Introduction
There are different meanings of words in the field of racial prejudice, which includes systematic racism, liberation, social justice, white privilege, and institutional racism. Therefore, this paper has demystified the meaning of such words in a bid to have a better comprehension of African-American predicaments since slavery. Additionally, this paper also talks about oppression in the black community. Oppression is the protracted exercise of brutal or unjust authority or the condition of being subject to such treatment. On the same note, oppression has detrimental impacts on its victims by preventing them from having positive self-perceptions, enjoying complete lives, and speaking up against injustice. This paper will further explore the oppression of blacks and the necessary measures to promote social justice and equity. These forms of oppression and strategies for advancing social justice and equity are described below.
Systematic Racism
Systemic racism occurs when individual and collective-level processes and institutions involved in perpetuating racial injustice are carried out by powerful groups, such as governments, corporations, and schools. Racism is distinct from prejudice, which is either consciously or unconsciously unfair towards a person or group depending on their ethnicity (Hardeman et al., 2018). Fundamentally, racial prejudice is a belief; consequently, racism is the manifestation of this belief in action. A person may subconsciously or consciously believe, for instance, that persons of race are more likely to commit crimes or be hazardous. If a person perceives that a Black person is furious, they may become anxious. These prejudices can develop into racism through a variety of activities varying in degree and from individual to collective responses.
White Privilege
In a culture defined by racial inequity, white privilege refers to the inalienable benefits a white person possesses due to their race. (Collins 2018) states that, even though whites are privileged, many white individuals do not enjoy the advantages of relative wealth, such as food and nutrition security. Many do not enjoy the advantages of access, such as proximity to hospitals. If white company executives did not hire a large number of persons of race, white people would have more economic prospects.
Institutional Racism
Institutionalized discrimination or uneven treatment on the basis of participation in a specific ethnicity results from the establishment of systems, institutions, or norms. (Bourke et al., 2018) Institutional racism was a type of colonialism because it involved covert methods by established and well-known societal institutions to subjugate and maintain power over a particular race. There is institutional prejudice when a business refuses to employ employees of a particular race or religion.
Liberation
When a person or group that has been classified makes the decision to transcend the labels that other individuals or society has put on them, liberation happens. In addition, it requires being aware that societal norms are gradually evolving in the direction of encouraging positive behavioral change. Emancipation may take several forms, such as removing racial restrictions on marriage or freeing an individual from confinement in a penal institution.
Social Justice
Social justice is the manifestation of equality in society, including fairness in healthcare and employment, among other areas. Human rights are honored, and racism is prohibited in a fairly just society. Individuals of all races are permitted to access healthcare, education, and work, which is an example of racial inequality. Additionally, these facilities should be accessible to all genders. All the aforementioned fairness must be respected in order to achieve social justice.
Ways African American People Were Oppressed
Hidden oppression, the quasi, subtle instances of cruel and unjust conduct, is one method by which African Americans have been mistreated. It is akin to the macroaggressions that people of color endure. Racial injustices are typically subtle, unintentional slights that make an individual of color feel devalued or prejudiced against due to their race alone. (Kelly et al.,.2018) insinuates that these macroaggressions convey animosity, antagonism, or degrading attitudes toward a different race. A manifestation of latent oppression is the disproportionate representation of African Americans in special education. Due to their educational handicap, Blacks in special education must contend with teacher racism and racial separation.
The second way black Africans were prejudiced was by aggressive oppression, which is the forceful and unjust mistreatment of people through violent incidents and laws that overtly hurt individuals and strip them of their privileges. The oppressed group is subjected to physical and emotional abuse and anguish. Police brutality, which is extreme physical violence or verbal abuse and psychological coercion, is a form of belligerent oppression since it is destructive to the sufferers’ families and people of their community. (Kelly et al., 2018) state that the United States has a greater rate of police-involved shootings of civilians than other developed nations.
In addition, the police practiced lynching, a type of racist social control that was first developed by farm supervisors or policeman overlords during slavery and afterward adopted as a police technique during the Jim Crow era. Furthermore, (Kelly et al., 2018) state that, between 1880 and 1960, at least 3,500 black males were lynched to prevent revolt. Black African communities are subject to widespread police surveillance, the use of physical and lethal force, officer misbehavior, and a slow response time when requesting police assistance. Therefore, children of color are also susceptible to being victims of police violence.
Ways to Promote Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion of Blacks in the Society
Among these methods is addressing race concerns in the public sector. Those involved in public management will need to build systems and procedures to effectively react to the needs of the people, given that race has substantial societal ramifications. Race fairness exists when a society’s allocation of access, opportunities, products, and services is not biased toward one racial group. ( Lopez-Littleton et al., 2018) states that, according to the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Code of Ethics, government employees should collaborate to progress the national good, uphold the Constitution and the legislation, strengthen social fairness, fully inform and advise, prove moral integrity, promote good institutions, and advance professionally.
The educational sector’s public administration must be restructured, and training and education programs must have an awareness and desire to tackle race and prejudice. The history of organizations, civil rights problems, the Constitution, and democracy must be taught to public management students as appropriate methods to comprehend the role and purpose of the government in contemporary society. In addition, (Lopez-Littleton et al., 2018) indicate that conflicts should be minimized when they arise and turn an overt spontaneous conflict into a learning opportunity. Deliberately plan ways to surface anticipated or underlying racial conflicts and proactively engage students in a transformative dialogue aimed at helping them learn.
Conclusion
In conclusion, African Americans experienced a great deal of racial discrimination, which diminished their confidence among whites. They were oppressed in several ways, including covert oppression and forceful oppression, which have been extensively described above. In order to encourage racial equity and social justice, individuals should voluntarily engage students in a transformative discourse with the goal of assisting them in learning, and the state should uphold a law that promotes social balance in the community.
References
Bourke, C. J., Marrie, H., & Marrie, A. (2018). Transforming institutional racism at an Australian hospital. Australian Health Review, 43(6), 611-618. Web.
Collins, C. (2018). What is white privilege, really. Teaching Tolerance, 60, 1-11. Web.
Hardeman, R. R., Murphy, K. A., Karbeah, J. M., & Kozhimannil, K. B. (2018). Naming institutionalized racism in the public health literature: a systematic literature review. Public Health Reports, 133(3), 240-249. Web.
Kelly, D. C., & Varghese, R. (2018). Four contexts of institutional oppression: Examining the experiences of Blacks in education, criminal justice and child welfare. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 28(7), 874-888. Web.
Lopez-Littleton, V., Blessett, B., & Burr, J. (2018). Advancing social justice and racial equity in the public sector. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 24(4), 449-468. Web.