How Does Racial Inequality Affect Our Society

Prejudice strongly relates to Edward .R. Murrow’s idea that everyone is a prisoner of their own experiences. This means that prejudice and discrimination can cause a person to feel trapped and imprisoned in their own life. When you judge someone on the basis of something that isn’t their fault it’s called prejudice. Prejudice is usually polarised; this means that people victimise others that appear opposite to themselves. For example, different races tend to victimise each other. Insecurity is going to be a key theme in this essay, due to the fact that discrimination can affect someone’s personal stability and cause someone to become extremely isolated and insecure. In this essay I will be talking about the effects of racial discrimination on society. I will be comparing and contrasting John Steinbeck’s book: Of Mice and Men – set in the 1930’s, John Agard’s poem: Half-caste set in 2004 and Maya Angelou’s poem: Still I rise – set in 1978. All of these pieces link to racial discrimination and prejudice in some way. I am going to be exploring the similarities and differences in these pieces. I am also going to be explaining how these pieces help us to understand how prejudice can affect personal and social insecurity.

The brutality of the police force has been a long worldwide problem, but especially between the years of 2012-2016. Black people are being unjustly beaten and shot in plain sight for doing nothing while being unarmed. Journal of African American Studies “Blacks are viewed as deserving of harsh treatment in the criminal justice system” (482). “Black males with more “Afrocentric” features may receive longer sentences than blacks with less Afrocentric features like lighter skin and straighter hair”(482). Nowadays it is important to know about the police force. It’s important to know our rights as citizens and be careful around cops. Not everybody is good, but not everybody is bad also. In The New York Amsterdam News 21 people were killed by Chicago police in 2008. Entire families were being attacked. They believe it’s because of their skin color and how they are different. The year of racism started off with the world seeing the police murder of Oscar Grant. “The media have pushed people away from hearing the issue of police brutality, and it has fallen off of the radar screen.”(2) “You can’t give in. They will try to make an example out of you, try to break your spirit!”(2) African Americans say do not trust the cops with anything. “They will ruin you.”(2)

The following piece of work will discuss racism within the criminal justice system by viewing the Black Lives Matter movement, the roles of law enforcement and how that effects citizens, and potential solutions to the problems in the system. Within our criminal justice system, it is evident that there is a problem by the ratio of blacks in prison, and the number of police brutality cases in the country.

Although there was significant progress made in the 60’s Civil Rights Movements, African American lives still find themselves the subjects of racial profiling and police brutality cases. Specific incidents have brought the controversies to the public eye through social media and backlash from social movements. The cases of Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland led to the controversies and feelings of judicial injustice; these events and public outrage sparked and fueled the movement “Black Lives Matter”, which was established to challenge and combat racial discrimination and police brutality. Since then, the movement has gained momentum and continues to gain followers and validity. Social media has also been a main contributor to the cause, as the

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a loosely‐coordinated, nationwide movement dedicated to ending police brutality that rose to prominence in late 2014. It takes its name from a hashtag started by three Black feminist activists Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi but the movement and the hashtag are not identical (Freelon, McIlwain, & Clark, 2016). BLM has achieved national reputation through their online and offline organizing, obtaining extensive news media coverage and glowing references in music and entertainment television. Based on a horrendous incident that sparked a concern for a lot of Black people across the world, the sudden need for a social movement was born called BLM. Black Lives Matter is a national organization working for the validity of Black life and also working to rebuild the Black liberation movement. Black Lives Matter broadens the conversation and highlight the incidents around state violence to include the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. This referring to the ways in which Black lives are deprived of basic human rights and dignity. According to the article The Murder of Walter Scott, which talks about race and class, “African Americans are less than 13% of the U.S. population yet they are nearly 50% of those killed by the police. North Charleston has a population of 104,000, 47% Black and the police force is 80% white (Miah, 2015)”.

