Discrimination in the US is an issue that has been dealt with for decades; however, there are no signs of it ending. Although personal discrimination cannot be eliminated, systemic discrimination can be stopped with adequate efforts. Every American citizen requires an equal opportunity when it comes to utilizing the US systems because they pay taxes like everyone. A speech by Fredrick Douglass in 1853 questions the irony of the US celebrating its independence day while still holding Africans as slaves (Brockell, 2021). He challenged them to have an equal society where everyone could thrive. However, it is evident that until today, people of color still face systemic racism in healthcare, finance, transport, education, leadership, and other sectors. This paper presents cases of racism and proposes methods that will most effectively stop systemic racism, beyond those discussed in this past course.
African American history in the US began when Africans were transported to the US to work as slaves. During this period, African Americans were removed from their homes and deprived of various elements of culture, such as their native language, religion, and culture. The poem Runagate Runagate shows how Africans suffered at the hand of the whites while trying to escape slavery (Hayden, 2022). The novel “Beloved” demonstrates how the home of formerly enslaved African Americans is haunted after the First World War (Morrison, 2010). In addition, African Americans were used in the First World War to fight for the US against Japan. However, the survivors of the war faced much discrimination even after experiencing the devastating traumatic experiences of fighting for the whites (Silko, 2006). The text, “A Bitter Legacy,” explains how President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s executive order to incarcerate all people deemed a threat to the US inland saw over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry relocated (Katayanagi, 2016). These examples show that racism is a historical issue in the US that has not yet been solved.
It is erroneous to assume that racial oppression of African Americans has ceased over time. However, the most interesting fact is that oppression still exists in a modified form. From the killing of Floyd George to the racial arrests in the US, it is evident that racism is a prevalent issue in the US (Allen, 2020). African Americans and other ethnic minorities face systemic racism in voting rights, accessing financial services, housing, and even in the education sector (Allen, 2020). As mentioned in the poem “Carriers of the Dream Wheel,” African Americans are still hoping that their dreams of an equal society will be realized one day (Momaday, 1989). Thus, systemic racism is still a major challenge for the US government up to date, which needs to be solved.
Systemic racism has long hindered African Americans from enjoying their voting rights. The government has used the criminal justice system to deny them voting rights such that people with histories of convictions or those on probation are not allowed to vote (Banaji et al., 2021). In the poem “Almost Living, Almost Dead,” Juan Felipe highlights the harsh reality and tension between the Black American community and the police (Felippe, 2015). The US criminal system targets Black Americans, which is why one in every thirteen African Americans has no voting right due to previous convictions (Banaji et al., 2021). U.S. congressmen should revise their voting bills to ensure equal representation (Banaji et al., 2021). It will take Congress to pass John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure that racial minorities are not deprived of the right to vote in the US. In addition, the criminal justice system will have to stop using its privileges to stop African Americans from voting.
The fair housing policy is another factor to be considered in ending systemic discrimination. Although the US has fair housing as a civic right, systemic racism in the housing system hinders people of color from accessing housing opportunities provided by the government (Braveman et al., 2022). The main aim of the Fair Housing Act was to address systemic racism by removing housing discrimination and other systemic challenges that people of color face concerning housing. Housing discrimination occurs by segregating and having distinct neighborhoods separating whites and people of color (Braveman et al., 2022). For the approach of fair housing to succeed in the US, the government will have to improve the regions that people of color have inhabited to ensure that they match those inhabited by whites. This can be done by valuing land in those regions by opening industries and providing good land transfer processes that do not discriminate against people of color.
The third resolution is ensuring equity in the postal banking systems. Traditional banks in areas associated with people of color have a 50 percent possibility of closing compared to those in dominant white areas (Banaji et al., 2021). This will increase the number of people from ethnic minorities who will be unbanked (Banaji et al., 2021). Without banking services, Black Americans cannot access financing services such as loans which are essential in boosting their wellbeing. Thus, the US Postal Service needs to offer racial minorities banking services close to their neighborhoods. In addition, they should provide competitive low financing services such as interest on loans to help overcome inequalities. For these policies to succeed, they need to appoint people of color to head some of the financial institutions in these regions because they can understand the racial minority groups’ challenges.
For each approach to be successful, the collaboration of all government agencies and institutions is necessary. A unique position is held by the president, who has the power to take initiatives to combat racial discrimination. A separate point should also be made about the state’s relationship with the population, which may take the form of a poll or referendum on the need to change the law. The state should focus on young people since they are among the most progressive and thus concerned about systemic racism. Dialogue is essential for an effective and speedy solution, but the state should be more proactive on this issue. One senator or president cannot change the mentality of all people, but they can revolutionize racial politics.
Although individual discrimination is an issue that will take time to be eliminated in the US system, the government should seek to develop more effective methods of addressing systemic racism. Despite their ethnic background, all US citizens deserve to be treated equally. Some of the suggestions this study provides for solving the problem of systemic inequalities in the US are giving racial minorities voting rights, fair housing policies, postal banking services, and reviewing student debt loans.
References
Allen, J. R. (2020). Systemic racism and America today. Brookings.
Banaji, M. R., Fiske, S. T., & Massey, D. S. (2021). Systemic racism: Individuals and interactions, institutions and society. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 6(1), 1-21.
Braveman, P. A., Arkin, E., Proctor, D., Kauh, T., & Holm, N. (2022). Systemic and structural racism: Definitions, examples, health damages, and approaches to dismantling. Health Affairs, 41(2), 171–178.
Brockell, G. (2021). Frederick Douglass had nothing but scorn for July Fourth. The Black abolitionist spoke for the enslaved. Washington Post.
Douglass, F. (2014). What to the Slave is the 4th of July?. South Chicago ABC Zine Distro.
Herrera, J. F. (2015). Almost Livin’ Almost Dyin’ by Juan Felipe Herrera. Poetry Foundation.
Hayden, R. (2022). Runagate Runagate. Poetry Foundation.
Katayanagi, C. (2016). A Bitter Legacy.
Momaday, N. S. (1989). Carriers of the dream wheel, a poem. Rhetoric Review, 8(1), 152–152.
Morrison, T. (2010). Beloved. Vintage Classic.
Silko, L. M. (2006). Ceremony. Perfection Learning Corporation.