Introduction
Racial discrimination is one of the most pressing social problems today. Therefore, it is not infrequently raised and discussed in the literature to attract the audience’s attention. The topic of discrimination is often used in political discourse, as it is one of the social problems that can attract the attention of a broad audience. For example, racial issues became the central theme of Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign. However, the author focused not only on the need to protect the black population of America but also on the benefits that overcoming discrimination would bring to society. This essay will analyze the challenges of today’s racial discrimination challenges and the opportunities to overcome them.
Modern Challenges of Racial Discrimination
Throughout the history of the US, the country has undergone many changes and has earned the status of one of the world’s democratic leaders. However, some social phenomena in America, such as racial discrimination, have a long history dating back to slavery. Society is invariably divided into whites, blacks, browns, Latinos, and Asians (Obama 18). This division leads to inevitable social clashes and confrontations, while joint work is necessary to overcome social challenges. Non-White people often experience less respect and disdain than white ones (Lee et al. 2). Moreover, such attitudes are often based on erroneous prejudices that have existed in society for a long time.
However, racial discrimination does not originate based on prejudices or existing prejudices. It is often shaped artificially through politics. The authorities do not create the necessary conditions for social security and cannot provide sufficient healthcare services, housing, and jobs (Obama 22). In search of those responsible for their misfortunes, people often pay attention to those close to them without analyzing the reasons for what happened. Moreover, they often attribute their problems to those who differ in appearance, ethnicity, culture, and religious beliefs.
A More Perfect Union by Barack Obama
Understanding the importance of overcoming racial discrimination is based on history and national heritage. William Faulkner wrote, “the past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past” (Obama 19). Today’s American society was formed under the influence of events in the country’s history. Redlining practices of the 20th century have led to today’s societal segregation, which still has a negative impact on the quality of life of people of color (Burke and Schwalbach 1). This policy significantly influenced the development of infrastructure and the arrangement of individual cities. Moreover, it has led to discrimination in education by limiting school attendance for children from ‘black’ districts (Burke and Schwalbach 7). Even though housing redlining is no longer applied, the inequality caused by it continues.
Moreover, forming a union in society seems quite logical, given the lack of significant socio-economic differences between whites and people of color. According to Obama “most working- and middle-class white Americans don’t feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race” (20). Most of society is equal in the absence of privileges, but few critically analyze its causes. Instead, society tries to push out those who they think are not suitable enough. As a result, white people often have prejudiced attitudes about people of color, manifesting in disrespect and verbal oppression of their dignity (Lee et al. 3). That makes the unification of society impossible and limits the possibilities of positive social change.
Conclusion
In conclusion, racial discrimination has been a significant problem in American society for many years. Refusing to analyze the situation critically, people blame their problems on those who differ in skin color and ethnic origin. The inaction and often the discriminatory policy of the authorities caused growing racial discrimination and allowed confrontations between whites and people of color. However, these challenges can be overcome through united and joint actions by all community members.
Works Cited
Burke, Lindsey M., and Jude Schwalbach. “Housing Redlining and Its Lingering Effects on Education Opportunity.” The Heritage Foundation, no. 3594, 2021, pp. 1-13.
Lee, Randy T., et al. “On the Prevalence of Racial Discrimination in the United States.” Plos One, vol. 14, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-16. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210698
Obama, Barack. “A More Perfect Union.” The Black Scholar, vol. 38, no. 1, 2008, pp. 17–23. doi.org/10.1080/00064246.2008.11413431