There are approximately 7 billion people in this world. Each person has a unique combination of traits such as skin tone, face shape, body type, eye color, hair color, and other characteristics. These traits vary due to genetics, environmental factors, and much more. An individual 's race is defined by their physical characteristics and how they differ among others. Race is not defined by the way an individual behaves or portrays themselfes; it is based strictly off of their physical traits. Since America was founded, race has played a significant role in the relations of the citizens in this country. For decades, different races have been stereotyped and been prejudice towards one another, without realizing how invalid their judgements are. Specifically, African Americans have been discriminated by caucasians in America since it’s founding. It began by the enslaving of African Americans, and today, the discrimination and inequality is more hidden in society. Although America has made significant progress in overcoming racial inequality in the country, many African Americans are still being subject to hardships that Caucasian Americans do not face, especially in regards to the justice system.

a few years now, police brutality has become an extremely controversial topic and has raised many debates and questions about law enforcement and civilians. Police brutality has been common for decades. However after the death of African Americans such as Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, and Philando Castile, many other African Americans have rose up in protest and anger. The anger stems from these men dying at the hands of police which the civilians believe they died from situation that should have been handled differently. Cases like these have caused a major divide with African Americans and law enforcement. Many people wonder where the relationship between the two went wrong and how police brutality became such a big issue that seems impossible

Ever since the case of Trayvon Martin being shot in 2013, dozens and dozens of cases of injustice have been brought up to the eyes of the media and the law. Lately, the majority of those cases have been about police brutality, and it’s taken such a strong effect on the public that movements have been born out of it, such as the BlackLivesMatter movement. The situation has reached a point to where President Obama stepped out and addressed the issue at hand. The central issue here isn’t only the barbaric tactics that law enforcement resorts to, but the fact that the power police officers have as enforcers of the law is and has been abused over and over.

Within the past few years, incidents involving many deaths of unarmed African Americans and police officers have been broadcasted across the media. A large portion of these incidents result in protest and advocation against police brutality. There are a wide range of feelings and viewpoints people care to discuss concerning the topic of police brutality. Usually, when an African American person is killed by the hands of a police officer, people tend to explain how police brutality is the cause and culprit. Some people voice how police brutality is a matter that needs to quickly addressed while others believe it doesn 't even exist and therefore is not a cause for concern. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, police brutality is a

“What are you following me for?” “You shot me. You shot me!” “Please don’t let me die” “Officer, why do you have your guns out?” “I can’t breathe.” “I don’t have a gun. Stop Shooting.”(The Last Words). These were some of the last words from victims of police brutality against African Americans. Police brutality has been occurring ever since the police force began, but recently, the police have been targeting African Americans. In 2016, more than 250 African Americans were killed by the police. Most of the victims were unarmed and have not committed a serious offense. These frightening statistics do not have to continue. If the average American recognized the severity of the issue and raised their voice, this inequity

“Black lives matter!” We have been hearing this, on the news, on social media, and in protests for years now. However, it has become more frequently heard in the past few months following the highly publicized Sandra Bland stop and arrest. Sandra Bland was stopped by Officer Brian Encinia on July 10, 2015, allegedly for not signaling a turn. This stop went wrong almost instantly. She was found deceased in a jail cell on July 13, 2015, an alleged suicide. While there are several ethical issues regarding this case, both parties involved were responsible. While the officers’ actions seem to be the actions that are focused on most, some of Bland’s actions should also be considered when viewing the issues raised. The actions of both parties involved

Police brutality is not a new subject. It has been around for numerous years, and like most issues, has resurfaced to the public’s eyes. The recent events brought up the question: Does there need to be a reform in the system in the police system? In this year alone, there have been countless cases of individuals being harmed or even killed by police officers for reasons that continuously are not explained. What has people more attentive to this injustice are statistics showing that most victims in these police attacks happen to be African Americans and other minorities.

I don’t remember a time where I have let things like gender, race, or sexual orientation keep me from having a conversation with someone and becoming their friend. I now realize, there is a term for my philosophy in life; humanism. I have always lived by the basis of humanism without really thinking of the term to describe it. I believe in equality for all human beings and this is what motivates me to face issues in my community and fight to obliterate them. While there are many issues affecting my community, the two I am most passionate about addressing are racial inequalities and mental health awareness.

Undoubtedly one of the most controversial issues in modern society is in regards to racism around the world. The negativity of people against the minorities and immigrants around the world has a significant influence on the societies they live in.

“Racial inequality id reflected on past and present-day racial disparities in access to housing, education, political leadership, and high-income employment” (Korgen & Furst, 2012). Racial inequality does indeed violate the core value of American culture. African Americans and minorities that are considered felons or once were felons undergo racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequalities, not because they are criminals but because of the color of their skin.