African American Struggles and Progress: Civil Rights, Inequities, and Ongoing Challenges Case Study

Introduction

Historically, African Americans have been exposed to recurrent abuse and have had to deal with violations of fundamental human rights. Being denied basic liberties, racial minorities had to fight for justice. This paper explores not only the struggles faced by this group but also cases that have contributed to progress and the progress being made. Despite major developments and changes experienced by African Americans, such as legislation connected to marriage, education, and work, there are still gaps connected to police brutality and socioeconomic disparities.

Historic Struggle: From Slavery to the Civil Rights Movement

The historical struggle of Black/African Americans in the United States is deeply based on slavery, racial segregation, and institutional racism. Jim Crow laws strengthened enslavement-era traditions with the support of the authorities. Aside from legal repercussions, the Jim Crow era was rife with extralegal repression (Vargas et al., 2023). Between 1882 and 1968, 3,446 African Americans were executed in the U.S. (Vargas et al., 2023).

In addition, 1,297 Whites were lynched, many for breaching Jim Crow social boundaries (Vargas et al., 2023). Jim Crow laws persisted far into the 1960s, and they were finally overturned as a result of the fight for civil rights (Vargas et al., 2023). However, evidently, the endeavor to demolish Jim Crow was met with widespread opposition, and the consequences of that opposition are being felt today.

The 20th century probably saw the most change, ranging from the overturning of Jim Crow to policies on education, marriage, and more. It was not until the 1970s that higher education institutions in the U.S. ended discrimination against non-White students and against non-Christian applicants (Vargas et al., 2023). Following Brown v. Board of Education, which ultimately declared separate but equal unlawful, several municipalities shuttered and even filled their publicly accessible pools when pressured to desegregate them (Vargas et al., 2023). Now, the obstacles persist, and history shows how this minority group has been oppressed on various levels.

Supreme Court Cases: Paving the Path to Equality

Several Supreme Court cases demonstrate how, in the face of obstacles, the African American community persisted in reinforcing its civic rights. In 1954, United States Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren issued a majority decision in the historic human rights lawsuit Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. State-sanctioned discrimination of public educational institutions violated the 14th Amendment and was thus unlawful (National Archives, n.d.).

This momentous judgment ended the “separate but equal” rule established by the Supreme Court almost six decades earlier in Plessy v. Ferguson. It catalyzed the development of the civil rights movement in the 1950s (National Archives, n.d.). To some extent, the ruling laid the foundation for equal opportunities in all spheres of life.

Moving forward, another crucial issue that was resolved connected to the institution of marriage. In 1967, in Loving v. Virginia, a unanimous Court overturned state laws prohibiting marriage between people of different races, ruling that the anti-miscegenation laws violated both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment (U.S. Supreme Court, n.d.b). The ban on interracial marriage is a perfect example of legislation that is biased since it includes ethnicity as one of the components of a crime. The ruling is especially noteworthy because it recognizes marriage as one of the basic liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.

Finally, work-related legislation was introduced only in the 1970s. The ruling in the 1971 case, Griggs v. Duke Power Co., defined “disparate impact” discrimination and established criteria for companies to provide equal job opportunities for racial minorities (U.S. Supreme Court, n.d.a). The case demonstrated that discrimination might be shown based on both disparate impact and an obviously discriminatory aim (U.S. Supreme Court, n.d.a). This instance demonstrates that if employers’ actions conceal their discriminatory purpose, they can still be prosecuted.

Ongoing Challenges and Contemporary Issues

When it comes to the ongoing challenges that Black African Americans have to face, the first one is connected to police brutality. It can be seen as an infringement of civil rights in which officers use unwarranted or excessive pressure on a citizen. This involves physical or verbal intimidation, mental or physical abuse, property destruction, and death (Brooks, 2020). America has an extensive record of police violence against black people.

In 2017, there were 1147 fatalities attributed to police, with 13 policemen charged with a crime (Brooks, 2020). Around 640 deaths resulting from law enforcement personnel that year were in reaction to nonviolent infractions, with no crime registered (Brooks, 2020). Thus, it is evident that minority groups are not simply the subjects of abuse but frequently lack justice.

However, police brutality is not the only challenge, and a broader problem, such as socioeconomic inequities, continues to affect the minority group. Although economic and academic disparities are evident, more subtle issues are equally strong. For example, approximately 60% of individuals who fall into the Medicaid coverage gap are persons of color who predominantly reside in Southern states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid (Yearby et al., 2022).

