In the US, racism stands out as a sophisticated dilemma that has affected the country for many centuries. Cultural and Racial biases have been in existence for long periods. The biases are witnessed in almost all sectors of our societies. They are witnessed in our schools, our justice system, and our healthcare system, among other institutions. In spite of concerted efforts to eliminate these biases, they still exist among us. It is difficult to deny the existence of racial and cultural biases, for there are no places where an individual can go subconsciously without the imagination of encountering cultural and racial biases. One will consciously go to such places if he or she has a position of power and believes that racial and cultural bias is wrong and it needs to be corrected.
The ideas are expressed in “The case for Reparations” and “A deeper black: Race in America” by Ta-Nehisi. Coates is calling for a review of the attitudes towards race. The author refers to the centuries of racial abuse in the United States. The historical tendencies represent not only the abusive attitudes towards African Americans but point to the constant shapeshifting of racism’s manifestations (Coates, 2017). As society evolves, it changes its attitudes from the brutality of the all-encompassing slavery to the less obvious racial microaggressions, police profiling, and housing policies (Coates, 2015). Yet, the essence of these issues remains the same, and the African Americans are the ones who are in a constant fight for their rights and against oppression.
Racism has affected the lives of many people in the US. Despite the legal alterations that have been made in the constitution to ensure equal treatment of all races, racism still strives in society. In the past, the segregation of Negroes has always attempted on the elements of inferiority as many minority individuals have lost their self-respect. For example, black Americans “enjoyed” a second-class status in society, and the argument was that black people were inferior economically, socially, and politically; hence, it was good for them. Moreover, the criminal justice system has also shown to be racist, especially against Black Americans. The struggle has also been in the past where Black Americans were branded that they should be “abolished by guns, arrows and bows” (King, 2010). In today’s society, apart from being harassed or imprisoned by police officers, the latter has been observed murdering some black people for no apparent reason. Additionally, wrongful arrests and jail terms have been issued to numerous Black Americans and other minority groups in general.
My personal opinions match the ideas elaborated by Ta-Nehisi. As I learn more about the history of racial relations in the United States and the current issues in American society, I feel that it is my duty to contribute to the centuries of racial abuse. Hence, colorblindness should be encouraged because it sends the message that ethnicity and race do not matter and that people should not look at and judge an individual based on it. It promotes that individuals should all become the same to create a “melting pot” society where people become indistinguishable from one another. Moreover, individuals are inspired to lose the things that make out cultural and racial groups unique and blend to become one. The blending of the people will enable people not to pay attention to issues of color anymore.
References
Coates, T. N. (2015). The case for reparations. In The Best American Magazine Writing 2015 (pp. 1-50). Columbia University Press.
Coates, T. N. (2017). A deeper black: Race in America. Presentation at Willamette.
King Jr, M. L. (2010). Where do we go from here: Chaos or community? (Vol. 2). Beacon Press.