Racism Problem In America
America is far from having overcome its racism problem. Whether it's treatment by police or susceptibility to poverty, one's skin color can determine a whole range of variables in life. Particularly, blacks in America face a disproportionate number of social and economic barriers — but the racial problem is not binary. It extends way beyond a white-black disparity, affecting Hispanics, Arabs and a miscellany of other minorities. Many statistics reveal contrasting dimensions of racism as it exists in the United States today and are a reminder of how far the country needs to go in addressing the problem.
Segregation ended 53 years ago, and some would argue that racial injustice ended with it. Most people do not want to believe that anything …show more content…
While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did end legal segregation, this law did nothing to address the issues that racism and segregation caused in the first place. In the years following 1964, 41.8 percent of blacks were in poverty, compared to only 11.3 percent of whites. While black poverty has decreased since 1964, more recent measures of national poverty show a national poverty rate of 25.8 percent of blacks and African Americans below the poverty line, while 43 states have a white poverty rate below 14 percent (the national rate of white poverty is 11.6 percent). Even with this decrease in black poverty since the Civil Rights Act, there is a disproportionate distribution of wealth between the races that is still evident …show more content…
The presence of institutional racism still influences the country, and it can be seen from poverty levels to the lack of representation of minorities in entertainment (only 16.7 percent of lead actors in mainstream theatrical films are minorities as of 2013). So how does racism still exist? It exists because it is ignored. It is believed not to exist. If the All Lives Matter movement teaches us anything, it is that there are those in America who don't believe that racial injustice exists simply because it is not legally present. For 53 years, America has ignored the effects of segregation and legal injustice on blacks and other minorities. The only way that racism can truly cease to exist is if we acknowledge this disparity, and improve
Segregation ended 53 years ago, and some would argue that racial injustice ended with it. Most people do not want to believe that anything …show more content…
While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did end legal segregation, this law did nothing to address the issues that racism and segregation caused in the first place. In the years following 1964, 41.8 percent of blacks were in poverty, compared to only 11.3 percent of whites. While black poverty has decreased since 1964, more recent measures of national poverty show a national poverty rate of 25.8 percent of blacks and African Americans below the poverty line, while 43 states have a white poverty rate below 14 percent (the national rate of white poverty is 11.6 percent). Even with this decrease in black poverty since the Civil Rights Act, there is a disproportionate distribution of wealth between the races that is still evident …show more content…
The presence of institutional racism still influences the country, and it can be seen from poverty levels to the lack of representation of minorities in entertainment (only 16.7 percent of lead actors in mainstream theatrical films are minorities as of 2013). So how does racism still exist? It exists because it is ignored. It is believed not to exist. If the All Lives Matter movement teaches us anything, it is that there are those in America who don't believe that racial injustice exists simply because it is not legally present. For 53 years, America has ignored the effects of segregation and legal injustice on blacks and other minorities. The only way that racism can truly cease to exist is if we acknowledge this disparity, and improve