Racism: The American Dream Gone Wrong
It is 1776 and the 13 Colonies have finally won the Revolutionary War. The soldiers are ecstatic, and they can finally return to the comfort of their own home. Only not all of them were returning to their homes or families, many were going back to a life of slavery. Our country has come a long way since we gained independence in 1776. We have grown and developed innovative technologies, connections, and ideas. More importantly, slavery was abolished an exceptionally long time ago. One thing our country has yet to overcome, however, is hatred toward one another in the form of racism. Due to continued racism in the United States, people of color have faced immense struggles in many areas of life including the work force and medicine; this suggests that many Americans are hesitant to alter their beliefs, and remain content with the suffering of their fellow citizens.
The Origins of Racism in America
Driving down the East Coast, you may see some large patches of open land, run-down buildings, or even just bunches of suburban houses. Bring yourself back around 200 years, however, and those grassy lands are filled with African Americans slaving under the harsh and unforgiving sun. Slavery was a practice commonly found all over the world hundreds of years ago, in which people would work under horrible conditions whilst receiving no compensation under the control of the slaveowner. Specifically in the early United States, slaves were predominantly African Americans who served upper-class while families. Slavery was abolished in 1865 with the introduction of the 13th amendment; however, poor treatment toward people of color did not end there. Many obstacles were put into place, one of which being the Jim Crow laws, to prevent black Americans from taking full advantage of their rights as citizens. There were many discriminatory laws that segregated use of public facilities, and the nicest ones were strictly for white use only. Flashing forward to today’s society, racial inequalities have become a hot and widely debated topic. With the Black Lives Matter movement becoming more popular over the past few years, there has been a surge of riots and protests about human rights. People no longer want to settle for the current situation; they want to see more change come about in the United States. Just as the slaves revolted against their slave owners, and the African American citizens of the 19th century fought for their rights, people of color in America today are fighting for the equality that they know they deserve. Although society is much more equal now than it used to be, there are substantial amounts of evidence that suggest inequalities still exist between whites and people of color in various sectors of society.
Racism vs. People of Color
The term minority has been used in society so commonly to describe many distinct groups of people to the point where it has lost its true meaning. According to June Hopps, certain conditions must be met for a group of people to be deemed a minority group, and blacks are one of few to clearly meet all the necessary criteria (Hopps). This specific minority group faces extreme amounts of hatred due to the color of their skin, and this racism has made people of color begin to resent their own genes and wish they had lighter skin. As time goes by, there is a higher percentage of non-white citizens attempting to pose as having a lighter skin tone to avoid receiving racist comments from those around them (Hopps). This helps to put into perspective the severity of the circumstances involving racism in our society. Everyone always says to “love yourself” and “be confident,” yet there exists people who are completely unable to do so and are wishing away the parts of themselves that make them who they are.
Money, success, education, a home: These are some of the elements that make up what we know to be “The American Dream” –a concept that came to be a long time ago, and something that many people across the world strive for. Immigrants come to this country in hopes of attaining and living this dream. However, there are many American citizens, some of whom have lived in this country their entire lives, who are unable to create the luxurious life that many assume comes along with living in the United States. Many times, this is solely due to the complexion of their skin, not their brains or their personalities. According to author Marcia Cantarella’s father in his book Beyond Racism, 1960s America consisted of extreme income and unemployment rate gaps between black and white citizens. Despite progress being made, higher percentages of colored citizens of the United States remain unemployed when compared to their white counterparts (Cantarella). This serves as evidence to suggest that racism is still a problem in our country, even if it is not as obvious as it was in the past.
