Module 6- Racism shouldn't be an issue in this day.

Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have struggled. They were taken from their home country and forced to work for foreign men in a foreign country speaking a foreign language. While it is completely inhumane, it has been over for years and the blacks were not the first to be treated so badly, but they seem to be the ones hanging onto it the most. Today there is still racism, and in fact, thanks to affirmative action, the African American community is having their chance to get back at the white people. I don’t believe that people should hold grudges for generations. If someone has wronged you personally you may be entitled, but if one person owned your great great great great great grandparents, I don’t believe it entitles you to feel hatred towards an entire race- many of whom didn‘t own slaves in the first place. From my experience most white people don’t feel any prejudice and really don’t care about color, but African Americans do. When they were slaves they created private communities and stressed them. When they were freed and were restricted from home ownership they furthered those communities. But today, and in the last 50 years (that’s at least two generations), and in a time that changes so exponentially and has so much to offer and so many new and innovative ideas, those segregated communities aren’t necessary but they continue. I’m speaking candidly, but because generation after generation chose to stay in the life they lead (and some cases they have no choice) it still shouldn’t warrant prejudice over people who can be just as unfortunate. The percentage of blacks in poverty may be high, but whites still make up he majority of poor citizens. It shouldn’t be about race, it should be about class. The middle class is diminishing and blacks are worried about unfair racial treatment- life isn’t fair and these days (with very few exceptions) it’s got nothing to do with race, just money.

If you go back far enough in time, everyone has been treated unfairly. The Egyptians used slaves to build their pyramids. Christians and Jews both remember how Moses freed the slaves and remember that, but aren’t bitter about it. Instead it represents hope and perseverance rewarded. The Jews alone have had hardships to face since anyone can remember. While some may say they’re bitter and there are a lot of jokes, they have certainly not let stereotypes and prejudice keep them from excelling in the economy and living their lives. (Their last major ordeal was barely 60 years ago.. More recent than major slavery problems). The Jews were forced from country to country around Europe and the Middle East. They were actually told to go back to Israel by Europeans. The Chinese weren’t allowed to immigrate to the United States again until the 1960’s either. Japanese were kept in Internment camps in the 20th century. The United States has treated all people unfairly, it wasn’t just blacks. Only the elite are safe…er. The British created taxes and quartering for the colonies before the revolution, so even the American’s were prosecuted. Many Irish died during the Potato Famine and, while the rivalry with England is about as heated today as the United States and France (not very), they were treated very badly and thought of as incredibly inferior. All countries have battled and discriminated against one another since the beginning of time over land and religions. In 1847, a conference of African Americans declared, “… it is emphatically our battle; no one else can fight it for us…” (Zinn, 137). It’s true that they were the ones persecuted but its not true that they should fight it alone. What can they truly expect to accomplish without the help of others? There needed to be acceptance and allowance among all people for any rights to be accomplished.

Abolishing slavery had nothing to do with rights or prejudices. It was all about money- as everything is with white people. Lincoln, who is known for freeing the slaves and an upholder of morality, was prejudice. He believed slavery was wrong but refused to accept them as equals. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation only when it was politically advantageous (Zinn, 140), just at Kennedy did in the 1960’s with the Civil Rights Act. It’s also not entirely fair to discriminate on the grounds someone nearly 200 years ago was racist. It was normal in that time and they were raised like that. In today’s world, inheriting prejudice is wrong. There is no reason for it. If you hate an entire race it’s based on stereotypes and not validity. Just because my car was hit twice and both times it was by a Chinese woman doesn’t give me the right to say all Chinese women are bad drivers. (I’ve never really been hit! Thank God) As obvious as that is, it’s the same thing with black and white prejudice, it’s just on the same home ground unlike prejudice with any other country. W.E.B. Du Bois realized that something larger than racial issues was happening in America during the late 19th century and it was happening not just to poor blacks, but to poor whites as well. All of us were soon to become slaves of, and still are very much today, of capitalism (Zinn, 154). The point is, is that it seems a shame for there to be still so much prejudice in the world, especially in the United States. The country was founded by immigrants, you would think they would be a little more open. America was the last country to really get into slavery and the last to stop it. America continues to press it’s own ideology onto other countries despite how futile it seems to be and how bad our actual country is doing. France had their takeover of the world, did well and lost. England also had theirs but now they too have come to terms with reality and matured. I read an article (about a year ago so it may have happened) but Australia was considering leaving British rule and the Queen simply said they could vote and if that was what they decided that is how it would be. She was proud to be their queen and did the best she could for them. It was very dignified. It’s nice to see huge powers settle down. The world shouldn’t be a hostile place anymore. There is too much technological and social advances. I would expect by now petty fighting would be done with. Our leader should be mature enough to decide things civilly.

Martin Luther King Jr. understood the power of peaceful action. It takes courage and it takes patience, something that is hard to come by in these days. He wanted equality and fairness. He wanted what was right, which shouldn’t be much to ask…
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream"



MLK’s speech: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/special/mlk/king/speeches.html