ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: racism

Police Brutality Police Brutality is an ongoing problem and existent concern in the United States and should be resolved immediately. Law enforcement must function as an element that consists of organized and civilized officers. The presence of police brutality is becoming more of an issue as society grows. The growth of social media and camera phones have increased the national attention. The problem posed by the illegal exercise of police power is an ongoing reality for individuals of a disfavored race, class, or sexual orientation.
Topic: racism

Around the early 1800’s, significant amounts of people began to immigrate into this country. This influx carried on for a while and still occurs today just with much smaller numbers. With the big mix of people, prejudice and hate crimes were not uncommon. By the mid-nineteenth century, the deterioration of cities had led to different laws that regulated public behavior as well as created new public institutions including the police force (Cosgrave, 2015). However, this divide created a separation between the law enforcers and citizens as well. In effect, we are ultimately left with racial, cultural, and ethnic profiling in policing.
Topic: racism

My topic is racism. Why am I choosing this topic? This is because nowadays the problem of racism is become serious in every country. What is racism? Racism is a person who belief that some races are better than others. Racism might be occurred in any places like school, country and so on. In Malaysia, the racism problem had happened recently. The principle of a school called other races go back to their own country like Chinese go back to China and Indian go back to India.
Topic: racism

Race issues are so fundamental in the world . For an example , some Americans believe that race is the primary determinant of human abilities and capacities . In fact , such individuals respond to people-of-colour because of race . As a consequence , people of different skin colour are injured by judgements or actions that are directly or indirectly racist. In 17th to 18th centuries, the slavery system is common in America. The Black people worked as slave for the White people. White people insult them and even abuse them .Fortunately, President Abraham Lincoln had abolished slavery. Since then the percentage of discrimination has decreased over the year. Proof? The election of President Barack Obama .
Topic: racism

Another example , when Portuguese sailors first explored Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries , they came upon empires and cities as advanced as their own and they considered Africans to be serious rivals . Then , there are a match happened between them . Portuguese was the winner of the match , they began to plunder the continent and forcibly remove its inhabitants to work as slave . Actually, Africans are the aborigine , but they deserve as slave . This is a kind of racism !
Topic: racism

If we said about racism , the first places that people will think is Europe . From the institutionalized racism , especially in colonial times , when racial beliefs were not considered something wrong , to recent times where the effects of neo-Nazism is still felt . Europe is a complex area with many cultures in a relatively small area of land . So that , people in Europe can have a conflict easily . Mostly , the conflict about racism such as racist other races ( think that his races is better than others and insult other races ). Besides that, European is divided into two level which are the rich and the poor. The rich discriminate the poor. For an example, there are high-class restaurants specially for the rich only. The rich would not have a meal with the poor. The rich had prejudice that the poor have high potential of committing crime and that they basically looked like criminal.
Topic: racism

Before Africa become an independent country , there are a lot of wars ,fight occur and conflict between the aborigines and foreigners. While most of the conflicts have resources at their core and involve a number of non-African nations and corporation , additional fuel is added to the conflict by stirring up ethnic differences and enticing hatred . In Zimbabwe , there has been increasing racism against the white farmers , due to poverty and lack of land ownership by Africans. The foreigners took over the land in Africa but did not give the Africans job opportunities. The foreigners discriminate the African aborigine. They despise the African locals because of their dark black skin colour. They also think they are superior and have a higher social status as compared to the African local.
Topic: racism

There has long been discrimination against what is considered the lowest class in Hinduism , as well as sectarian and religious violence. Although it has been outlawed by the Indian Constitution , the richer people still racist the lowest class people in the country . The racism problem is more serious in urban areas than rural areas . The most racism problem is where most Indians live . For an example , there are a lot of richer businessmen in India and they looked down to the aborigines who are poor . People who are poor in India regard as lowest class .
Topic: racism

Racism can easily occur in a country which have many races such as Malaysia . In Malaysia , there are three races which are Malay , Chinese and Indian . Malaysia is a place that u can choose your own religions and cultures . Racism can occur in any places such as school , public place or in neighbourhood . The reasons that racism will occur because all the races speak their own mother tongue and use their own language to insult other races . Beside that , different religions can also be one of the reason . Different religions have their own taboo .Taboo is a very sensitive thing to a religion . So that , racism occur easily .
Topic: racism

