Introduction
Undoubtedly we have made significant progress in the area of ethnic and racial relations over the past fifty years. Diversity in our various institutions schools, the work place and housing are all evidence of improved conditions for minorities.However, there is still far to go before attaining ideals envisioned by Martin Luther King Jnr and other human rights activists.
All forms of racism were supposed to be a closed chapter after the signing of the civil rights in 1964 but these acts have continued up to date. In this paper I am going to discuss racism activities that have continued to persist despite stern measures taken by the federal government to end them.
Main Text
In 1996 October, Massachusetts University witnessed the worst form of overt racism. A black student was beaten after they disagreed over their topic of discussion. They were discussing about World Series but their argument turned violent where about three thousand white students turned against twenty African Americans while still harassing the minorities in that university. Also cases of whites despising the blacks are rampant for example in Yale university prejudiced jokes about African Americans were aired, not forgetting at zeta beta tau members from the Wisconsin university conducted a mock slave business that took place in the 16TH century but the overdramatic by wearing black wigs and painted their faces black. These acts continue to happen even in Stanford university where after the president of the university warned that bigotry was a closed chapter two weeks later the freshmen destroyed a picture of Beethoven and blackened its lips to look like those of Africans.(Steele.S. 126)
The treatment is not the same everywhere as in the mid sixties colleges experienced calm and were a world different from the real world outside but today the situation is quite different. It is not like it used to be in the past.
Today Americans find it extremely hard to deal with the problem of racial difference. Even though the government has tried to make strident steps to reduce the differences between the whites and the minorities there are so many setbacks that need to be addressed. For example in 1972 all government institutions such as universities according to the equal employment opportunities act were supposed to increase job opportunities for women and the minority but about ten years down the line, affirmative plans were ruled out as unconstitutional in the case between California university and Bake. (Despite these setbacks, the affirmative actions continue to exist but on a low gear. What actually is experienced today is not racial segregation as it used to be known in the past but it is a case of blacks and whites trying to justify their worth. For these reasons, the student balkanize themselves on the basis of racial, gender or ethnic backgrounds.
Revisiting the 16th century in America is like adding insult to an injury as it brings bad memories to both groups. The whites feel guilty and start justifying their actions while blacks point a finger of accusation on them. Thus the increase in racial tension in colleges. The blacks try to prove to the whites that they are not inferior to whites just because they have a black complexion. This notion was well propagated in the past by the colonialists but should not find a place in the 21st century.
The blacks are most affected by stereotypes that have been in place since the slavery period. Other groups too have been in place since the slavery period. Other groups too have their own stereotypes but those against the blacks are much dehumanizing. These are well grounded in their minds such that they find it hard to deny them. They keep fighting with them from within something that develops in to animosity between them and he whites. These stereotypes that are directed against the blacks most attack their personality making blacks to feel bitter against the whites. Some of these stereotypes hold that blacks are lazy, sexually immoral, foolish and dirty.
Unfortunately these myths are reinforced unknowingly by the affirmative actions that are designed to help the blacks. In some colleges for instance, black students are admitted with a lower grade than the whites something that cements the notion in their minds that they are not as bright as whites. When in these college the situation gets out of hand where intelligence is used as a measure of one’s wits.
One student was asked if he was anxious about inferiority complex and quite frankly admitted this. He cited an example of a case where in a lecture hall blacks arrived late forcing them to sit at the back and made noise while eating their food. This student was almost convinced of these myths as the blacks were doing exactly what the myths hold that they are lazy foolish and ignorant. This is however something that many deny to exist. This denial is what results in distortion of personality resulting to violence. The anger develops from within but later it is manifested in the society and this denial could partly be blamed for the re-enactment of social protests of the 1960s.
Conclusion
In conclusion we can exonerate the government from the blame of promoting racism in the US for the government has played its part in fighting it has enacted so many legislation that outlaw such acts but the present problem should be blamed on blacks and whites themselves. The current racism is something that is more in the minds of blacks. The foundation of this problem is the myth that blacks are inferior. Since the civil rights were passed, blacks have been trying to fight this notion and they even project their anger to the whites, they end up being blamed for some mistakes they haven’t committed.
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