Abstract This work traces the origins of slavery and racism in the modern era, and analyzes the debate over which phenomenon gave rise to the other. The paper also explores the unique aspects of African-American enslavement in colonial U.S. and its connection with the modern state of race relations in America. The paper also proposes a unique hypothesis that connects the rise of slavery in Europe and America to Europe's underlying fear of the rising cultures of the East. The essay also contains critiques and descriptions of the scholarship of Dr. Eric Williams, Winthrop Jordan, and others.
From the Paper "This essay concerns the work of West Indian historian and former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Eric Williams, who proffered the rationale in Capitalism and Slavery, that the philosophical origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade in the Americas was based upon economics, not racism. My purpose of addressing Dr. Williams theory is not to argue that slavery was, above all else, a major economic enterprise. Rather, I am interested in examining the origins of African slavery in Europe in the modern era and the overall European mindset of the early 15th Century, including their attitudes and preconceptions regarding the African continent. While not disputing the hypothesis evident in the title of Dr. William's essay ?Economics, Not Racism, as the Root of Slavery,? I contend that economics alone was not the sole impetus behind the tragic phenomenon of African slavery, and that the occurrence of racism was simultaneous. Furthermore, I am seeking to examine Dr. William's theory in the context of the African-American experience amid early U.S. history. That is, I intend to describe the distinctive nature of slavery in the colonial U.S., being developed under the English's specious pretext of black inferiority. My overall supposition is that the genesis of racist attitudes coincided with the initial Portuguese contact with inhabitants of Old Guinea in 1441, becoming especially prevalent among the English through their early experiences with black Africans. Because these attitudes were formed prior to any English involvement in the trade of African slaves, this position stands at odds with Dr. William's theory that racism was invented for the purpose of justifying the continuation of slavery."
Abstract This paper reviews Carl T. Rowan's "The Coming Race War in America: A Wake Up Call", a book on race issues in the United States. The paper summarizes Rowan's main points in the book - that the lack of morality and the lack of caring about one's fellow man causes the decline of America and the racism that African Americans have to endure. The author critiques that Rowan seems somewhat biased in his view point and the book is seemingly repetitive without making much of a contribution to the society.
From the Paper "In my own life, there is also not much that I can do to use anything from this book. It was interesting from the standpoint that I was amazed at how angry Rowan seemed through most of it. I was surprised that it was published because it seemed like a rant. I am not at all prejudiced against any race, but I did feel that Rowan was only hurting his cause by many of his words. He seemed too harsh and too willing to place blame based on race. None of that will solve the problems that have been seen throughout this country since the times of slavery. I did not think that the book was very interesting strictly from the standpoint of having valuable information, though, because there was really nothing new in it. Rowan did not present real, important, factual issues with suggested solutions that had merit. That would have been a much more interesting and valuable contribution to race relations."
Abstract This paper explains how institutional and organizational racism is a problem not only in the US, but in the UK as well. The denial of equal opportunity in education, jobs, and housing in the UK is considered, as well as addressed, with a comparison to the situation in the United States. Clear implications and solutions are set forth, explaining the need for eradication of institutional and organizational racism.
From the Paper "Racism, by definition, is a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities, and that racial differences produce and inherent superiority of a particular race. When applied to society and specifically to institutions, racism is discriminatory attitudes and beliefs that permeate our society and its institutions. These attitudes and modes of thinking can have a serious impact on treatment of minorities, especially in areas of justice. As a result, these minorities suffer disadvantages ranging from criminal profiling to being rejected for jobs."
Tags: england, inequality, racial, workplace, america
This paper reviews and examines the 10 challenges facing black Americans as detailed in Tavis Smiley's "How to Make Black America Better: Leading African Americans Speak Out."
939 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 0 sources, 2006, $ 33.95
Abstract The writer of this paper contends that Tavis Smiley's "How to Make Black America Better: Leading African Americans Speak Out" is a cry for black Americans to support their communities and respect themselves. This paper details the 10 challenges in Smiley's book, most of which focus on issues such as education, money and health. This paper analyzes the author's contention that black Americans, compared to whites, are at an overall disadvantage. This paper examines many of the essays in the book, penned by various writers, which deal with racism, ridicule and disrespect for no other reason than race. Among the many concerns, other than health, poverty and education, this book discusses the need for political involvement and the patronage of black businesses which is still a major obstacle that African-Americans need to overcome.
