racism practiced in the US

 racism practiced in the US

The concept of freedom has been much spoken about in the 20th and 21st centuries. The united states have been described as the land of the free with the majority of the people around the world looking up at the nation to learn different ideas. The founding fathers of the nations developed the concepts of freedom and the land of the opportunities, thus making it the best nation in the globe. However, in the development of the land of the free, a lot of concepts were missed on having the land in which race and ethnicity was not a barrier in the development of the freedom and taking advantage of the opportunities provided. Black Marxism looks into the different ways in which people of color have been made to feel less of humans and treated as physically dangerous, thus limiting the possibility of change in society. Several leaders and scholars such as Fredrick Douglass, Du Bois, and L.R James have looked into the various ways in which the land of the free has strategically worked towards the limitation of the rights of different members of the society. In the meaning of freedom and other difficult dialogues, the author highlights the differences in racism in the United State’s past and present. Despite the passing of many decades, the conditions limiting the progress of people in society have remained relatively the same. In the past, segregation and the Jim Crow rules limited the people of color from accessing opportunities and better living condition; however, in the present concepts of police brutality, incarceration, and the limitation of voting rights represent the transition in racism.

In the past, the racism practiced in the US was clearly documented in the laws of segregation and Jim Crow, especially in the southern states. The community clearly indicated the limits of human rights extended to African Americans. As the author recalls, “During my childhood years, Birmingham, Alabama, was the most segregated city in the United States. My parents made sure that all of their children recognized that racial segregation was not a permanent set of relations” (Davis 35). The children and parents of African ancestry in the era knew of the racial segregation as stipulated in the law. As people of color, they were expected to be found in a certain neighborhood and access public services in a particular manner. The segregation laws led to people being imprisoned and punished for refusing to adhere to nature and structure created in society. For example, the buses filled with freedom fighters traveling to the south where black people were allowed to sit at the front, and the white people in the past were targeted and vandalized by the communities in the south. Overall, in the past, the rules and expectations of the community were clear on racism. The hierarchy of the people was well stipulated in the constitution.

The transition from racism in the past and present was characterized by the abolition of the segregation laws as the civil movements became more vocal. Different movements, such as the Black Panthers, were motivated to call for the human rights for the people of color and freedom. Different leaders in the society were radical and called for marches and boycotts to capture the attention of the nation on changing the laws to fit all members of society. As the author explains, “Thousands and thousands of anonymous people learned how to imagine a radically changed world. King gave expression to their aspirations, and people like Bayard Rustin helped to translate these aspirations into a movement” (Davis 156). The movements in the era called for social change and the view of African Americans. The movements and marches to Washington and other southern states led to the abolition of the laws that described humans as being less of humans. The laws that oppressed African Americans were called off in most parts of the nation. Nonetheless, the abolition did not lead to the change in the concept of racism that was already implanted in the minds of the American citizens. The members of the community continued to be oppressed through the systemic racial regulations that were developed at the forming of the nation.

The main illustration of racism in modern times is through the development of police brutality and police profiling. The racial segregation laws in the south were based on the aspect that African American men were dangerous and posed a physical danger to white women and children. As a result, the police learned to view the African American people as a physical threat to all. As Davis explained, “The racial profiling perpetrated in police departments all over the country is simply one indication of the degree to which the practices of the police are deeply informed by racism” (62). The systemic racism that has been enhanced in the police force has led to the extreme use of force and constant arrest on suspicion of African American men. The increased aspects of police profiling and police brutality have led to many of the African Americans to lose their lives in the process. The death of Michael Brown that led to the mass protests by the Black Lives Matter movement, among others, is an example of racism in the society. The war ion drug has also been a central reason for the increased profiling and brutality of the police towards society. The various regimes in the nation have contributed directly and indirectly towards the advancement of laws and regulations that hinder African Americans as stereotypically dangerous.

In the same way, the mass incarceration of African American men has been a clear indication of racism in modern society. Racism in the modern society is revealed through the use of the 13th amendment as the loophole for enslaving the African American men in the modern generation. As Davis explains, “There are approximately 2.2 million people currently incarcerated in county jails, state prisons, federal prisons, Indian country jails, military prisons, and immigrant detention centers” (123). The number of people detained in the various jails does not have freedom or various rights fundamental to the advancement of humans. Unfortunately, mass incarceration seems to target people of color. The African American people in prisons have remained relatively the same in the modern generation. The people from the poor neighborhoods suffer from getting a good criminal defender, thus are subjected to the public attorneys who do a bad job of expressing their innocence. Moreover, the juries in the majority of the cases are defined by white men who are swayed to make decisions based on race. The judicial sentences for minor crimes on people of color have also been extreme. The modern society has developed systemic ways of oppressing and limiting the advancement of the members of society.

Racial barriers in American society are expressed in the aftermath of incarceration. Once a person is arrested, they lose their voting rights and economic privileges. As Davis highlights, “the prison population in this country provides visible evidence of who is not allowed to participate in this democracy, that is to say, who does not have the same rights, who does not enjoy the same liberties, who cannot reach the same level of education and access, who cannot be a part of the body politic, and who is, therefore, subject to a form of civil death” (123). In that, the people arrested are limited in having the liberties that make them active members of society. The lack of voting rights in American society ensures that the African American votes are minimized, thus becoming insignificant. The racial oppression thus allows the society to have consisted of leaders that do not consider or priorities the issues of the community, such as underfunding of the schools, provision of better housing rates, and economical financing for small businesses. The increased incarceration of the community illustrates the lack of liberties that puts in motion the lack of good services and opportunities for advancement in the African American dominated communities.

The concept of racism towards African American society expresses the actions and consequences of the systems put in place at the founding of the nation. The segregation policies in various states have led to the entrenchment of police brutality, mass incarceration, and lack of voting rights. The policies that limited African Americans as being treated as equal at the founding of the nation have been led to the advancement of policies and actions that have continued to reduce the value of humans. Racism is profound in American society. The constant view of others as superior or inferior continues to be defined in the systems of justice and policing. It is essential for the leaders in the nation to embark on the elimination of racism from the institutions, thus ensuring a just and free society.