Even before its establishment, the United States was known for being the embodiment of functional multi-culturalism. In his 1791 book, Rights of Man, Thomas Paine characterizes America as being a nation of egalitarianism and unity. Paine describes the incredibility of the seemingly “diverse” nation, comprised of those from differing religions and countries of origin. Many today argue that with time, the United States still stands to be the ultimate archetype of equality. However, those with this impression are really looking through rose-colored glasses, as this view of America starkly contrasts with reality.…
The legacy of racial discrimination and oppression towards people of black descent in America, is one of inequality and mistreatment. In “Being Poor, Black, and American,” William Wilson writes about three types of forces that hinder the progress of blacks in society: political, economic, and cultural. Society’s dialogue on the current socio-economic status of most African Americans leans towards blaming blacks for their own lack of effort and judgment; however, these situations are deeply rooted in factors beyond the control of most ordinary black folk: the government’s deliberate initiatives to create of internal ghettos with project standards of living, the lack of circulation into minority communities, the transition away from a physical…
Another myth that is dispelled is the idea that African Americans tend to have soft skills, and not the skills of an educated worker. The article shows that African American males hold the least amount of jobs in construction and maintenance than other races in America which require a low amount of educate, but produce higher wages. However, in service jobs such as cashiers which also require minimal education, but offer low wages African American males are the highest concentration. The reason there is a gap is not due to financial illiteracy, which means that they do not necessarily know how to manage money. It is hard to manage money if there is not much money to mange in the first place.…
Lynching has occurred throughout the history of the United States, the bloodthirsty gatherings grew in popularity and flourished throughout the South after slaves had become emancipated in 1863, after the Reconstruction era. White Southerners blamed the overwhelming amount of lynchings on the African American population, claiming that the growing idea of racial equality provoked African Americans to display their dominance through false accusations that involved white women. Senator Benjamin R. Tillman insisted that the amount of lynching was due to the fear of the racial hierarchy being challenged by the negro population. The movement inspired by false accusations created an environment full of hatred, segregation, and fear towards the African American community in the United States. In Senator Benjamin R.…
Ever since 1787, and even before, African-Americans have struggled to gain political, legal, social, and economic equality. Although some national and state government programs were constructed to help African-Americans with this perpetual problem, it is also the same state and national government policies that expanded this problem. In fact, this is still a problem that persists today. The national and state governments definitely have gone a long way in providing African Americans with political, legal and social opportunities; however constant setbacks have lessened their effectiveness. Beginning in 1787 there was an unspoken guarantee that all states had the option to decide whether or not they wanted to be slave sates.…
As the reading stated, black children who from upper class families are more likely to experience downward mobility compared to white upper class children. Black Americans as well are more disadvantaged than White Americans. It is abundantly clear for occupational distribution for blacks. Aguirre and others (1995) shows occupational distribution between 2006 & 2008. Attendance in managerial roles for blacks are 0.93 versus whites who make up 0.95.…
Besides the severe inequalities in education systems and the disadvantages of African Americans left by history, another significant cause of the African American education gap is the anti-intellectualism mindset that prevails among African American communities. This ideological issue is the Elephant in the Room; while few people have even realized its existence, it is discouraging African American students from pursuing academic excellence to a great extent. One outstanding African American educator, John H. McWhorter, illustrates the anti-intellectualist peer pressure that many African American students would have to face in a personal anecdote: when McWhorter was little, a group of African American children asked him to spell “concrete”.…
In the eyes of many, “America is another name for opportunity, [where] our whole history appears like a last effort of divine providence on behalf of the human race.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Throughout American history, we have made a slow progression towards complete equality and liberation for the wide array of people inhabiting the country itself. We aren’t infamously known as the “land of opportunity” for nothing; we are recognized for having the resources that have allowed some of the most successful people in the world to climb to where they are at this moment. This country has countlessly demonstrated how it has allowed even the most disadvantaged to rise to their full potential, which makes living here a privilege in itself.…
The article starts off with a brief explanation of how race and class can both affect the opportunities for social mobility. African Americans are not only being judged by their color but they are also seen as the lowest class. The article mentions that 42% of the African Americans are born in the bottom tenth of the income distribution and remain in that same…
African Americans have been economically disadvantaged in the United States for generations because of factors that are beyond their reach. Economic Advancement among African Americans has improved over time but the wealth gap is still too large to ignore. The lack of black wealth can be attributed to several factors the main one being slavery. Other factors that had huge impact are the G.I Bill, red lining by banks and real estate agents, and high incarceration rates. Slavery in the United States drove the economy in the country.…
African-Americans are considered the poorest group of people in United States, as we saw in the Poverty, Class and Race chapter that they are among the poorest people. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown a decrease in unemployment both nationwide and in Ohio, but the rate of unemployment for African American people is almost twice when compared to that of whites. This difference in the rates has been going for the last 50 years and it is still a big problem for the nation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, looking at the employment rate for 2015 and 2016, the unemployment rate for the Whites in August 2015/2016 and July 2016 was 4.5%, which include both males and females. On the other hand the unemployment rate for the African…
The immense diversity in race, ethnicity, and gender orientation in the U.S. has led to constant inequality that throughout history has made the country into what it is today. The end of inequality in our Nation was kickstarted with the abolishment of slavery in the 19th century. In 1864, the Republican Party introduced the 13th Amendment to Congress, and ⅔ of the Senate passed the amendment. While the motion would’ve passed right then, the House of Representatives didn’t choose to pass the amendment until January of 1865.…
To prevent history from repeating itself, society typically reflects on past mistakes to learn from them. However, the issue of race inequality remains as active as ever, especially in Louisiana. Race inequality is ultimately stymying society by dividing people and creating a distinction in social classes. Its detrimental affects can define a place and prevent it from flourishing. Louisiana possesses an unspoken system that perpetuates its roots of race inequality as seen by the segregation in Mahalia Jackson’s “Recollections of Early Childhood”, the education system, high incarceration rates, and Deborah Luster’s…
Summary: The article of research is “The Hidden Cost of Being African American: How Wealth Perpetuates Inequality by Thomas M. Shapiro. Shapiro, a Pokross Professor of Law and Social Policy at Brandeis University, was interested in social class and racial-ethnic differences in the indicators of socioeconomic status. Shapiro wanted to examine a data that shows persistent wealth discrepancies between whites and African Americans with similar achievements and credentials and how their lives differ because of racial inequality. Shapiro conducted his studies in 2004 by analyzing the differences in assets and wealth in four families, one which consisted of an African American, while the others are White.…
The U.S. leads developed countries in income inequality (Sherman, E., 2015, September 30). Inequality is not just about race and ethnicity; it includes gender and age, class and socioeconomic status. What is the thread that connects these many facets together? Income, but more specifically, poverty. Poverty can be found in every race, ethnicity, gender and age.…