The Birth of Division Currently, there are many issues about race and civil rights in America. Much of the talk generated focuses specifically on Ferguson, Missouri because of the Michael Brown incident. Although race seems skin deep, it actually plays a factor worldwide. The effect of race stretches from the global level to the personal level in a hierarchal structure. There is a long, complex history between Western Europe and the U.S. That history influenced by science, government, and culture has produced the state of racial affairs of today.
By no means did racism begin in America, but the overarching context of issues in Ferguson is deeply rooted in American’s history of race relations. In fact, racism dates back centuries. The differences …show more content…
The classification promoted the idea of racial hierarchy placing whites at the top and other races at the bottom as inferior. Many scientists formed their own theories about race, but the consensus was that primarily blacks are sub-human. These scientific theories were used to justify the Triangle Trade as well as the harsh treatment of the captive slaves. Racialization affected other minority groups similarly. It created political clout in regard to the settling on Indian land, by belittling the Indian culture as savagery. These dehumanizing classifications of minorities allowed systems to be set in place so that whites remained in power and blacks remained separate in positions of servitude. Small populations of Blacks did earn their freedom but with only three-fifths of voting power; negative attitudes about blacks continue to persist. While nations like Britain began to steer away from slavery, Eli Witney’s patent for the cotton gin in 1791 created a boom in demand for slaves in the American south. As a result, the capitalist country of America produced laws to protect its industries for supporting the institution of slavery such as the fugitive slave act of 1793 law requiring the return of runaway slaves. Though the south was largely in support of slavery the north had begun to actively support the abolishment of …show more content…
Even though explicit racism legislation has been annulled, systematic imbalances still create tension between minorities and whites. It is white privilege to live and move into well-established neighborhoods without hassle. When blacks reach the point to gain access to simple commodities such as these good homes, and whites inherently mistrust them based on race; tensions rise due to social frustration. The mistrust for blacks resonates not just with the homeowners but the police too. Due to racial preconceptions generated by Caroli Linnaei, later eugenicist, blacks especially in an area such as Ferguson appear as more hostile, therefore threatening. Because there has been a history of systematic oppression, mistreatment, and dehumanization in America, race relations have grown to new heights of tension resulting in the shooting and death of Michael Brown triggering the civil rights crisis
By no means did racism begin in America, but the overarching context of issues in Ferguson is deeply rooted in American’s history of race relations. In fact, racism dates back centuries. The differences …show more content…
The classification promoted the idea of racial hierarchy placing whites at the top and other races at the bottom as inferior. Many scientists formed their own theories about race, but the consensus was that primarily blacks are sub-human. These scientific theories were used to justify the Triangle Trade as well as the harsh treatment of the captive slaves. Racialization affected other minority groups similarly. It created political clout in regard to the settling on Indian land, by belittling the Indian culture as savagery. These dehumanizing classifications of minorities allowed systems to be set in place so that whites remained in power and blacks remained separate in positions of servitude. Small populations of Blacks did earn their freedom but with only three-fifths of voting power; negative attitudes about blacks continue to persist. While nations like Britain began to steer away from slavery, Eli Witney’s patent for the cotton gin in 1791 created a boom in demand for slaves in the American south. As a result, the capitalist country of America produced laws to protect its industries for supporting the institution of slavery such as the fugitive slave act of 1793 law requiring the return of runaway slaves. Though the south was largely in support of slavery the north had begun to actively support the abolishment of …show more content…
Even though explicit racism legislation has been annulled, systematic imbalances still create tension between minorities and whites. It is white privilege to live and move into well-established neighborhoods without hassle. When blacks reach the point to gain access to simple commodities such as these good homes, and whites inherently mistrust them based on race; tensions rise due to social frustration. The mistrust for blacks resonates not just with the homeowners but the police too. Due to racial preconceptions generated by Caroli Linnaei, later eugenicist, blacks especially in an area such as Ferguson appear as more hostile, therefore threatening. Because there has been a history of systematic oppression, mistreatment, and dehumanization in America, race relations have grown to new heights of tension resulting in the shooting and death of Michael Brown triggering the civil rights crisis