Systemic Oppression

Over the years, our generations’ stereotypical views over the issue on young black males being viewed as dangerous has grown significantly. There are different reasons why these stereotypes occur in our society. People feel on edge when running into them in dark passageways, whenever it’s late at night. Also, while they’re sitting at red lights and notice someone walking towards their cars, they instantly initiate down the door locks. People think stereotyping black men this way keeps them safer because they assume the worst. However; other people disagree with instantly judging who they see around them, it hurts more people as well as themselves by viewing black men this way. Brent Staples, the author of “Black Men and Public Spaces,” claims that he’s considered a stereotypical black criminal. In his essay, Staples succeeds because he successfully appeals to people’s emotions, is an expert on human behavior, creates common ground and offers a logical solution.

Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s “Fatal Couplings of Power and Difference:Notes on Racism and Geography” speaks honestly of the current state of systemic racism in America and its possible causes using past historical trends. He argues that because racism is so ingrained into the defining moments of our past and so deeply rooted in our political, economic and social systems that it cannot be solved by the short-run remedies being offered. Gilmore accused geography of being the cause of racial issues in America, saying that, “a geographical imperative lies at the heart of every struggle for social justice,” (Gilmore 16).There is so much truth in this statement because without borders or normative behavioral practices there is no differential treatment

White privilege is an advantage in society that is unmerited. Though it is practiced in every day life (whether it’s subtle or not), the majority views it as “absurd” and “non-existent”. It is a taboo that creates feelings of guilt, hostility and anger, but it must be addressed and understood in order to be eradicated. It is necessary for white people to acknowledge their part in maintaining and benefiting from a society that has thrived on racial hierarchy and white supremacy for centuries. White privilege is essentially the flip side of racism; racism does not only disadvantage people of colour, but grants white people power and dominance in our so-called “post-racial” society (McKintosh, 1). In this essay, I will argue that positive and widespread representation and implied acceptance are the most important features of white privilege. Widespread representation is the most important feature of white privilege because we live in an age where the media not only reflects, but also controls our real worldviews and attitudes. The second most important feature of white privilege is adequate housing opportunities and implied acceptance and respect. It is necessary to eliminate this system that puts people in power based on their skin tone and these two aspects are crucial in order to reach that.

In today’s society mass media has major influences on the beliefs/perceptions one may have on certain ethnicities or controversial topics. Media outlets have the power to shape certain situations and place people in an image that may not always be accurate. As stated in an article by Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, Communication research and theory suggest that the mass media is an important source of information about African Americans and media portrayals contribute to public perceptions of African Americans(2008). Further, it was mentioned that media outlets such as television may cause viewers to conceive, alter, or even reinforce their beliefs and opinions about African Americans ( Punyanunt- Carter, 2008). For Instance, in the Netflix documentary called “13th” Media outlets consistently used the word “Super predators” when describing the numerous African American men who were being arrested in the 80’s during the war on drugs era. The constant use of the word super predator can persuade viewers to believe that ALL African American men are super predators when that is not the case! Just because there are a few African Americans who are seen on Media outlets committing heinous crimes does not mean that all African Americans are criminals. As stated in a scholarly article by Tony Weaver, Media outlets create a narrative that portrays African Americans as lazy, violent individuals, who are prone to crime. The Misrepresentation of African Americans in media has

There are large racial disparities in incarceration and related detainments for African Americans. They are more likely to be under the supervision of the Department of Corrections than any other racial or ethnic group (H.West, Sabol, & Greenman, 2010). Institutional racism is believed to be the reason why African Americans, especially males, are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. On balance, the public believes that discrimination against black people is based on the prejudice of the individual person, correlates to the discrimination built into the nation’s laws and institutions (Pew’s Research Center, 2017). This belief is actually supported through several experimental studies that provide evidence that African Americans are to be seen as more criminal and threatening than others thus more likely to be arrested or even shot (Greenwald, Oakes, & Hoffman, 2003). Racism within the criminal justice system very much exists and is still relevant.

Why as white people have we been lulled into thinking its safe to be around other white people. Why have we been taught since birth that it’s the people of that other color we need to fear? They’re the ones that will slit your throat (Moore 57). The mass media has played and will continue to play a crucial role in the way white Americans perceive African-Americans. As a result of the overwhelming media focus on crime, drug use, gang violence, and other forms of anti-social behavior among African-Americans, the media is fostering a distorted public perception of African-Americans. Looking at past examples of African Americans treatment

Another common negative stereotype, establishes the African American male as intellectually inferior. Studies directed by psychologist Claude Stale, indicate that African American teenagers are aware that they are stigmatized as being intellectually inferior and the go to school bearing what psychologist Claude has called a “burden of suspicion” Such burden can affect their attitudes and achievements. These shadows hang over stigmatized people no matter their status or accomplishments. These stigmas have the potential to roll them of their individually and debilitate their attempts to break out of the stereotypical roles. Blacks are the repository for the American fear of crime. Ask anyone, of any race, to picture a criminal and the image will have a black face. The linked between blackness and criminality it’s routinized by terms such a “black-on-black crimes” or “black crimes”.

