Shaping People's Attitude Towards African Americans

When beginning work with the client, there were a number of apparent differences between her and myself, including age, race, and social class. As previously stated I had to become more culturally competent about working with African American clients before I started seeing the client. Furthermore, I had to become aware of the difficulties that would be present due to our age difference. I made sure to give Betty the opportunity to tell me how situations made her feel, and empathized with her, making sure to help her feel as though I understood even though I was much younger and had not experienced what she had. Additionally, the client and I come from different social classes. I had to make certain that she did not feel judged during our sessions, and provided her with the resources necessary to assist her in overcoming barriers. Sands and Gellis (2011) indicate that African American cultural values and norms derive from a number of situations, which include responses and adaptations to the oppression, poverty, and racism, which made them victims. Knowing and understanding the various differences that I would face working with the client helped to better prepare me for sessions.

Since the United States’ inception, the negative stereotypes and generalizations of African Americans have been some of the worst examples of racism that has been extremely prevalent in American culture. African American stereotypes date back all the way to colonial American times, where African American slavery was considered to be accepted and practiced. Since then, black people in America have been treated horribly for stereotypes that have deep roots in the mistreatment of black people in American history.

Asians always have perfect scores on the test and aspire to be doctors. African Americans have serious attitudes, are thugs and live in poverty. While all Hispanics are illegal immigrants, who can not speak English and commit vicious crimes. If you watch much television, all of these previous statements may seem true. Television is a powerful source of knowledge that in some ways help us understand others in humanity and ourselves.

Over the past decade disciplinary issues in the schools have increased. Children are no longer showing respect to those in authority. This problem has caused students to not only decrease in their academic achievement but also decrease in their real world social development. African Americans are amongst one ethnicity group to experience bias. In the context of school discipline, race and gender stereotypes particularly function to criminalize African American youth and to reinforce cultural beliefs about perceived inherent behavioral deficiencies and African American cultural norms in need of “social correction” (George, 2014). African Americans are placed in the stereotypical norm of having discipline problems in the schools. Especially African American girls. In a 2014 national data report, African American girls accounted for 12% of all suspensions (George, 2014). With that being said, African American girls are suspended at least “six times the rate of white girls and more than any other group of girls and several groups of boys.” (George, 2014) This is a huge problem in our schools that needs to be addressed.

The African American culture has experience a lot of things, we have experience being discriminate because the color of our skin. African American has heirted power from our ancestor to fight for what we believe in.During slavery time we could experience privilege because we was control by the master and we did have a choice to decide things, we did not have the privilege to have education.The paragrarph below will go into more detail how African American was discriminate, how they have power and what privilege they had.

Stereotypes seem to be very present in our country, especially stereotypes towards African-Americans. For the longest time, like it has been instilled as a fact in my brain, black people have been directly related to the words “ghetto” or “hood”. I don’t remember a time where I actually can remember the words “ghetto” or “hood” without the picture in my mind of an African-American person. I think that this is a big problem in today’s society because it is not true but still seems to be taught. In politics, society, and everyday life, it feels like African-American’s are being slammed for being hoodlums. This is a problem because there are millions of African-American people who do not fit this stereotype, but still get degraded and treated badly because of this age old belief.

African Americans males are considered dangerous based on a false identity, misconceptions, and misinformation that are available in the media; this includes but is not limited to rap music, news, and TV shows. This misconception can be traced as far back as slavery.

Racism and stereotypes occur greatly throughout the life of Jesmyn ward. The Men We Reaped would talk about how African American males would not leave their town because all of the influences that are around their life. So the research articles in sociology and psychology talk a lot about the stereotypes of African American males and women are more prone to stay in their home town and not do much with their life. So these articles hopefully will give insight to anybody that reads these articles and realize how people actually stereotypes African Americans. The way Men We Reaped relates to the topic that I chose and the book has material that talks a lot about racism and stereotyping.

