The lesson learned from this module is that when a citizen is denied the opportunity to exercise their civil rights or other constitutional rights based on equality with others due to an absurd comparison imposed in practice, law, or regulation, this is discrimination. Throughout the history of the United States, ideologies regarding minorities have been characterized by discrimination. In American society, myriad forms of prejudice are now established, notably against people based on their nationality, color, ethnicity, languages, religious doctrine, sexuality, and gender.
What stood out most was how prominent leaders, notably Martin Luther King Jr., participated in the Civil Rights Movement’s struggle to oppose racism. Racism is a type of racial inequality in which citizens are mistreated depending on their skin color. Slavery was the original cause of its emergence in American society (Lewis, T. T., & Van Dyke, M. E. 2018). Most of these demonstrations were coordinated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a nonviolent activist and preacher who fought for the emancipation of African-Americans into civil society (MLK, 2015). He arranged multiple rallies in which both African Americans and whites engaged.
What surprises me is how the Caucasians passed absurd bills to continue discriminating the minorities in American society. Jim Crow laws were among the laws implemented in Southern America in the 1870s (MLK, 2015). These laws made racial disparities more prevalent in the US. The commodities and settings reserved for minority customers were frequently substandard and less appealing than those for Caucasians. Public spaces were just one of the numerous places where whites were confined by Jim Crow laws (Lewis, T. T., & Van Dyke, M. E. 2018). These laws made it more difficult for African Americans and other minority groups to lead fulfilling lives.
What struck me most is that, in America, the concept and idea of intersectionality have become increasingly prominent, influencing the efforts of both activists and legislators involved in the struggle for equality. Multiple discrimination is a thought that acknowledges that there can be prejudice based on more than one subjective attribute (Lewis, T. T., & Van Dyke, M. E. 2018). In terms of multiple discrimination, it is a disadvantage to the minority and an advantage to the superior majority. For instance, African Americans comprise a majority of those who claim to have personally experienced race prejudice in the workforce, including underpayment and interactions with the authorities.
References
Lewis, T. T., & Van Dyke, M. E. (2018). Discrimination and the health of African Americans: The potential importance of intersectionalities. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(3), 176–182.
MLK. (2015). The Other America [Video]. YouTube. Web.