Racism can be subtle , but the Koreans’ attitude to foreigners are worse than to the Koreans . They treat Koreans politely but treat the foreigners very rude . The Koreans usually treat foreigners very rude and condescending . They don’t seem to perceive outsider as entirely human .Regardless of age ( which is very important in their culture ) , they usually speak to foreigners like speak to kids ( insult the outsider like kids ). Normally, the actors’ manner in drama is not the same as in the real life.
Topic: racism

I think the important event of racism in the world is the ‘History of Slavery’. If we talk about ‘Slavery’, the first country we know is America . Actually , the number of African American slaves grew slowly at first , but then become an essential to the economy at the 1680s . The racism problem is a serious problem in America during the 17th and 18th centuries . During 17th and 18th centuries , there are slave trade in America , between 600,000 and 650,000 Africans had forced to travel to North America become slave .
Topic: racism

In the early years of 18th century , the number of Native American slaves have been as much as half of the African slave population . During this transitional period , Africans and Native Americans have to share the common experience of enslavement . For an example , they work together in the fields , lived together in communal living quarters and also ultimately became lovers . The intermarriage of Africans and Native Americans was illegal at that time and occurred prolonged wars .
Topic: racism

Slaves didn’t consolidate ethnic identifications on the basis of colour , but it was widely understood that most blacks were slaves and no slaves were white . So that , the Americans regard Africans were slave because their skin-colour are black . Slaves were the lowest class in the America during the 17th century . Furthermore , the African slaves or Americans-Indian become prisoners in American . This incident occurred because the Americans did not treat them as human being but in the end these alliances disintegrated .
Topic: racism

Slavery spread quickly in the American colonies . Africans who travel to America were poor and worked as servants for the Americans . Then , the Americans did not paid them and became free after several years of service . From 1660s , the new laws had been used in American . According to the new laws , black slaves , children of slave women would serve for life . For an example , a child born of a slave mother was also regard as slave . Children are innocent but they also involve in this incident .
Topic: racism

In 1681 the legislature of Maryland passed a new act to relieve the evils of intermarrying of whites and blacks. The precedence recited that such matches were often brought about by the fomentation or connivance of the master or mistress , who took benefit of the former law to prolong the servitude of their white feminine servants, and at the same time to shake up a brood of mulatto slaves. The new law enacted that all white feminine servants intermarrying with Negro slaves were free, at once, after the hymeneals, and their children also; and that the minister celebrating and the master or mistress promoting or conniving at such marriages were subjected to a fine of ten thousand pounds of tobacco.
Topic: racism

In 1682 the slave code of Virginia received additions. It was enacted that blowouts who rejected to be arrested might be lawfully killed. Slaves were prohibited to carry arms, offensive or defensive, or to go off the plantations of their masters without a written pass, or to lift a hand against a Christian, even in self-protection. The condition of slavery was imposed upon all servants, whether “black moor, Moors, mulattoes, or Indians, brought into the colony by sea or land, whether born-again to Christian, or not, provided they were not of Christian parentage or country, or, if Turks or Moors, in amity with his Majesty.” Nearly a century afterwards Virginia tried to subdue the traffic in African slaves, and in 1761 it was proposed in her legislature to stamp down the importation of Africans by levying a propitiatory duty. Danger to the political interest of that settlement was foreboded by her wisest men in the continuance of the trade. An act for imposing the tax was passed by the Fabrication, but in England it met the fate of similar bills from other colonies to subdue the villainous traffic. It was sent back with a disallow.
Topic: racism

The King in council, on December 10, 1770, issued an instruction, under his own hand, dictating the governor of Virginia, “upon pain of the highest discomfort, to assent to no law by which the importation of slaves should be in any respect prohibited or obstructed. IN 1772 the Virginia Fabrication earnestly discussed the question, “How shall we get rid of the great evil?” Jefferson, Henry, Lee, and other leading men anxiously desired to rid the colony of it. “The interest of the country,” it was said, “obviously requires the total exclusion of them.” The fabrication finally resolved to address the King himself on the subject, who, in council, had compelled the sufferance of the traffic. They pleaded with him to remove all constraint upon their efforts to stop the importation of slaves, which they called “a very pernicious commerce.” In this matter Virginia represented the persuasion of all the colonies, and the King knew it; but the monarch “stood in the path of humanity and made himself the column of the colonial slave-trade.” Ashamed to deny the earnest and grave appeal of the Virginians, he evaded a reply. The conduct of the King caused Jefferson to write as follows in his first draft of the Declaration of Independence: “He has wagd cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and autonomy in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, capturing and carrying them into slavery in another places, or to get a miserable death in their transportation there. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where men should be brought and sold, he has cocotte his negative for oppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce.
Topic: racism

