Concrete Responses The essays included present a compelling but biased study within the context of class, race and gender. History shows racism has been clearly practiced in the past; however much has been done to correct the unbridgeable and immutable differences in race, gender and class status in the United States. Rothenberg emphasizes, in the collection of essays, past views of Euro-Americans’ superiority in intelligence and abilities over darker skinned races. Throughout the history of the United States, discrimination against race and gender has been documented thus creating various classes according to race and gender. Racism has been defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2010).
Rather than place the blame at the feet of the poor, the author demonstrates how federal and local governments aided in cutting off persons from decent housing, economic and educational opportunities with legalized segregation and planned metropolitan expansion that sought to ensconce the poor in the shadows of southern society. This intensified the poverty as a whole to the point where it then became the highest ranked poverty are in the nation. Dyson points out that this nation’s willful ignorance and naivety concerning its poorer and disproportionately darker citizens is disturbingly sad and dissapointing. The second and third chapters, “Does George W. Bush Care About Black People?” and “The Politics of Disaster,” focus directly on toward the “rhythms, relations, and rules of race” that informed the federal government’s response to Katrina, or lack thereof, and the anemic structuring of FEMA that has been embattled by a history of what the author refers to as “a combination of cronyism, politicization, inexperience and incompetence” respectively. According to Dyson, Katrina uncovered a culture of “passive indifference” to the problems plaguing poor black folk that as a matter of consequence is indistinguishable from “active malice.”
Mr. Griffin takes the most extreme measure and although well aware of the repercussions that might follow, he decides to alter his skin pigmentation under the direction of a dermatologist. Consequently Mr. Griffin becomes a Negro but leaves his lifestyle unmolested. Mr. Griffin travels to southern states, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, where blacks are mostly seen as degrading and immoral human beings. Mr. Griffin himself is denied entry to restrooms, denied a sip of water at water fountains, denied automatic rights and privileges that belong to everyone for the sole reason of being human. Consequently Mr. Griffin doesn’t just see the suffering of Blacks, he feels it
When people talk about race, it is generally used to identify people of a particular ethnic or cultural group (e.g. White, Black, Latino, Asian, etc.). The Oxford American Dictionary defines “race” as one of the great divisions of mankind with certain inherited physical characteristics in common. This term has long been used for classifying humans into different groups by factors such as skin color, appearance, culture, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. There are misconceptions about the use of race because all humans fall in the category of homosapiens.
It has defragmented human society. In the past and most certainly in the present, racism is a main factor in the conflicts that have involved this country… The Civil War, The Spanish-American War, and how can we forget the racism that ensued after the bombing of the World Trade Center? As a matter of fact, let's talk about September 11, 2001 (9/11). If there is one good thing that came out of that tragedy, it is the fact that it was the day that brought America together. On that fateful day, Americans, of all shapes and sizes, colors and religions, regardless of their own differences in race, age, sex, or class… were all united as one.
Segregation After the civil war in the USA, the African Americans gain “equal” rights. But the 14th amendment in 1868 (Absolute equality of the two races before the law) didn’t include “social rights” which meant that they didn’t get much choices in society, like choosing where you wanted to sit on a bus. This still made the African Americans feel inferior, knowing that within their home town the “whites” had the choices, and actual freedom. Blacks responded to their situation in 4 ways as their situation began to worsen from 1877. They would co-operate with any willing whites, migrate to the North or West, protest politically and would follow accommodationism.
“The forgotten Man”, the famous speech by William Graham Sumner, points his idea about the social problems in late nineteenth century and early twenties. In his point of view, if A and B came up with an idea to force C to do something to help D who is suffering from some problems, C would be the forgotten man. Sumner’s idea, to some extent, supports Jim Crow Law. During the reconstructive, the society didn’t reach the point of equality of the two races, instead it became even worse in many places all over the country. The Civil War only ended the slavery, not racism.
Racisms effect on America after the Civil War HIS 204: American History Sense 1865 Racisms effect on America after the Civil War Though the Civil War had ended in 1865, it had hardly cooled racial tensions within the hearts of American citizens. Policies put in place after the war placed non-whites at major disadvantages causing the differences between whites and non-whites to become even more inherent. This made harmony among the races impossible. The issue of race played a major role in issues of the day, effecting specifically, immigration to the United States and American Imperialism. There were many reasons that made the problem of “the color line” more and more definite.
KKK was hugely supported by whites and became the voice for poor uneducated whites who felt threatened in competing for housing and jobs. Blacks had limited educational and job opportunities as many whites did not want to integrate. Limited education and job opportunities were out there for blacks as many worked domestically or in the fields such as farming. These poor standards motivated blacks to boycott Montgomery buses and change the future for blacks. Last cause of Montgomery Bus Boycott was the Supreme Court
Although each of them had their own perspectives, their main objective was the same. Reparations in this society can be defined by stating that the U.S. government needs to make a formal apology to blacks for the damage caused by the transatlantic slave trade due to social and economic consequences in the United States. Advocates also feel the U.S. government owes the black people. Blacks remain behind due to many things, the most important being slavery. The Constitution, until recently, did not apply to blacks; blacks feel they deserve payments from 310 years of slavery, destruction to their minds and culture.