It is possible to speak about the tendency that today the whites are inclined to discuss the question of the racial discrimination as the solved problem when the blacks focus on elements of discrimination in different spheres of the US society. The issue is rather controversial, and there are facts that the blacks can be reasonable in their vision of the question. In his article “The Legacy of Racial Slavery”, Jerrell Shofner argues that the racial discrimination was typical for the American society during a long period of time, and it was not ceased with the slavery’s abolition because it was presented even in the 20th century.
Thus, the illegal treatment of the colored workers, their oppression, and the issue of the forced labor in relation to the absence of payments, the developed system of fines, the impossibility to break the agreement, and the threats of being shot characterized for the farms and companies in Florida in the 1940s can be discussed as the legacy of racial slavery in the 20th century; but the problem is in the fact these issues can be correlated with the events of the 21st century and support the idea that the discrimination is present in the society.
The practice of slavery was abolished many years ago, but its legacy in the form of the racial discrimination is still discussed within the society as one of the most urgent problems. In Florida the conditions for the blacks’ work and their treatment without references to any rights had many similarities with slavery. According to Shofner, “the rural labor system bound black tenants to the soil and forced them to accept the judgments of white landowners without recourse” (Shofner 423). The development of modern situations connected with racial issues is also based on judgments, definite laws, and policies.
In “The Impact of Federal Sentencing Reforms on African Americans”, Free states that the blacks “are more likely than Whites to be convicted under mandatory minimum provisions and more likely than Whites to be sentenced at or above the indicated mandatory minimum” (Free 281). Furthermore, it was stated in “Court to Reconsider Sentencing Terms for Selling Crack” regarding the problem of selling crack that the proposed sentencing rules are only guidelines, but not mandates. However, the disparity based on the racial discrimination is observed (Savage).
Differences in drug sentences based on the racial background are not the single example of the legal disparity which can be discussed as a result of prolonged racial discrimination of slaves whose rights were traditionally abused, and any causes for arresting were used. During World War II, the rights of the blacks in Florida were abused in the name of patriotism (Shofner 417). Today, people are inclined to state that the rights of African Americans are not abused. According to “Driving While Black or Brown”, discussing the issues of stopping drivers to be searched, there is the tendency to stop more black drivers when the policemen do not accept the fact of disparities, police do not treat people differently according to their race because there could be many other factors and circumstances to stop the driver (Robinson).
In spite of the fact the slavery was abolished, its legacy is still presented in the society. Moreover, the racial discrimination is one of the most significant problems today because it contributes to developing the social tensions which are accentuated with the help of definite legal guidelines, policies, and laws.
Works Cited
Free, Marvin. “The Impact of Federal Sentencing Reforms on African Americans”. Journal of Black Studies 28.2 (1997): 268-286. Print.
Robinson, Eugene. Driving While Black or Brown. 2007. Web.
Savage, David. Court to Reconsider Sentencing Terms for Selling Crack. 2007. Web.
Shofner, Jerrell. “The Legacy of Racial Slavery: Free Enterprise and Forced Labor in Florida in the 1940s”. The Journal of Southern History 47.3 (1981): 411-426. Print.