Coming From Mississippi, By A White Muslim Essay

Prior to beginning my readings on white racial identity, I did not pay much attention to my white race. If someone had asked me to describe my appearance I would have said short blond hair, blue eyes, average stature, etc. One of the last things I would have noted was the color of my skin. Growing up in overwhelmingly white communities, I never thought to use the color of my skin to differentiate myself from others. Over the course of this dialogue I have learned that my white racial identity is one of the most defining aspects of my appearance in this society. There is a certain level of privilege that I am afforded based solely on the color of my skin. According to Peggy McIntosh, “White privilege is like an invisible weightless

In today’s modern world, many people would be surprised to find out that there is still a racial caste system in America. After witnessing the election of a black president, people have started believing that America has entered a post-racial society. This is both a patently false and dangerous mindset. The segregation and stigma of race is still very much alive in our society. Instead of a formalized institution such as slavery or Jim Crow, America has found a new way to continue the marginalization of blacks by using the criminal justice system. In Michelle Alexander’s book “ The New Jim Crow”, she shows how America’s “ War on Drugs “ has become a tool of racial segregation and how the discretionary enforcement of drug laws has

Throughout history, African Americans have encountered an overwhelming amount of obstacles for justice and equality. You can see instances of these obstacles especially during the 1800’s where there were various forms of segregation and racism such as the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan terrorism, Jim- Crow laws, voting restrictions. These negative forces asserted by societal racism were present both pre and post slavery. Although blacks were often seen as being a core foundation for the creation of society and what it is today, they never were given credit for their work although forced. This was due to the various laws and social morals that were sustained for over 100 years throughout the United States. However, what the world didn’t

The Condemnation of Blackness by Kahlil Gibran Muhammad outlines the struggles and tribulations that African Americans had to face after the American Civil War. The book gives specific accounts as to why African Americans were deemed “The New Problem” and how that changed, highlighting discrimination of African Americans as the real problem. Muhammad also focuses of on the work done by social scientist, criminologist, libertarians, activist of both black and white races and how their work affected the African American people and their place in society as a whole. Muhammad also explains how the labeling of blacks as criminals has had an influence on our society today.

Have you ever said that you wanted to start a riot, and people have responded by saying that’s not funny? Well here’s why they say that. On May 31, 1921 a riot occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It all happened when Dick Rowland (an African American) was accused of raping a white woman named Sarah Page in an elevator, when Rowland had tripped and grabbed her arm by accident. A salesclerk overheard the scream and called the police. Rowland was arrested. There were angry whites that were outside the courtroom protesting for Rowland to be lynched. The violence started for some people on May 31, 1921 and went on until June 1, 1921. 1265 homes, dozens of office buildings, restaurants, churches and schools had been destroyed during this

The New Jim Crow is a book written by Michelle Alexander that discusses the rebirth of a caste-like system and race-related issues in the United States specific to African-American males and mass incarceration. Racial Critiques of Mass Incarceration: Beyond the New Jim Crow, is a scholarly article that examines and critiques mass incarceration as well as the analogy of the Criminal Justice system being the “new Jim Crow.”

Throughout Reconstruction, southern whites felt constantly threatened by legislation providing rights for former slaves. The Civil Rights Bill of 1875 was the last rights bill passed by congress during reconstruction. It protected all Americans’ (including blacks) access to public accommodations such as trains. With the threat of complete equality constantly looming, violence toward former slaves gradually increased in the years following the Civil War. Beatings and murders were committed by organized groups like the Ku Klux Klan, out-of-control mobs, and individual white southern men. During Reconstruction, white southerners had limited governmental power, so they resorted to violence in order to control

In Alabama of 1965, African Americans and white people were very separated. White people had a lot more rights than African Americans did. Many African Americans protested for equal rights. The biggest right they wanted was the right to vote. Big events from 1964 to early 1965 would lead to the March of Selma.

The Strange Career of Jim Crow by Van Woodward is based on the time period surrounding the Civil Rights Movement. This book is an accurate account of events that occurred during this time. It shows how the 1896 US Supreme Court Ruling affected blacks and the obstacles they faced to overcome. This book shows how the rights of African Americans have evolved over time. Van Woodward did an excellent job illustrating the events of history with The Strange Career of Jim Crow and created a factual account of history that is still used in classrooms today.