Racism is always the serious problem in every country . Although it is 21st century , the racism problem still happened everywhere . Racism comes from different cultural values , ethnic backgrounds , as well as the physical appearances . The conflict of racism might occurred when the majority group feels that the different cultures and values of the minority group brings the deviance to the society . Racism have been one of the most significant issues that people have to face and fight for , and it is still occurring in our daily life such as in school .
Topic: racism

Another example of us subliminally accepting racism is from the media . Two photographs from newspaper had reported that ‘One was of a black woman , wading through flood water and carried a bag full of food and case of pop . The article’s author described the picture as ‘a black woman who had just looted a local grocery store.’ The other photo showed a white couple , also wading through flood water and carried bag of food and a case of pop . But the author described it in other ways : ‘a white couple who had just found food from a local grocery store .’
Topic: racism

According to the dictionary.com, ‘stereotypes are as old as human culture itself.’ Through media , the potential for stereo types to build are a definite possibility . When a person , especially one that is very young , is exposed to stereotypes of a specific group for the first time , then that person will assume all are that way . If the person continue to join with a group and received many negative things , then it will affect the overall opinions of that person . For an example , parents taught their children racist other races , then the children will be racist other races although they know it is wrong .
Topic: racism

Unfamiliarity is unusualness as a consequence of not being well known or strange to a specific thing . Another common cause of racism is unfamiliarity . If someone hasn’t grown up around a particular race before , then there are more chance that the person will racist other particular group . Person who has already been fed negative stereotypes , the chances of racism will be increased . For an example , children always feed negative stereotypes by parents and unfamiliarity with the things , then they will follow the negative stereotypes that their parents had taught them . So that , it is important for children to live around other races . Then , they will determine any false stereotypes that they had learnt about racism .
Topic: racism

Ignorance meant the lack of knowledge or education . Now is 21st century , the racism problem must be keep decreasing and not increasing . Different races of people also regard as human being . Why should we need to be racist ? Are we so different ? Of course , NOT ! We are the same , we should not racist others except you are perfect in everything! Lacking of knowledge when it comes to another race is not something to be embarrassed but if despising other races without even making an attempt to discover them is shameful . Some people grow up in a place where there are no other races , and they are fed with negative stereotypes about other races . Then , when they meet other races , they have the potential to racist other races .
Topic: racism

The effect of racism on the prison population is not bound to interactions only between prisoners. The prison administration encounters the wrath of racially charged prisoners daily, in difficulties ranging from rules violations to assaults on staff. The atmosphere of racial abhorrence spills over into every aspect of human contact in the life of a racist prisoner. The result of this being more criminal charges placed on the prisoner, loss of good behavior time, or an additional prison sentence resulting from a serious crime committed while constrained.
Topic: racism

Blacks had no power or money, and their fate lay in the white man’s hands, and usually they were sent to prisons. Normally, the prison was all-white run, but that was on the guard level. The blacks were the majority, and they controlled the prisoners. The blacks preyed on the weak whites, something they could not do on the outside world, but in there they were the power. They had their white punks, they raped white
Topic: racism

The blacks would get together and scare a young white boy just about to the point where he wanted to kill himself, then a black man would come to his rescue. The white boy had no choice but to become a punk and let this black guy do as he wanted with him. He was part of the plot, but the white boy thought he was his hero. His family wanted him not to be hurt, so most would send money and white boy would give it all to his MAN-the black guy.
Topic: racism

How race is viewed and treated in prisons will spill over into the general population upon release and that is the sad reality. Instead of promoting these types of behaviours and beliefs, prison should serve the purpose of working to rehabilitate the inmates so they can become productive members of society. Eliminating racism and prejudice on all levels is key, but it does not happen at the prison level; but in essence is left unchecked. Issues have occurred in California, where inmates were separated by race. This shows the growing uncertainty and uncomfortable ness in dealing with race and it calls into question whether or not we really know how to deal with it.
Topic: racism