Since the United States’ inception, African Americans have occupied a lower social position than other ethnicities. While many of the racist institutional constraints, such as slavery and Jim Crow, have been done away with, the negative stereotypes of African American’s perpetuated by the media and adopted by the public contribute to keep the African American population separate and unequal. To fully understand this problem, the media’s portrayal of African American’s must first be analyzed. Local and national news networks over represent black as perpetrators, whites as victims, and pay special attention to black-on-white crime as opposed to crime within racial groups, (Chamberlain 2008). When the media is portraying a black man as a criminal or any other societal undesirable, important aspects of a black man’s life, such as systemic racism and historical economic disadvantage, are almost always ignored, (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011, p. 14).

The Perceived Realism of African American Portrayals on Television, highlights that in the past, “African American television portrayals typically depicted the following stereotypic personality characteristics: inferior, stupid, comical immoral and dishonest” (Carter 263). Over time however, it was “later noted that other stereotypes of African Americans existed, including disrespectful, violent, greedy, ignorant, and power driven” (Carter 243). The violent, ignorant and disrespectful stereotypes are still very apparent in media today, specifically in news media. African Americans are more often than not in news stories that are related to crime, and depicted as savage, impolite and uninformed. Therefore, it is apparent that these “negative portrayals often lead to the continuation of stereotypes of African Americans in general” (Carter 251).

This research paper will outline the causes and traits of oppression in America. Dynamics such as the social, historical, and psychological systems that serve as vessels of oppression will be addressed. Using academic research, the goal for this essay will be to discuss the characteristics of oppression and how those characteristics are connected to its origin. The research will develop major themes that will serve to define agents, including classism, discrimination, and the intersectionality of different types of oppression. Discussions on strategies for addressing and ending the current oppression in America and recommendations for the future will be highlighted as well.

Today, a serious problem exists all over the world. Racial oppression takes place in the poorest and the richest countries, including America. Racial oppression is characterized by the majority, or the ruling race, imposing its beliefs, values, and laws on the minority, or the ruled race. In most areas, the ruling race is upper class whites that run the “system”, and have a disproportionate amount of power. In other areas, it may not be the white race, but it is still the race that is comprised of the majority, makes the laws, or has the most money. These are the keys to domination over the weaker minorities that don’t have the power to thrive under the majority’s system according to their own cultural beliefs,

Racial Bias are a direct correlation to police violence against African Americans, stereotypes perpetuated by social constructions and media representation along with individual prejudice help by police officers view African Americans as a threat especially African American men. Police trust this ideology of “threat” to assist in their use of excessive force against African Americans to comply. (Tyler, 2011; Tyler et al., 2015, Skinner, Haas,2016).

. He talked about oppression, the elite having the power and not wanting to relinquish it, the oppressor being afraid of the oppressed forming any type of cohesive group so they keep them separated by manipulation and false sense of belief that they are part of a group when in reality they are not. He also takes about the oppressed being afraid of speaking out or taking action, always putting themselves down because that is where they were programed to believe they belong. These are all some of the inequalities we are experiencing today, not much has changed however it is important to learn how to conquer using what the oppressor fears most and that is unity, joining forces against those who continue to oppress. He talks about cultural invasion, something we see every day as members of the majority group goes into another group and impose their culture and values upon that that with total

In the novella The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, a native baja man named Kino and his family struggle with the burden of oppression within their society after finding a great pearl. Their dangerous journey to freedom eventually results in the loss of everything they hold dear, including Kino’s son, Coyotito. Throughout this story, Steinbeck conveys the major theme, oppression can drive strong men to lose control of their emotions, and do foolish and dangerous things.

It may be factual that the African immigrant may have misinterpreted the police order, or possibly he intended to confirm his identification by showing his identification papers. In a split-second, the police opened fire, and only after the shooting was it evident that Diallo had reached for his wallet. The defense argued that at the instance of the split-second decision, the police officers assumed their lives were at risk, and that they consequently did not hold the conscious objective to commit a crime. Although the court failed to take into consideration the mechanisms that may inform such a position, it is appropriate to reflect on the premise that racism is increasingly woven into identity formation in the contemporary media. Moreover, that race as a constructed social grouping derives its influence partly from the social psychological understanding of social categorization, and also from the influential underrated legitimacy that race categories have obtained in their formulation. This is exemplified by the earlier position in this paper that, a media report concerning a criminal suspect of African American descent may automatically trigger stereotypes of aggression (Govorun & Payne, 2006).