Cantarella proposes multiple stories in her text to show the affects that racism may have on people of color in different areas of life, including education and the home. One story describes how black citizens are viewed by society: “While talking to my son, Mark, recently who just bought a home in the White suburb of Boston, he reflected while shoveling snow from the driveway, he wondered if anyone realized that he was the homeowner and not the handyman” (Cantarella). This speaks wonders to the implications that deep-rooted racial stereotypes have on people of color. When slavery existed, African Americans worked out on fields while the rich white families lived up in large and luxurious houses. Even when slaves gained freedom, Black Americans rarely owned nice houses, and they still lived as servants or workers for white people. This helped to enforce the stereotype that planted its roots in slavery and continued to grow throughout the years. Now Mark, a Black citizen in America, has gained ownership of a home but still feels trapped by the stereotypes that society has reinforced for so many generations. Another story told by the author does an excellent job at showing the effects of stereotypes on black individuals. This story tells of a man named Malcolm who grew up in the upper-class white suburbs. When Malcolm arrived at college, he found himself in multiple situations in which he was being subjected to racial stereotypes. For example, “In classes, he found himself expected to comment on issues of inner-city Blacks though he had grown up in an upscale suburb” (Cantarella). Due to Malcolm’s dark complexion, those around him assumed that he was raised in a state of poverty and social struggle. The idea that people of color are strictly members of the lower class is one of the main stereotypes toward darker skinned citizens. This social construct, along with all stereotypes, can be extremely harmful for these individuals because it poses as an obstacle that slows their progress in society.
As a human race, we have made immense advancements in the field of medicine, especially with the introduction of Covid-19 and the development of multiple vaccines. Although these advancements are groundbreaking, reaping their benefits does not come for free, especially for people of color. There exists a long history of medical mistreatment of Black people that stems from times of slavery, and unfortunately this mistreatment has taken a new form today. Multiple studies have been carried out to examine racial disparities in medical treatment, and the results show major patterns where Black people received less treatment or poorer quality treatment than their white counterparts. For example, some specific studies found the following: “Blacks were less likely to be recommended for standard catheterization,” “…black women are less likely than whites to be prescribed innovative cancer treatments…,” and “…physicians were less trusting of nonwhite HIV patients” (Feagin & Bennefield). These findings are extremely unsettling because it suggests that racism has made its way into the medical field. Medical professionals are trained to do whatever they can to help someone, yet there are some doctors making the choice to treat patients differently due to their skin color. Unfortunately, in the past, many medical discoveries were made due to inhumane and misinformed treatment/testing on people of color. According to authors Joe Feagin and Zinobia Bennefield, past misuse of medical skills and knowledge by educated professionals many times set the stage for later racial medical mistreatment (Feagin & Bennefield). This premise is used to explain the racial disparities that were observed by other researchers and why they exist today. Focusing more specifically on Covid-19, the introduction of this awful virus into our country called for unprecedented actions to be taken, including worldwide quarantines and the quick development of vaccines. Through this entire phase, there were more racial inequalities observed between white and colored citizens when it came to facing the backlash of the coronavirus. One statement sums up some of the troubles faced by people of color in the workforce during this time: “More than half of all Black, Latino, and Indigenous workers hold essential and nonessential jobs that must be done on-site in close proximity with others, a greater share than white workers” (Hardeman et al.). Colored people were, and still are, at a much higher risk of being exposed to and contracting this deadly virus. This situation can be traced back to the economic climate of today’s society, which has led to many colored families being stuck in poverty, and therefore willing to work these jobs that now have a new aspect of danger to them.
How Serious is Racism Really?
Some people may be wondering at this point, “Why should I worry about racism if it doesn’t really affect me?” People in our society have a bad habit of sitting back and ignoring the things that do not affect them personally. The continuation of racism may lead to civil unrest, protesting, and even a civil war. Even if a person still thinks that none of these effects will reach them, resolving racism can have many positive affects not only on them but on the generations to come. It would be so much easier to work together as a country, and even as a world, if we all supported and accepted one another. We have seen protests occur surrounding the topic of Black rights, including the many BLM protests/riots that occurred over the last year or two. Although some were peaceful and effective, others ended in police violence, rioting, and destruction of public property. People have been sprayed with tear gas, shot with rubber bullets, and some have even lost their lives. These are just some of the more recent negative effects stemming from systemic racism in our country. People have had enough of being treated poorly and are ready for a change. If that change is not made, events like these may carry on for generations, therefore affecting our future children and families. One can also consider racism and its effects on our fellow American citizens of color. No one should be subject to harassment or fear of potential dangers due to an element of themselves that they cannot change. We all have different skin tones, so what makes some so much “worse” or “less desirable” than others? Biology is an amazing field of study because it helps us to see just how unique each human being is, and it is time that we embrace what makes us different instead of tearing each other down because we are not the same.