Race is extensively used in police profiling, which refers to the use of individuals’ features to view them as suspects of crimes. Majority of police officers view members of the black and other non-white communities as suspects of major crimes such as drug trafficking. In such cases, colour makes members of the minority communities to be eligible for committing such crimes. It is therefore not uncommon to see police officers arresting individuals just because of suspecting them of committing crimes even when they are innocent. For members of the minority communities, “guilty until proven innocent” is the rule that governs them.
Topic: racism

The racial disproportionate prison population is not only caused by police profiling but also by unfair criminal and punishment policies. The War on Drugs for instance, is seen by many not as a war against illicit drugs but as a war against the black community. Many blacks have ended behind bars and suffered severe punishment due to this War and its accompanying racial differential policies such as the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1998. According to this Act, individuals convicted of possessing and dealing in powder cocaine receive a lesser punishment than individuals convicted of possessing and dealing in crack cocaine.
Topic: racism

The mandatory minimum sentence meted against individuals dealing in 50 grams of crack cocaine is ten years while the same mandatory minimum sentence is meted against individuals dealing in 5000 grams of powder cocaine. Racism plays an active role in this racial differential Act because most individuals arrested for crack cocaine-related charges are predominantly Black whereas majority of individuals arrested for powder cocaine-related crimes are predominantly White. As a result, blacks suffer harsher punishments than their white counterparts despite committing a similar crime.
Topic: racism

Racism significantly impacts inmates convicted of homicide in a number of ways. The race of the homicide victim, perpetrator, jurors, defendants and prosecutors play significant roles in determining the kind of sentences that will be passed to convicted murders. Research shows that in states where capital punishment is legal, the punishment is more frequently used in cases where the victim of a homicide is White than when the victim is Black or a member of other minority communities. In addition, capital punishment is used more often when the perpetrator of a homicide is a member of a minority group than when he or she is White.
Topic: racism

People have been talking racism for centuries. People continue to be racists. How do we solve this problem. Everybody has dealt with it, politicians, spiritual leaders, community activities, and the problems of racism continue. First, we have to admit that racism is a problem and that it’s a psycho-social problem. But racists are like alcoholics. In Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous, first the people have to admit they have a problem. Admit they are out of control alcoholics, admit they are out of control gamblers before they can solve the problem. The problem with racism and racialism is that everybody denies it. Everybody is in denial. There are many ways to solve the racism:
Topic: racism

He had always wanted to coach division one basketball but he encountered some problems early on after taking the job. Being a poor university, Texas Western could not afford a lot of money to recruit players, as basketball was not even the priority sport. Determined to win, Don Haskins did what had never happened in the history of college basketball. He recruited seven black players to add to the five white players the team already had. His recruiting quote that he used to persuade the players was, “I do not see color, I just see talent and that is what I put on the court.
Topic: racism

After many undefeated games, their popularity grew but it also gained many enemies who did not look kindly at black players taking over their sport. The team members were victims of hate crimes fueled by the ignorance that face and the population in general felt against black people. One player was attacked and beaten up, their hotel rooms were also broken into and words in blood were written all over their rooms forcing Haskins to acknowledge the racism. That became uncomfortable for the players and they lost the concentration and hence lost their next game. They also blamed their white teammates for being part of the threats and attacks. But this was the start of the strong unity. The coach told them that nobody could take away anything from them that they did not give and that, if they quit now they would have given them what they want thus they would have won. So he advised them to shake off the hate and shut them up.
Topic: racism

That year’s NCAA championship is important because of who played in it. It is hard to believe looking at today’s college teams that back in 1966 black players did not play college basketball. Coach Haskins decided to change that. There is a bit of contradiction and hypocrisy portrayed in the movie. At some point regarding coach Don Haskins recruitment of seven black players, it was said that black players do not respond well under pressure, that they are not calm enough or intelligent enough to play without white direction. However regarding the college rules, a team could play three black players if the team is losing. What does this mean? Could it be that the black players were recognized as very good players that you only need them when a team is losing so that the team can recover and win some games? Or that black players were only featured in losing teams?
Topic: racism

