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Racism
Racism is one of the biggest problems the country faces. This problem has its roots tied to the origin of this country. Over the centuries, racism has negatively affected ethnic monitory groups by denying them equal access to resources and opportunities. Racism has had a negative impact on the country’s politics, and it has negatively impacted the social and economic well-being of affected groups. This paper explores Julius Bailey’s views about racism in the country, and it explores how this problem has affected various aspects of everyday life. Racism is a systemic problem that requires a systemic solution. There is a need for stronger policies that can root out this problem from the core and create a more equitable environment in which individuals of all ethnicities have equal access to opportunities and resources.
America’s problem of racism can be traced back to the time of slavery. Over the centuries, the country has struggled with this problem, and despite the policy changes made over the years, racism continues to affect ethnic minorities throughout the country. In recent years, communities around the country have been forced to acknowledge the impact this problem has on society. The acknowledgment that racism continues to affect ethnic minorities is especially tied to recent political trends. For instance, with the election of President Trump, issues of race-baiting and blatant disregard for human lives have been brought to light. During his term and in the recent presidential elections, politicians have been accused of running campaigns using false information about race-related issues. This trend has served to divide the nation further and has also lowered the moral standard of the American people. In his book” Racism, Hypocrisy, and Bad Faith: A Moral Challenge to the America I Love,” Julius Bailey explores how the American political system has enabled racism and affected the ethnic minority groups in the country. Bailey equally explores some of the causes and consequences racism has on society at large.
The reemergence of white nationalist sentiments and movements in America indicates persistent racist traditions. Racism in America can be traced back to slavery and the post-civil war period when the Klu Klux Klan thrived in America in recent decades. There are numerous taped incidences in recent years in which ethnic minorities highlight the racist experiences they are forced to endure. Other than these documented videos, the growing acts of police violence against ethnic minorities is proof that racism continues to thrive in America. While these incidences might be viewed as one-off unfortunate events, recent political debates and elections have proved otherwise. For instance, President Trump and some of his Republican counterparts continuously refused to denounce white supremacy groups. The most synonymous case is President Trump’s refusal to condemn the red-hat white supremacist in Charlottesville (Bailey, 8). This blatant refusal by the country’s leaders to condemn racism indicates how this problem is ingrained in the structures and culture of the country. The levels of racism witnessed in the country’s political structure and some parties are in line with Baily’s observation that “racism was (and is still) coded into the Republican nostalgia” (Bailey, 6). The proof that racism is not only engrained in politics but also the American culture is evident through the voting patterns of the public. For instance, before becoming president, former President Trump was often dismissed as a radical fringe candidate; however, his presidential win and the overwhelming support he received from the public proved that his Islamophobic and xenophobic remarks appealed to a significant portion of the country (Bailey, 7). Moreover, the public knows he racially discriminated against black tenants as a real estate developer and yet appealed to a majority of conservative voters showing that a significant portion of the population share in these racist sentiments or are not bothered about having a racist leader.
Racism is evident in American politics through the recent calls for immigration reforms. Since 2012, Republicans lost great support from the Latino family, which has played a part in the growing negative political stance politicians have taken against immigrants. Mass opinion about immigration has been on the rise, evident through an increased public interest in the topic. For instance, in 2008, 7% of Americans cited immigration as a critical problem, while in 2018, 17% of Americans cited immigration as a critical topic (Alamillo et al., 2). Political rhetoric during the 2016 presidential elections suggested that immigrants were problematic. The 2015 Republican presidential preliminaries also saw influential politicians vying for the presidential ticket argue the merits of birthright citizenship. At this point, former President Trump, then a candidate, called the children of immigrants anchor babies. Though widely criticized, the debate on birthright citizenship caused a significant divide among the public, with supporters of the Republican party widely agreeing with this viewpoint. President Trump’s campaign in 2016 largely focused on the issue of immigration, with Trump and his team successfully creating the fear of Muslims and Mexicans among the public (Boot). President Trump’s political rhetoric singled out ethnic minorities and created a sense of fear in society. He made it sound that he and his supporters would single-handedly prevent the imminent destruction of America and fix what they believed was wrong with current America. One of President Trump’s most popular immigration reforms was the proposed Mexican border wall. Before his proposal, it was unimaginable that America would use a wall to keep immigrants out of the country; however, the overwhelming support Trump’s proposed wall got from the media and the public revealed the amount of the levels of unreasonable fear that the average white American had developed. Surprisingly, the popularity of this proposed policy was also witnessed among the younger generation. For instance, After Trump’s presidential win, middle schoolers in Royal Oak, Michigan, started chanting “Build the wall” (Bailey, 12).
