum legal drinking age to 21, while most countries allow alcohol consumption from 18. Such a law became nationally accepted in 1984 with no exceptions for any states (“Age 21 minimum legal drinking age,” 2020). Such a modification has, by all means, brought many benefits to the US community, but it has not managed to solve the youth’s binge-drinking issue.

On the one hand, with raising the legal drinking age, the number of car accidents caused by alcohol intoxication, as well as the number of drinking youth have dropped significantly. On the other hand, the tendency of binge drinking among US college students is still a major problem for the state (Levinthal, 2014). The vast majority of students drink alcohol on a weekly basis without a particular occasion or goal, but because it is a widespread trend. Once college students move from their parent’s homes or get acquainted with a new company, they drink for both social reasons and feelings of freedom and exploring something unknown.

As alcohol has already become part and parcel of American social life, neither restrictions on the amount of alcohol nor raising the minimum legal drinking age to 23 will influence the patterns of its abuse. Once people are not allowed to drink alcohol until they are 23, they will try to find other ways to ignore the law and drink alcohol while they are college students. The solution here would be to promote an alcohol-free lifestyle and educate students on the topic of binge-drinking implications, as various limitations can only subconsciously make people more excited to try alcohol.

The US vs. European Alcohol Consumption Patterns

Although European countries and the US have distinct alcohol abuse patterns due to a gap in the minimum legal drinking age, both of them suffer a lot from youth’s binge-drinking. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the rate of heavy drinking among European adolescents aged 15 and above is considered to be one of the highest in the world (“Alcohol use: Data and statistics,” 2020). While European teenagers are able to drink alcohol from the age of 16 or 18, US adolescents are not allowed to consume the substance until they turn 21.

Although it may seem that the US has a stronger policy, the statistics expose higher risks of drug dependence and deaths from alcohol across the country. WHO claims the US to be one of the greatest contributors to the world alcohol abuse policies (“PAHO | Alcohol,” 2020). The major reason behind such dissonance may be the psychological factors concerning mentality and world perception. Since US teenagers are constantly told about the illegality of underage drinking, after turning the minimum legal age, they are eager to try it. Another important contribution to that fact is the popularity of drinking culture across the state, making this desire even bigger.

European families, on the other hand, do not seem to restrain their kids from drinking alcohol in small portions. Many countries, such as Italy, cannot imagine their culture without wine, and the children get to try alcohol from a relatively young age. Hence, the major reason behind this dissonance lies in the fact that European adolescents know how to behave with alcohol once they are allowed to drink. American teenagers, on the other hand, often drink alcohol due to the pressure of limitation.

References

Age 21 minimum legal drinking age. (2020). Web.

Alcohol use: Data and statistics. (2020). Web.

Levinthal, C. F. (2014). Drugs, behavior, and modern society. London, UK: Pearson Education.

PAHO | Alcohol. (2020). Web.

Introduction

Abortion is the name for a situation in which a pregnancy is terminated before the term has been completed, thus the fetus is terminated whilst it is still inside its mother’s womb. There are two different types of abortion they are natural abortion, this is otherwise known as a miscarriage, and a miscarriage is when a fetus is expelled from the uterus spontaneously. The second type of abortion is procured abortion; this is when the termination of the fetus occurs with outside help. (Beckwith, 2007)

Abortion is a contentious issue that has always existed but now as time has advanced it has become a major factor in everyday life as there are new scientific elements that can also prevent pregnancy. Roman Catholics and most Evangelical Protestants think that all forms of abortion are sinful and should not be allowed. As written in Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”, this statement means that everyone has a destiny that is predestined by God so we as humans should not impede. (Kreeft, 2002)

These Christians anchor their views in four main teachings: the sanctity of life and the belief life is holy – as God had given it to you God is the only one who has the right to take it away, the belief life begins at the moment of conception, the belief that the unborn child is created in the image of God and is one for whom Jesus died on the Cross for and the belief that every human is unique and has the right of potential life. Abortion is acceptable in Judaism, Islam, and some Christian denominations in general if the mother is at risk. (Kreeft, 2002)

Conflict over the ethics

There are two main groups of people who are constantly in conflict over the ethics of abortion, they are Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. In my view both of these groups will never co-exist with mutual respect for one another as perfection or beliefs are subconscious, everyone on this planet has dissimilar thoughts and feelings. We all strive towards separate ideologies thus inducing the thought that humankind can under no circumstances exist in a utopian society.

Pro-Choice supporters believe that parents of a child have the right to have an abortion as the child is their “property” and in some cases, they believe in the ownership of the unborn child. Pro-Choice supporters believe that there is an inadequacy of a sharp boundary in which we realize that the fetus is alive. (McBride, 2007) They believe that to exclaim that there are sharp boundaries to state when abortions take place is arbitrary because a person is a loose concept and that the transition from a fertilized egg to a child can be better represented by a fairly steady upward curve rather than separate stages with abrupt transitions. They believe that life is as uncertain as death as we do not know exactly when we are born and when exactly we will die.

Views on when life begins

There are many views on when life begins. One view is that life begins at conception, this means that life begins as soon as the male sperm and female ovum combine. Another view is that life begins at some definite point during pregnancy. Thomas Aquinas, a medieval philosopher, argued that a fetus became a human when a soul has implanted this process is called ensoulment, some people believe ensoulment is when the mother feels the baby move for the first time in her womb. (Beckwith, 2007) A third view is that life does not start until birth as this is the first time people can view the child in all its glory.