The movie is the perfect example of how sports can be very helpful in some ways and detrimental in others. The detrimental part was the violence experienced by the Texas Western players and coach plus his family. They were a target to violence, discrimination, verbal abuse, death threats and more. Basketball was in a way, promoting this against them. If they had not played basketball they would not have experienced that abuse, at least not at that level. It is also important to note that this violence could have escalated even more if other externalities would have been present. Thankfully this was not the case though, the players came out alive and victorious. The beauty of the sport prevailed, and talent and logic excelled.
Topic: racism

It is important to denote that coach Haskins was not trying to change the world or create a revolution, he only wanted to play division basketball against the best teams. Given that, he was left with little or no resources. He went for what was available: raw talent. He was smart by acknowledging that no matter the color of their skins as long as they were good, he could use them. He did the evident and played with the best. A man with no prejudices decided he did not care about what the other people thought, if it was legal he could do it. Sports can do that, bring the best out of people, in this case it did for Don Haskins. The passion for basketball gave him the courage to play with five blacks in the final game. The love for the sport also inspired the players to continue playing and not give up. This is the positive side of sports and if the right conditions are met, sports move, inspire and change the world.
Topic: racism

In the end of the movie we see how because of that game, Adolph Rupp the coach of the University of Kentucky recruited his first black player in history before stepping down. This shows how even someone so reluctant to the idea of black players, changed his mind. Universities all across the states realized that there was nothing wrong with recruiting black players, and that if any, they were really talented and could help them win championships. As it states in the movie, in 1997 the University of Kentucky hired Tubby Smith, the school’s first black head coach who lead them to a National Title the first year. This also proves how the former stereotypes of blacks not being able to lead was completely wrong. Again, basketball helped everybody realize this. As colleges continue recruiting black players, the NBA was able to spot better players and ultimately the entire history of basketball was modified. Society changed, it started accepting and even embracing the idea of watching mixed games. The economy changed, by black players being offered more scholarships and even NBA contracts, that social group started acquiring more power. Moreover the outcome became a very strong ground that changed the basketball dynamics in the United States. Prejudices were broken in a great way because of that one game called the most important game in college history, all for this sport.
Topic: racism

In a way, the final game can be seen as the game against racism. It was subconsciously a game to prove a point. Black players can also play, they can lead, they can think, and they can do every single thing white players could; and they proved it in that game. If Texas Western had lost, we do not know how many years or how much time would have needed to pass for society and rules to change. But they did win, so the game, and the world changed for good and forever. Nowadays basketball is a sport that is predominately played professionally by black players. It is more than ‘normal” now to see black players in the NBA, we could not have guessed that before Texas Western and Don Haskins this was not a reality. Talent does not differentiate between race, color, sex or age and at least in this movie and in real life sports contribute to the betterment of the world and the promotion of peace.
Topic: racism

What is even more impressive is that even today there are still many people that think in a similar way, racial discrimination is a serious problem in many societies. But we were able to appreciate through this film and the re-enactment of the team members, basketball was used as a tool for social change. Different sports can also be used in order to achieve similar changes in the way people think a society. It does not have to necessarily aim at racial discrimination, it can also help to end gang violence, social re-integration in a post conflict zone, or even empowering women. The concept of competitiveness that is inherent in almost every sport draws people together and this gathering of people can be very helpful if correct combinations of strategies are used to achieve the specific goals.
Topic: racism

We believe that using sports as a tool for peace building can be very effective if used in the correct way. This movie uses breakthrough methods that shook the very foundations of a sport that was overrun by a majority of white players. In situations were the social foundations are so embedded in the people’s mind that revolutionary methods served better to achieve the goal. Using a similar approach, sport can be used, with the aid of different projects, to engage is social turmoils. From gang wars, to nation building in post conflict areas. Direct interaction between opposing party members can create a process of humanization and ultimately decrease tension amongst them.
Topic: racism

Glory Road showed that enough exposure and bonding can defeat racism. A team formed out of nothing stood against all challenges and triumphed. The self- discipline and importance of hard work and team work imposed on the team by coach Haskins was portrayed. This marked the beginning of new things to come in the history of USA college basketball. Many doubted, others ridiculed and laughed at the team and coach but i guess you could say they had the last laugh.
Topic: racism