Black individuals are over two times as likely as white individuals to fall into the coverage gap (Yearby et al., 2022). State Medicaid expansion policies are not connected with levels of approval among racial and ethnic minorities. Instead, White people’s perceptions are strongly linked to expansion decisions (Yearby et al., 2022). Thus, when the White population’s backing is low, the government is more reluctant to act on the issue.

Intersectionality: Analyzing the Interplay of Race and Other Identities

Furthermore, the struggles of Black/African Americans connect with various dimensions of identity, including gender and sexual orientation. More than half (55%) of Black LGBT adults stated their city or location is not a suitable place for transgender persons, while 39% said it is not an ideal location for LGBT individuals (Choi et al., 2021). A substantial majority of Black LGBT individuals have been victimized, with 79% reporting verbal insults or abuse, 60% reporting threats of violence, 44% reporting physical or sexual assault, and 43% reporting robbery or destruction of property (Choi et al., 2021). This proves that the interplay of sexual orientation as well as race can lead to increased experiences of physical and psychological abuse.

Additionally, gendered racism provides a paradigm for understanding how Black women encounter racism and sexism concurrently. Black women experience gendered racism regularly, which affects their quality of life. Single Black women lead nearly 4 million households in the United States, with around 30% of those families living in poverty (Spates et al., 2020).

Furthermore, almost 80% of Black moms are the major caregivers for their families (Spates et al., 2020). Likewise, Black women must deal with being regarded as difficult owing to traditional portrayals of having an “attitude” and being excessively snarky (Spates et al., 2020). As a result, due to stereotypes and bias, Black women might face a poorer quality of life and fewer opportunities.

Upholding Civil Liberties: Progress and Ongoing Efforts

Overall, after reviewing the challenges faced by racial minorities and the progress they have made, it is crucial to focus on how civil liberties are sustained. The White House (2021) emphasizes that President Biden has helped create new economic opportunities for Black Americans by passing the significant American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The ARP gives financial assistance directly to low- and middle-income Americans, and it has reduced Black child poverty by 30.2%, moving almost 1 million Black children out of adversity in one month alone (The White House, 2021).

However, many efforts are still needed to address the existing gaps. Aside from the obvious ones, there are issues related to the virtual environment. As mentioned by Allen (2021), African Americans online suffer three distinct but linked forms of bias and discrimination: biased over surveillance, discriminatory marginalization, and unfair predation. As a result, this population may benefit from race-conscious attempts to create a more egalitarian electronic environment through better laws and legal structures (Allen, 2021). Thus, while progress is evident, systemic racism and oppression continue, urging efforts to protect the racial minority.

Conclusion

In summary, despite significant improvements and changes for African Americans, such as legislation about marriage, education, and employment, there are still inequalities related to police brutality and socioeconomic inequities. The historical struggle of African Americans and Black people in the United States is profoundly rooted in slavery, racial segregation, and societal prejudice. Many efforts are still required to close the current gaps. Aside from the obvious, there are challenges related to the virtual world.

References

Allen, A. L. (2021). Dismantling the “Black Opticon”: Privacy, race equity, and online data-protection reform. Yale LJF, 131, 907.

Brimner, L. D. (2020). Finding a way home: Mildred and Richard Loving and the fight for marriage equality. Astra Publishing House.

Brooks O. (2020). Police brutality and blacks: An American immune system disorder. Journal of the National Medical Association, 112(3), 239–241.

Choi, S. K., Wilson, B., & Mallory, C. (2021). Black LGBT adults in the U.S.: LGBT well-being at the intersection of race. UCLA School of Law.

National Archives. (n.d.). Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Spates, K., Evans, N. T., James, T. A., & Martinez, K. (2020). Gendered racism in the lives of Black women: A qualitative exploration. Journal of Black Psychology, 46(8), 583-606.

The White House. (2021). The Biden-⁠Harris administration advances equity and opportunity for Black people and communities across the country.

U.S. Supreme Court. (n.d.a). Griggs v. Duke Power Co., 401 U.S. 424 (1971).

U.S. Supreme Court. (n.d.b). Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967).

Vargas, E. A., Barabino, G. A., Scherer, L. A., & Fiske, S. T. (2023). Advancing antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEMM organizations: Beyond broadening participation. National Academies Press.

Yearby, R., Clark, B., & Figueroa, J. F. (2022). Structural racism in historical and modern US health care policy. Health Affairs, 41(2), 187-194.