Other than the political implications highlighted above, racism also has negative effects on the social and economic well-being of the country. Racism affects the social lives of ethnic minorities as they are exposed to issues such as racism in medicine and the excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies. As earlier highlighted, racism builds fear. This unreasonable fear against ethnic minorities such as black people is the main cause of police brutality and the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers. In 2020 alone, the horrifying tales of what George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery went through at the hands of law enforcement officers called to attention the systemic racism in the country and its effects on the lives of people. The deaths of these individuals resulted in nationwide protests. These protests symbolized the deep-rooted anger and despair victims of racism experienced. During the protests, the movement Black Lives Matter also garnered national attention, and they used this platform to showcase how different people of color experienced life. For instance, the tag “walking while black” is popularly used to show how life-threatening walking can be for a black person in America. Racism in medicine is evident through health outcome disparities. A 2016 report by the US National Academy of Sciences found that first-year white medicine students believed that black people have stronger immunity than any other racial group (Hoffman et al., 4296-4301). This misunderstanding is the source of inadequate treatment and cares for people of color, resulting in significant disparities in black people’s health outcomes and those of other racial groups. For instance, racist medical notions have contributed to Black women having a higher likelihood of dying from heart attacks than other racial groups. Also, black women are more likely to die due to pregnancy-related issues than their counterparts (Taylor). Other medical discrepancies are evident through the infant mortality rates of black children being higher than any other racial group and poor healthcare and treatment due to the misguided belief that black people are impervious to pain. A study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine indicated that black patients were 40% less likely to receive acute pain medication than their counterparts (Lee et al., 1770-1777).
The effects of racism on economic well-being are apparent through restrained black economic progress. The mid-1900s saw the rise of the American middle-class group that was largely white. During this period, black people were largely denied the economic incentives and benefits offered to their white counterparts creating a wide wealth gap between these two racial groups. Black people were denied these incentives due to white political leaders from the south who insisted on enforcing racial segregation. Racial conservatism has been a marker of southern politics, and it enables the southern strategy in which politicians use racism to increase political support from the white voters. The southern strategy is characterized by a clear racial hierarchal system that addresses white people’s racial grievances in exchange for their support (Bailey, 3). During the 1950s, housing was seen as a means of building wealth; hence housing was one of the biggest needs people had. The white members of congress from the south used the Southern strategy to pass the federal housing administration policy. This policy denied black Americans housing mortgages, resulting in fewer black people owning homes and increasing the wealth gap between black and white people. To date, numerous policies hinder black people from progressing economically. For instance, black people have limited access to tax-advantaged means of saving due to employment discrimination practices that shut out a significant percentage from acquiring well-paying jobs. Therefore, as black families earn significantly lower salaries than their white counterparts, they receive fewer tax benefits and have a decreased likelihood of accessing retirement benefits (Hanks et al.). These negative and racially discriminative economic policies create a damaging environment in which black people are persistently trapped in poverty.
Despite the prevalence of discrimination and systemic racism in the country, there is hope that communities can come together and root out this evil from the country’s foundation. As Bailey suggests, there is a need to revive the irrepressible hope the country experienced during the Obama “Yes We Can “years (Bailey, 15). Other than reviving hope, there is a need for political leaders and governments to create and enforce strong policies that will restructure society. As America’s racial problem is systemic in nature, there is a need for systemic solutions that promote systemic equality and root out racism at the core. Some of the key policies that need to be addressed include policies on voting rights, student loans, and financing, financing policies, employment policies, and housing policies. In the last decade, elections have been marked with voting rights violations. The country has witnessed unlawful voting restrictions set against ethnic minorities. These restrictions have negatively impacted ethnic minority groups as they are unable to vote for the leaders they want and are unable to decide on important issues affecting their lives. Also, there is a need for policies that address student loans. Most students from ethnic minority groups rely on student loans to access higher education. On average, black students tend to borrow more student loans than their counterparts due to higher poverty levels. An increase in borrowing results in an increased debt gap. By creating more favorable student financing policies, the government can help ease the debt burden affected students face and unleash the economic potential of these students. Also, there is a need for the government to introduce more favorable housing and financing policies. As highlighted above, black Americans have limited access to housing mortgages, a factor that plays into the poverty levels witnessed in this community. By introducing more favorable financing and housing policies, the government can create a more equitable environment that promotes the economic growth of all individuals. Lastly, there is a need for policies that address the discriminatory employment problem in the country. Employment policies that prohibit discrimination will help ensure that people of ethnic minority groups have equal opportunities to get well-paying jobs, hence promoting economic progress.
I have previously experienced discrimination, and I understand the harm it can cause. As such, addressing the racial problem in this country is important to me as it can help create an equitable society, but it can also help kickstart the healing this country needs. Racism has its roots tied to the origin of this country; therefore, I believe that there is a need to create strong policies that will restructure the country. Racism is a system problem that requires a systemic solution. By creating and enforcing equally powerful policies, this country’s government and political leaders can help root out this evil at its core, hence permanently solving this ever-present problem.
Works Cited
Alamillo, Rudy, Chris Haynes, and Raul Madrid Jr. “Framing and immigration through the trump era.” Sociology Compass 13.5 (2019): e12676.
Bailey, Julius. Racism, Hypocrisy, and Bad Faith: A Moral Challenge to the America I Love. Broadview Press, 2020.
Boot, Max. “Trump is running an openly racist campaign.” Washingtonpost.com (2020).
Hanks, Angela, Danyelle Solomon, and Christian E. Weller. “Systematic inequality: How America’s structural racism helped create the black-white wealth gap.” Center for American Progress 21 (2018).
Hoffman, Kelly M., et al. “Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113.16 (2016): 4296-4301.
Lee, Paulyne, et al. “Racial and ethnic disparities in the management of acute pain in US emergency departments: meta-analysis and systematic review.” The American journal of emergency medicine 37.9 (2019): 1770-1777.
Taylor, Jamila. “Racism, inequality, and health care for African Americans.” (2019).