It is often argued that the main cause of Africa’s poverty rates is mainly related to the lack of pro-growth derived from either the colonial system or the period of slavery. (Jerven, p.77) This argument has recently been applied to the United States’ social scene in order to explain the existent and continuing problems of income and economic inequality especially within the African American race. In fact, the phenomenon is so troubling that several campaigns have been recently launched to combat the problem.
Topic: racism

Among these is the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America whose aim is to accomplish a decrease of 50% in poverty rates by 2020. (Catholic Charities USA) The problem of poverty is thus present and confirmed in the high rates of unemployment, the social disparities and the various and different attempts to deal with the problem whether by private, religious or governmental organizations. However, what is especially interesting to analyze further in this discussion are the causes of this social and economic problem.
Topic: racism

The origins of poverty are for example drawn upon by Gunja SenGupta in his book From Slavery to Poverty: The Racial Origins of Welfare in New York, 1840-1918, in which he argues that the historic roots of the problem run deeper than the present which consequentially implies the need to reflect on historic events that could be a determinant and influential factor in the continuance of contemporary social dilemmas. (NYU Press) This author is not the only person who perceived a link between poverty and historical problems such as slavery.
Topic: racism

Poverty is indeed a reality in America, a country that is considered to be among the richest and most progressed nations in the world. According to the US Census Bureau, 35.9 million people live below the poverty line in America, a number that includes also around 12.9 million children. The statistics are in fact shocking when gathered together. For example, according to the Bread for the World Institute, 3.5% of U.S households experience hunger which means that some members within these families skip meals or eat less than required to sustain a healthy lifestyle. (Siddiqi) The facts are more troubling when applied to the African American community. In a country where 12 percent of the population is black it is also noted that approximately a quarter of African Americans are classified as poor, a problem that has been part of the American social scene for many years. Poverty is thus very common among the members of this particular race. Poverty among African Americans is deeply connected to many issues among which is the lack of proper education that many African American children still do not receive. This decreases the chances of good employment and increases the possibility of experiencing poverty. There are other reasons through which to understand the problem of poverty among African Americans. However, what is interesting to reflect on further is the relationship between these high rates of poverty among African Americans and the problems of race and inequality that are still found socially and do impact the quality of life of the blacks in America. As Jonathan Alter, a writer for Newsweek, pointed out: “Poverty is caused by a tangle of financial and personal pain that often goes beyond insufficient resources and lack of training, wage stagnation, social isolation, and a more subtle form of class-based racism.” (Green) This quote affirms the existence of deeper rooted cause as an explanation of African American poverty. The link between racism and lesser opportunities and chances to advance are clear and hardly require any further elaboration. Since racism is related to the institutionalized system of slavery it is hence important to draw further on the significance of this system in the continued existence of poverty among African Americans.
Topic: racism

One of the most famous statements in the Declaration of Independence that has come to be part of what being an American means is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This sentence is one that stipulates the basic human rights of every American citizen which is freedom, equality, safety and equal chances to realize their dreams of economic prosperity. This sentence has been quoted during the era of the Civil War and the Civil Rights movements to argue against the injustice of slavery that the black people were subjected to. However, equality for all was never part of the social reality even after the abolition of slavery. The perception of white people regarding the blacks was one of superiority that minimized and trivialized the importance of any contribution that could be possibly made by African Americans. For this reason, blacks were denied the same education opportunities as white people which only added to the poverty rates. The fact is that African Americans still lag behind in education attainment compared to white or other minority groups such as Asian Americans. African Americans attend college at half the rate of white citizens. (Kozol, p.26) The historic problem of segregation is deeply linked to these current statistics. Since education empowers an individual to compete in the work force it is hence evident why over a quarter of African Americans continue to experience poverty.
Topic: racism

Slavery expanded quickly from the time of is introduction until the beginning of the Civil War that lasted from 1861 to 1865. By the time the war started, nearly 4 million slaves were part of the southern society. Their work was diverse but was founded mainly on the principle of sustaining and enhancing the agricultural economy. They picked or planted cotton. Some other blacks worked within the house. There were slaves trained in the art of blacksmiths or carpentry among others. Slavery was a diverse system that was spread across different sectors of society in the South. Yet, what all types of work had in common is the deprivation of all black people from their rights of choice and ability to earn anything dignifying, materialistically or emotionally, from their work.
Topic: racism