The misinterpretation of African Americans is very prominent in society. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen sheds light on the hyper-visibility of the African-Americans through stereotypes and invisibility of the Black body itself in an attempt to get readers to understand the inner conflicts of Black citizens. Citizen is composed of seven sections, which vary in length and content. The book is interspersed with photographs, sculpture, paintings, and other types of media. Rankine also draws from film and video, and various news media. Her descriptions of encounters between people of different races show how disconcerting words are and how they affect people. Though we often hear about deep-rooted institutional and cultural forces that contribute to racism, it appears that we less often hear about the psychological processes involved. Many would like to believe that racism is over, but society actions are a constant reminder of their true feeling about Blacks. Racial bias is prominent at all levels of the institution and it paralyzes the race as a whole. Rankine uses pronouns, anecdotes, and visual art to uncover the unconscious nature of racism and extend the conversation. The audience is both the eyewitness and the victim in this “post-racial” society that fails to teach us how to be a citizen. In allowing us, the readers and audience, to subject ourselves to this hurt, we experience, an understanding of true citizenship by identifying the wrongs and understanding the difference.

The United States’ treatment of African Americans has changed tremendously since the country’s founding up until now. African Americans were first introduced to the country in one of the harshest manners possible. They were brought over on tightly compacted slave ships and then forced into hard labor for the entirety of their lives. This went on for centuries until African Americans were finally given their freedom after the Civil War. Albeit this was much better than slavery, citizenship came with many troubles of its own. The years following the Civil War, known as the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, would prove to be, aside from slavery, some of the hardest times for African Americans in all of U.S. history.

As an African-American, I've seen the world through a different lens than most of my contemporaries. Different attitudes and different perceptions have created this continual Gap and where my people and others stand in our country. Since the late 1800s after President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, African Americans have been fighting for basic rights that were promised to everybody else in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. As we remember the Reverend dr. King On this day in January, we remember the values he fought for and what it means to have can Americans across the country in this present age. What this man, Louis Stokes of the Congressional Black Caucus understood was that if we hold together we will overcome. Heard

On May 18, 1935, the New York Age reported that “Negro Cops Get Highest Award.” Each year, the New York City Police Department awards the Medal of Honor award to police officers that demonstrate courageous acts. Out of all the police officers in the city, reports stated, “Of the twenty four medals awarded, of which four were given posthumously—two of the medals went to Negro policemen—Detective John E. Roberts and Patrolman Charles A. Barts.” During the award ceremony, Lewis J. Valentine, the Police Commissioner, recognized the officers’ noteworthy acts. Roberts received reports that three men tried to rob another man with the intent of causing bodily harm. On the scene, the perpetrators fired at Roberts, who was shot three times. Roberts killed one offender and policemen detained the other two while they tried to flee. Bart reported to the scene of a murder. At the crime scene, the murderer attempted shoot Bart, but the officer killed him.

Althea Gibson and Barbara Jordan overcame barriers in order to become better. They were born in a bad time for African Americans. African Americans were limited to what they could do, due to segregation. Both ladies inspired other African-American to do new things that they thought was impossible. Althea Gibson was born into a poor family. She really didn't get a good education, but later became a famous tennis player. She was offered to play tennis which she had never played before and soon won a championship. She was the first African American female that played professional tennis. She had won 56 singles and doubles before she finally went pro, She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971. Barbara Charline Jordan

For many years there has been a lot of talk about what Africans think of African Americans and sometimes most of it isn't in the most positive light, and vice versa. As a Black American myself I want to delve deep into this argument that has been going back and forth for years. I feel that it is important for Africans and African Americans to understand each other, learn from each other because there are only certain things that are mainly different about each group but at the end of the day we are the same.

“Racism the belief to distinguish a race with beliefs that they are superior to another”. As racism remains a major setback in America, it is in no Comparison to how it was like back in the days. From the pain it caused and the poor innocent people being tarnished on just cause of the color on their skin, this was a horrific phase to those who lived upon it. We have accomplished enormously but then again we still have much to improve. With the most discreet subtle form, modern racism is slowly catching up to us.