Slavery: The Role Of Racism In America

Of course, the issue of racism is nothing new in America. Some would argue that racism began alongside humanity, but the kind of systemic racism we see in Memphis today began in about the 1500s. European explorers began “discovering” other continents of the world. Whether they came to barter or to conquer, for the first time, Europeans were meeting people who lived very differently than they did (Fredrickson). It is a common misconception that Europeans began and are the only culture to use slavery. However, historians have found evidence that suggest slavery has been a part of nearly every major civilization. Slavery was already a part of the African culture when the Europeans arrived on the continent. Most African slaves were prisoners …show more content…
They were also able to earn an education and hold jobs. Some African American men were even elected to political offices. Nevertheless, the emergence of white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, helped to enact unjust and discriminatory laws. All of the process that America was making came to a halt. Hurtful racial stereotypes were perpetuated in order to keep discriminating laws in place. These laws, called the Jim Crow laws, kept people of different races from living in the same neighborhoods, going to the same school, and even eating in the same restaurants. “You went to that hole [in the back of a restaurant] where they could hand you a sandwich through if there wasn’t a back door. And you couldn’t drink out of the water fountain. You better not!” …show more content…
In fact, it still continues today. In 2012, the Black Lives Matter movement was founded in response to the acquittal of an African American teen’s murderer. “#BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. We affirm our contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.” (Black Lives Matter) Memphis is home to an active chapter of Black Lives Matter. The chapter members focuses much of their attention on helping create a quality education for children in mostly minority school districts. However, they also stage peaceful protests and arrange meetings with local government officials to discuss safety, education, poverty, and other important topics.