Slavery is one of the most well-documented, well-known yet not most pride igniting phases of American history. It has effectively managed to leave its impacts on society, racial integration and ethnic tolerance throughout the centuries since its abolishment and up to the present day. African Americans were enslaved for centuries beginning with the time the United States came into existence in the 17th century until after the Civil War when slavery was officially declared to be unconstitutional. The War itself was mainly caused as a result of the differences in opinion about the issue between the Northern states, the abolitionists, and the Southern states, that depended on the slave system for the maintenance and growth of their agricultural economy. The history of slavery in the United States is however more complicated than a simple time line can serve to shed light on. The institution did not simply start for one obvious reason at one specific time and the same thing can be said about the way it came to an end after the Civil War. Though the war’s purpose was the liberation of slaves and the provision of equal rights for all, slavery did not stop right after the war and continued to be part of the social picture, though to a lesser extent, especially in certain Southern regions. Southern states did especially not desire to completely eliminate the institution of slavery, which was an integral part of their economy, leading with that to the development of a complicated pattern in how the issue came to be dealt with right before, during and after the Civil War. All this implies that slavery was based on the exploitation of individuals for profit; an aspect of the system that served to dehumanize the black population to grave extents. This dehumanizing dimension of slavery served to complicate the integration of African Americans and led to problems of racism and deep-rooted rejection of their integration in American society. This rejection has on the other hand impacted the economic conditions of the blacks as it extended over all areas of life including work and education.
Topic: racism

It is no secret that there was a sharp division historically between the Southern and Northern states about the subject of slavery. What is however pertinent in this fact is its application to the economic conditions of blacks in the North versus the South during the 19th century. Racism was more prevalent in the South where many states refused to loosen their harsh racial policies that restricted African Americans to working mainly working in the fields. Though racism was also present in the northern states it was less severe and allowed the black population the opportunity to prosper culturally and intellectually; a growth that is for example evident in the Harlem Renaissance. However, despite these periods of flourishing, the history of African Americans is especially characterized by inequality; an inequality whose main cause is directly related to the centuries of enslavement. As noted before, racism is one of the main causes of the continued economic disadvantage of many African Americans. When slavery was ended, notions as “natural rights” were socially introduced and impacted the perception of blacks of their own role in society. Blacks started becoming aware of the extremely suffocating environment that they were part of and which desperately attempted to keep them in the dark about their rights a human beings and citizens of a nation based on the principles of equality for all. (Mcpherson, p.39) It are these aspects and perceptions of oppression, cruelty and savageness of treatment for the mere promotion of selfish economical gain that continue to generate feelings of freedom and oppression which has managed , and continues, to make the greatest difference nowadays in the interaction of black and white people.
Topic: racism

Though theoretically slaves were no longer slaves after the Civil War, they continued to be treated as an extremely inferior race. This was of course different from area to another. In the south, ex-slaves were treated with the same attitude as before the Civil War while in northern states, where the bitterness was more directed towards white southern Americans rather than African-Americans, ex-slaves were treated better than slaves yet not fully as citizens. Emancipation had become a reality with the end of the war but it remains obvious that the place of African-Americans in society was far from being either resolved or clear. The questions that arose consequentially about race served to define the discourse and the relationships between the two different races and are still traceable in the many sensitive taboos that characterize certain racial subjects and words. In the aftermath of the Civil War, practical problems arose in the south in regard to the manner of integrating slaves within society. Whether the freedmen ought to be regarded as citizen and be granted rights as the ability to possess property was central to the debate. Voting rights were another concern as they gave significant importance to the freedmen enabling them to contribute and impact society and their level of prosperity within it. The most important question of all seemed however to revolve around the possibility or impossibility of the peaceful co-existence of blacks and whites together which is a question history has managed to answer so far. (Tallant, p.5) The rise of intolerance, the problem of segregation and the prevention of blacks from voicing their economic or political needs through the democratic voting system have all led to the enhancement of sentiments of antagonism among both sides which led to the blacks’ desire to create their own defensive and distinct identity that was at the core resentful of white people’s influence, and led the white population to adopt on the other hand a segregated and superior outlook. This shows how the history of slavery and the subsequent rise of the problems of racism distanced the two groups from interacting and mutually benefitting from the same opportunities. In short, because of slavery and racism many blacks did not and do not get the chance to benefit from the same opportunities as white people which complicates the chances of finding a good job later on and increases as a result the chances of poverty.
Topic: racism