Steps to be Taken
In order to ensure the safety and stability of our society, steps must be taken toward fixing the long-standing societal issue of racism in the United States of America. As stated earlier, each human body is different and the person behind each body is unique in their own special ways. According to Marcia Cantarella, the key to moving “beyond racism” is realizing and embracing the unique qualities of every person (Cantarella). This will lead to less judgement toward one another, more love, and most importantly, more respect. As a country, we will not be able to move beyond racism unless everyone is on board. It is extremely important that all citizens of America are devoted to the cause and are willing to put in the necessary work (Hopps). This commitment from everyone will not only make the process smoother and easier, but it will also help to ensure that racist thoughts and ideas are wiped out for good. Even though everyone must be involved in this long undertaking, people of color must lead the way by taking special necessary steps, specifically involving politics. According to Hopps, “…people of color must return to political activism and organization at the grass-root level” and they “…must keep informed of what is at stake politically” (Hopps). This will help to rebuild certain political foundations while understanding the political atmosphere of our nation and keeping the end goal in mind. These actions may take the form of peaceful protests, voting, keeping updated with the news, and simply speaking up and voicing opinions. Shifting the focus to medicine, many steps can be taken to resolve the racial disparities in this area of society as well. For example, a main issue in the health industry is the lack of respect for Black people, whether they are patients or professionals. To make improvements and advancements, the white members of the medical society who hold more power need to pay more attention to their black counterparts (Feagin & Bennefield). Taking this step will lead to conscious decision making that considers all those affected and not only white individuals, therefore hopefully shrinking the care gaps between black and white patients. In addition, as we try to move out of the national depression caused by the coronavirus, there needs to be a heavy focus on change. More specifically stated, “…the administration’s focus cannot simply be on how to return to the way things were prior to COVID-19 or to simply undo things done during the previous administration” (Hardeman et al.). This statement suggests that the goals of the Biden administration must now be to bring about change in our society because the society that used to exist was extremely flawed, just as it remains today. Change can be brought about by the administration with the introduction of new laws/policies, in addition to more covid relief packages for those families that are struggling. There are so many steps that need to be taken along the road to end racism, and the sooner we embark on this journey, the better.
Conclusion
Some people in America have the privilege to wake up every day to a simple, stress-free life. However, there are many people in this country who wake up every morning and prepare themselves for the worst because their skin is black, and this world is not kind to dark-skinned individuals. Racism has existed in our country for hundreds of years, from the use of African Americans for slave labor to the oppression of people of color in society today. Racism can have many negative effects on our nation and its citizens, including violence in the forms of bullying, rioting, or police brutality. Change is necessary, and many steps must be taken not only by people of color, but by the entire nation to make progress toward resolving the remnants of racism that exist in all sectors of life. No nation can be perfect; however, we can collectively work together to make this country a better place for everyone and to ensure that all citizens have their equal shot at The American Dream.
Works Cited
Cantarella, Marcia. “Learning From Others.” Vital Speeches of the Day, vol. 67, no. 15, May 2001, p. 470. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4461724&site=ehost-live. Accessed 4 Oct. 2021.
Feagin, Joe, and Zinobia Bennefield. “Systemic Racism and U.S. Health Care.” Social Science & Medicine, vol. 103, Feb. 2014, pp. 7–14. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.006. Accessed 4 Oct. 2021.
Hardeman, Rachel R., et al. “Fighting for America’s Paradise: The Struggle against Structural Racism.” Journal of Health Politics, Policy & Law, vol. 46, no. 4, Aug. 2021, pp. 563–575. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1215/03616878-8970767. Accessed 4 Oct. 2021.
Hopps, June G. “Oppression Based on Color.” Social Work, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 1982, pp. 3–5. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/sw/27.1.3. Accessed 4 Oct. 2021.
Artistic Expression: Poem
Dreams
Big dreams
Just like everyone else, that’s what they had
But they looked different
And to everyone else, that made them bad
A blessing and a curse
Their beautiful dark skin
Too many people are still scared of the dark
Something rooted deep within
Now those big dreams
They seemed to slip away
But not for everyone else, just for them
Why do things have to be this way?