Pro-Choice supporters also believe in women’s rights as if a woman does not want the child why should she let the child take control of her body as the child will survive for 9 months in the mother’s body. They also believe that a fetus is not a person and that the woman’s right over her body is more important than the life of the person in her womb. (Bachiochi, 2004) Pro-Choice supporters believe that if a mother’s life is threatened she has the right to terminate the pregnancy as her life is seen to be more important than the life of the child, her life takes priority. (McBride, 2007)

Pro-Life supporters are commonly called anti-abortionists. Pro-Life supporters believe in the sanctity of life, that each life is sacred and that each child deserves the right to potential life. The fetus is seen to be a human being it has reached the development stage to qualify as being a human being. Pro-Life supporters believe that contraception is a form of abortion as you are not allowing nature to run its course as the contraception pill prevents fertilization as it causes the womb lining to change through the influx of estrogen. Pro-Life supporters believe that I.U.D. (inter-urine device) or coil count as types of aided abortion. (Rose, 2006)

They also believe in viability; viability is the point a baby could survive independently, it is now an independent creature. A child is seen to be the bearer of rights and as the parents have consented to sexual intercourse they should not bring an end to its life, the argument still rages that there is an arbitrary start to life. (Hoffer, 2004) Each child deserves the right to have a life, even if the child is unwanted many families want children but are unable to conceive themselves.

Conclusion

Abortion is not a clean-cut subject as many factors are concerned in this issue. An emotive quandary would be any case of a woman being raped: should she be forced to have the child or is it her decision as it is her body thus as the Pro-Choice supporters state her body is her property? Both of the views of each group can be criticized as in the Pro-Choice argument a child cannot be associated with a house or a material possession as a child deserves its personhood. The Pro-Choice view is not emotive enough as you treat material possessions the same as a child. Both of these arguments generate highly emotive feelings but in my view, abortion should only be allowed under certain circumstances like rape.

References

Beckwith Francis J. (2007) Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice. Cambridge University Press.

Rose Melody. (2006) Safe, Legal, and Unavailable?: Abortion Politics in the United States. CQ Press.

Bachiochi Erika. (2004) The Cost of Choice: Women Evaluate the Impact of Abortion. Encounter Books.

McBride Dorothy. (2007) Abortion in the United States: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO.

Hoffer Williamjames, Hoffer Peter C. (2004) The Abortion Rights Controversy in America: A Legal Reader. The University of North Carolina Press.

Kreeft Peter. (2002) Three Approaches to Abortion: A Thoughtful and Compassionate Guide to Today’s Most Controversial Issue. Ignatius Press.

Black Feminism the name suggests, is the movement against discrimination shown on Black women, and it is the voice against sexism and class oppression. Feminism is an age-old act or movement which was started by the White women against the discrimination showed on them by their men and others within and outside the household. It remained a White movement till recently and with the media and awareness of human rights reaching out to far-fledged and remote areas, more and more people are getting aware of Feminism and raising their voices against the criminal acts against women. The Asians, especially the Africans, are facing one of the worst kinds of gender and race discrimination, sexism, and class oppression due to poverty and internal conflicts. Many human activists are working hard to provide malnourished women and children food, shelter, and basic education. But very little is being done to control and end the criminal acts against women and the girl child. On various surveys taken it has been confirmed that Black women possess more Internal power when compared to White women though they lack money and education. Black Feminist movements were started way back in the 1970s but they kept losing ground on and off till the early 1990s. National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) the first group to take up Black Feminism was established in 1973. After that, many smaller organizations were formed at various locations and levels to group black women of all classes, whether working or non-working, educated or not educated, together under one group to fight against sexism, racial discrimination, and class oppression. The association has produced several significant organizations which are dedicated to the fight against all forms of coercion. They have formed an exceptional model for cross-class society in which the needs of the poor are not assumed by the needs of the middle-class and the rich. The efficiency of the movement has not been consistent in the white feminist and black neighborhoods. Many white women in the feminist movement have recognized their racial discrimination and taken efforts to deal with it in anti-racist guidance seminars. The feminist theory now embraces an examination of the way sexuality; class, race, as well as gender persuade women’s lives. Many well-known colleges and universities have classes under their women’s branches that draw attention to black women’s writings and the past in the US and other nations. Yet, the progress has not been as helpful in the black community. The lingo of present black liberation activities even now has not succeeded in sufficiently tackle problems that influence black women. Though alertness of sexism has augmented within the black intellectual group of people, the accepted society, particularly that which in particular entails black men, for instance, the rap music industry, persists to be dreadfully chauvinist. There are quite a few disputes in front of the Black Feminist Movement. The movement must squeeze through to spread out support among Third World and black women. Learning about the right character and objective of the association together with resources and strategy for transform must reach the women who have little or no contact with the movement. The development of counselor relationships between black women intellectuals or activists and young black students, both female and male is required. Personal efforts must be associated with a bigger feminist movement to attain change so that new black feminists need not reinvent hypotheses or search again for the past that was never documented. Black female prejudice has to be developed so as to address black women as the key audience of serious and theoretical black feminism. Reverence for associate black women must be developed and protected despite the racist, sexist, and classist ethnic possessions with which all Americans are concerned. Differences among black women must be recognized and confirmed, rather than mistreated. Alliances must be reinforced between the black feminist movement and its base movements. It must hold the present male-dominated black liberation movement responsible for its sexism and simultaneously work with the movement to end the coercion of black people. There should also be a communication between the white-dominated feminist movement and the black feminist movement to carry on developing hypothesis and accomplishment which venture toward the end of sexism. Therefore black feminist movements can take advantage of the power and influence that each of these groups has evolved and cannot be ignored in any perspective (But Some of Us Are Brave).

Works Cited

1. Black feminism. Web.
2. But Some of Us Are Brave.