Blacks continued to work mostly on lands owned by white farmers due to the aforementioned complications that arose when they desired to purchase a piece of land for themselves. Neither the federal government nor the local people seemed to support that and the final choice they were left with in the post war era was to keep working for the white planters. There was of course a difference in the way they lived compared to the period before the war. The freedmen exercised now more control over their lives and could not be treated with the same inhumanity as before. They did not have to work before sunrise and continue until after sunset. They could determine their workload more favorably compared to their previous working conditions. They could also determine whom of their family members they wished to be part of the plantation work. Previously, their children were forced at an early age to do the work and this could be prevented with the choices they had after he Civil War. This does of course not mean that the situation changed dramatically to the better including complete freedom and equal rights. To claim that is to dismiss the fundamental aspect about social change: it happens gradually. The living conditions had simply significantly improved from the completely intolerable to the harsh and challenging. Overcoming the social challenges caused by their racial status proved to be a long and trying process that spanned over many years and continues until the present day in the form of the continued attempt to decrease the problems of the black community such as a high level of crime, poverty and a lower rate of educational degrees among the youth. The fact is that blacks have been perceived to be inferior for a long time in America which is a prejudice that affected the opportunities available for this particular race and hence impacted their current economic social position.
Topic: racism

It is thus undeniable that slavery had an extremely malignant and negative influence on the development of African- American culture and identity. Being regarded as an inferior race, especially in the South where the idea was the main justification provided to legitimize the slavery institution, was detrimental to the enhancement of any sense of pride in one’s heritage. The change towards that began only slowly. The way they were treated, the destruction of any sense of belonging and attachment to their African heritage during the years of enslavement, the restriction of simple communication between slaves are all facets of slavery that significantly influenced the emancipation process and the development of the African-American culture in addition to complicating the nature of relationships and the form of interaction between whites and blacks. Slavery disrupted thus the sense of belonging to the African heritage and led to the emergence of a defensive attitude among blacks. Even after emancipation, slavery continued to play a role on African American’s future and chances of progress. This is evident in the themes of their music and art whether written or visual. These themes deal often with the idea of social inequality, oppression and economic disadvantage as a direct consequence of racial history. Slavery made blacks without doubt socially disadvantaged and led to the subsequent rise of the Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century. The racism and harassment that African Americans have had to deal with is still part of the race’s consciousness until the present day. This is nowhere signified but in the multitude of subjects that continue to rise a sense of sensitivity when brought up. It is thus no exaggeration to conclude that slavery has left a tremendous impact on the African-Americans as a whole. The resolution of such a problem had to be done, and continues to be struggled with, over the period of two centuries. Overcoming the past completely has proven to be impossible. The history of enslavement is part of what defines every African-American up to the present despite many people’s refusal to admit this. Though most blacks do not reflect on the period of enslavement, the impacts of it, in the form of social disadvantages still experienced through work and educational chances, are not easily dismissible and serve as a harsh reminder.(Healey, p.175) The removal of their culture, the limitation of their freedom, the oppression of their most fundamental basic rights for centuries, and the final negative development of social distinctions between blacks and whites in the period after emancipation, have all managed to impact the culture the African-American ethnic group has since then ‘created” a culture whose characteristics include for example less favorable economic conditions for millions of African Americans. Slavery has thus proven to be a very powerful institution whose impacts are hard to erase.
Topic: racism

The discussion of poverty among African Americans in the present day is thus incomplete without an analysis of their historic journey that is characterized by a long period of oppression and segregation which impacted both white and black peoples’ attitude towards the other race. The fact that millions of African Americans live in poverty is hardly a random fact but is deeply rooted in the historical experience of this race. The historical experience of African Americans has already been drawn upon in detail. What merits however further analysis is the consequent question that rises in regard to the future. If slavery and the long history of racism and unequal opportunities in education and work, are among the main factors in the current high rates of poverty among African Americans then what is the solution? Does this conclusion imply that African Americans are destined for poverty?