Causes Of Racial Disparities For African Americans

In recent years and in light of recent tragedies, police actions, specifically police brutality, has come into view of a large, public and rather critical eye. The power to take life rests in the final stage of the criminal justice system. However, the controversy lies where due process does not. While the use of deadly force is defined and limited by departmental policies, it remains an act guided chiefly by the judgment of individual officers in pressure situations. (Goldkamp 1976, 169). Many current studies have emphasized the racial disparities in minority deaths, primarily black Americans, killed by police through means of deadly force. The history of occurrences reveals the forlorn truth that police reforms only receive attention in wake of highly publicized episodes of police misconduct. The notorious 1992 Los Angeles riots brought the matter to mass public attention and prompted improved law enforcement policy. Significant local reforms resulted, for instance, ending the policy of lifetime terms for police chiefs. Additionally, on a broader platform, in 1994, Congress approved provisions to the Crime Control Act in effort to tackle police abuse in a more structured way.

In today’s society, there are many different factors that can contribute to one’s overall health and well-being. Since there are so many different factors that can affect one’s health, there are inequalities that exist among people and this is knows as health disparity. "Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States” (Nhlbi.nih.gov, 2015). Health disparities can be associated with factors such as: socioeconomic status, education, gender, race, ethnicity, age, mental health, and religion. There are certain health problems that can affect different groups more than others, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS (Surgeongeneral.gov, 2015). One example of a specific population in the United States that is affected by health disparities is the African American Population. While African Americans are affected by various health disparities, one that affects this population more prominently is heart disease.

13.2% of the United States population identifies themselves as Black as African Americans, and of those over 16% had an mental illness that was diagnosable. The socio economic impact of a history of slavery, sharecropping and race-based exclusion from health, racism, spiritual beliefs, social and economic resources, education and other factors are key factors that contribute to African American disparities today. Many of these things are linked to mental health. According to the US department of health, African Americans are 20% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than in non-Hispanic whites (. Despite knowing this, African Americans are less likely to seek mental health services than white Americans.

Health disparities among African-Americans is a continuing problem that has been seen over many years. African-Americans have higher poverty rates, have lower rates of insurance coverage, and are more likely to be covered by Medicaid, than the White population (Copeland, 2005). This lack of insurance has led many of these individuals, to not seek treatment for illness, due to problem accessing health care (Kennedy, 2013). This leaves African-Americans with little to no treatment, which causes an increase of medical care that will be needed further on in their life or a sooner than expected death, caused by illness (Copeland, 2005).

The mandatory imprisonment policies written for the judicial system are creating disparity of minority inmate population primarily due to non-violent drug crimes and the unjust mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

truly concerned me growing up. Raised on the North side of San Antonio, Texas, I was never

I plan to discuss Older African Americans and the disparity of the quality of care in nursing homes. In 2008, 3.2 older African Americans lived in the United States, making up 8.3% of the older population. (Administration on Aging) This number is expected to grow to 9.9 million by the year 2050, making African Americans account for 11% of the population. 50% of Black Elderly lived in 8 states, which were New York, Florida, California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, and Virginia. (Administration on Aging) 12% of older African Americans had a bachelors degree or higher. (Administration on Aging) Also in 2008, over 12% of Black older persons had a bachelor’s degree or higher. (Administration on Aging) In 2008, 30% of older black men

Over the past couple of months Obama has talked about how he wants to take on criminal justice reform. Recently both political parties have shown bipartisan support for reforming the criminal justice system. Senator Chuck Grassley has introduced a sentencing reform bill that appears to have bipartisan support. [1] Some liberals say this bill will help to address racial disparities; however, although this is a step in the right direction this bill, if it were to become law, would not significantly change the racial disparities between white and black Americans. The bill fails to address the stigma felons face in the job market, it fails to address a felons right to vote, and it fails to address crime prevention. To fully address racial disparities in American nearly every institution will require some form of reformation.

When it comes to the War on Drugs and racial disparity, African Americans males are more likely to receive a higher prison sentence than their white counterparts. For example, there is disparity in sentencing regarding powder cocaine and crack cocaine. The judicial system provides a heavier prison sentence for crack than powder, even though it is better than previously. Crack and powder cocaine are both illegal substances that derive from the same drug, which is cocaine. Whites and African American drug addicts use these drugs; however, the difference is the distribution and use of the drugs targets distinct groups of people. White drug dealers use and sell powder cocaine more frequently in wealthier communities. Addicts abuse crack cocaine

After 60 years of the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education ruled, the issues of obstacle toward the minorities still remain as a widespread problem in this country (Jamies Binder, n.d). Minority students don 't have equivalent opportunity to access education as white students in some certain areas such as government doesn’t offer enough fund to minority schools; education system have low expectation on minority students; some schools still retain segregation institution. On the other hand, these obstacles have produced the serial of serious damage to the benefit of minority students such as uneducated, high dropout rate and lack of academic support due to poor educational circumstance. According to Jonathan Kozol 's Book The Shame of the Nation and Shawn Ginwright’s and Julio Cammarota’s article, “New Terrain in Youth Development: The promise of a Social Justice Approach,” the three obstacles are segregation, funding, low expectation which deprive minority students’ natural rights to access education without limitation as white students.

.Health disparities is a population-specific difference in the existence of multiple health outcomes, diseases, and entry to healthcare. Health disparities are known among diverse ethics for instance like Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and African Americans. These groups have a higher chance of chronic conditions along with having a higher percentage in mortality and impoverished health outcomes. Most developing countries are more prone to having health disparities. Studies have shown that poverty, poor access to health care, and exposure to the environmental problem are the leading cause of health disparities.

The debate over whether “race matters” is getting more complicated as news and social media put a spotlight on social injustices that are specifically affecting African Americans. Throughout history, race has always been a major factor in determining superiority, in which the framers and founding fathers of this nation created a system to serve and protect the white man. Race is still an issue today as our system of checks and balances go unchecked and unbalanced. These issues are specifically evident for African Americans who are not served fairly and just. How could race not matter when people of different groups live within a system that was designed for a specific group? This is the crux of the problem that many African

The Declaration of Independence and Common Sense are one of the most important documents ever written. The point of the Declaration of Independence was to show why the thirteen colonies were separating themselves from Great Britain. Common Sense was written to to help strengthen the colonies argument for their freedom. Eventually, the colonists had won the Revolutionary War and formed a brand new government. Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence helped create this government where “all men are created equal.” Both documents expressed ideas of greater possibility for humanity. However, have we achieved the maxims expressed in these documents? The answer is no. Take a look at African Americans throughout history and even today.

The world pretends that it has become an almost perfectly just place, since the passing of laws that protect people of color, or the rebirth of the state of Israel. The world, despite having created bounds to injustice, is hardly greater in terms of equal opportunity, than its yesteryears. Even though the world still battles its injustices, the United States has become a more just and safe place (Tupi). Although justice often fails around the globe, in America, one can expect fair treatment from the system, as America has set forth an agenda of progression in justice and equality. Regardless of the ethics that America has begun to subscribe to, injustice is not something that Americans or any other people should ignore; therefore, protesters

Historically, there have been group of people who have always been marginalized through the history of time. The Black race is not any different from this issue, and throughout history of the world they have went through a lot changes from slavery to human right to now social injustice. Through all this different times and trails there have been one constant term the seems to come up that will in no doubt their ability to function as normal human beings. That is Sports. For centuries from the romans ‘gladiators’ to our WWE Super Stars, sports heroes have always been very instrumental part of the society and that’s not different in the black communities’ times of social injustice in forefront of our country history these induvial are as very