As a non-white Muslim, I am a part of a wide group of people including women and African Americans that you have chosen to misrepresent and ridicule throughout your presidential campaign by using negative and false information. Coming from Mississippi, I understand what it means to be a part of a minority. Attending a predominantly white high school, I was surrounded by many of your supporters who valued your oppression towards Muslims, women, and African Americans. Consequently, I disliked your pessimistic opinion towards minorities because I am one of the many recipients of your hurtful and unpleasant comments. However, I could not freely express my opinion because the majority of people surrounding me did not understand my beliefs. I did not expect these people around me in high school to be accepting. Why would I? These were the same people that called me a terrorist. The same people that mocked people of color. The same people that neglected any religious beliefs not involving Christianity. Hence, they were not going to suddenly change this unaccepting bias towards minorities, especially if these unaccepting people see a prominent figure such as yourself enforcing the same negative ideals towards African Americans, women, and Muslims. If the white majority see a person with high authority such as a presidential candidate act harsh towards minorities, what is going to stop them from doing the same? By focusing on themselves, the white majority who have chosen to support

As a non-white Muslim, I am a part of the group of people including women and African Americans that you have chosen to ridicule and undermine throughout your presidential campaign. Coming from Mississippi, I understand what it means to be a part of the minority. Attending a predominantly white high school, I was surrounded by many of your supporters who valued your oppression towards Muslims, women, and African Americans. Consequently, I disliked your opinion towards minorities because I am one of the many recipients of your hurtful and unpleasant comments especially towards Muslims. However, the people around me did not appreciate my opinion, and they looked down upon it. I did not expect them to be accepting. Why would I? These were the same people that called me a terrorist. The same people that mocked “colored” people. The same people that neglected any religious beliefs not involving Christianity. Hence, they were not going to suddenly change this unaccepting behavior, especially if they see a prominent figure such as yourself discriminating others too. Similarly, if they see a person with high authority such as a presidential candidate act harsh towards minorities, what is going to stop them from doing the same? Consequently, by focusing on themselves, the white majority who have chosen to support you and your actions have simultaneously chosen to neglect the needs of the minorities. As a result, this failure to recognize the disadvantages of the minorities has

In 1492 Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue. Everyone knows the story of Christopher Columbus; they are taught it in grade school if not before then. When he landed in America by accident, he had no idea that he would be creating the world's largest Melting Pot. This "melting pot" provided means for a new country, made from a mixture of many cultures and beliefs, thus creating a new country with a new and ever-changing culture. One complication with a Melting Pot is that you cannot put people of different race and ethnicity together without conflict.

Stereotypes often determine how we see people who are different from us. Stereotypes play such an important role in our perceptions of others, but what exactly are they? A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing (Williams, 2013). In essence, stereotypes are not limited to different races and ethnicities, but also include: genders, social classes, cultures and even certain hobbies. In light of the increase of negative attention that Muslims have been receiving in the media, the stereotypes discussed in this paper will be centered on Muslims. Specifically, the stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists will be analyzed.

In today's society people are brainwashed to think that Muslim are terrorist and with one single touch they will kill you and do harm with in a second”,” but instead of backing away from the Muslim they would prefer doing harm to them. A report in November 19, 2010 - A Missouri man went to court for a bias-motivated assault against a worker of an Islamic center. The man claimed the center was for “people not from the United States” who are in fact, “trying to take over the United States.” The alleged assailant also reportedly threatened the worker with a knife and a handgun and claimed he was with an organization that was “going to see to it that the building didn’t stand.” This man from Missouri didn’t do what let say some normal people would

In today’s society women are given ample opportunity just as much as men. In some countries, such as middle-eastern nations that is not the case. Muslim women are often perceived to be submissive to Muslim men and unequal. Mohammed never taught for women to be treated as lower class citizens. Nonetheless, the blame is pointed towards the religion of Islam. The Islamic religion began as all monotheist religions representing a belief in one God and moral standards. In the following essay I will discuss and elaborate what Mohammed taught, how women lived in early Islamic society, and what it has become.