From the Paper "Some of this discrimination is intentional, but there is also discrimination that is not deliberate, but simply happens because of the way that laws are written or the way that things have always been done. This is the kind of discrimination that should be addressed and changed, because it can be altered much more easily than dealing with the hatred of a few people that will always discriminate as much as they can get away with, as often as they can. Smiley's collection of essays indicate that this type of hatred cannot really be stopped or avoided, but that there are always legal and reliable ways for black Americans to do well and succeed if that is the path that they choose. The essays also show that black Americans must be made aware of this path and that they have the option of being more than what they are."
Tags: book, review, literature, african, american, racism, poverty, political
Abstract This paper begins by providing an overview of who the Chicanos are, including an examination of their culture. It then looks at the history of this population group and discusses whether white settlers in North America were racist against the Chicanos. It also compares the situation between Mexico and the United States.
From the Paper "Many generations ago, people were naturally segregated by physical geographical barriers. Mountain ranges, oceans, even sheer distances between communities formed distinct cultures, unique to their particular region of the world. Technology, however, made the barriers disappear. People, in a very short period of time, could travel wherever they wished, fairly comfortably and relatively quickly. The world figuratively opened up before its citizens and cultures began to co-mingle, and in some instances, were lost completely."
Abstract This paper considers Langston Hughes's experience of living as a minority in America as conveyed in the poem "Let America Be America Again." It also looks at the historical context of the poem.
From the Paper "In Let America be America Again, Langston Hughes relates the unique experience of being a minority in America. More specifically Hughes uses the poem to explore what it means to be an African-American in the United States and given the time period during which ..."
Tags: langston hughes, america, jim crow, racism, inequality, minority
Abstract The writer of this paper argues that the laws and legislation may be in place in order to guarantee the end to racism but it will take many generations before the mind set of people can change and their derogatory words and actions will stop.
From the Paper "When people talk about discrimination and prejudice, they talk about it as if it is a thing of the past. They talk about slaves, plantations and what our great grandparents went through. When they talk about what it is to be ethnic, many paint a picture that looks something like Kunta Kinte in the movie Roots. Then they follow it with some comment like, "Boy its good things are not like that anymore." But the truth is that even though the physical lashings are not as severe, the emotional scares run just as deep as they did 150 years ago. Just two generations ago, our grandparents were still under the Jim Crow laws, which set aside different rules for Blacks than Whites. Our parents still may remember what it was like to be made to sit in the back of the movie theater because of the color of their skin. The Jim Crow laws may have been repealed and we now have many well meaning anti-discrimination laws, but those who think that discrimination is a thing of the past have never checked the box marked "African American" under race."
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of white men ruling America. The paper contends that white men came to the country, conquered it, and have had no intention of losing control of the now superpower to any other race. The paper states that all the rules set down upon the founding of America were written and agreed upon only by white men. Blacks or Native Americans were not asked for their opinions on the Constitution. The paper admits that they have suffered severely and will still be held down by this for quite some time. The paper believes that other races cannot rise to the top of the American government because it was written for whites by whites and has yet to have any serious threats of being overthrown.
From the Paper "Since the early days of colonial times in North America, whites have had most of the power and influence. Europeans came over to America and colonized it, and the only reason other races were brought over was to do the hard labor. Our white founders intended the country to stay in white control, and it has for all these years. White people have always run America and always will. It is far easier to maintain control than to change the current rule in a democracy."
Abstract The paper is a discussion and analysis of the two novels "Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America" by Mary Paik Lee and "Coming of Age in Mississippi," by Anne Moody. Specifically, the paper compares and contrasts the hardships that Mary and Anne had to overcome. The paper looks at how their struggles were similar and different. These two women at first seem quite divergent from each other in experience and culture, but after reading these two books, it is clear these women have much in common, from their experience of prejudice and hate, to their ability to create meaningful lives for themselves while sharing their experiences with others.
From the Paper "At first glance, Asian Mary Paik Lee and Black Anne Moody could not be more different. One was an Asian immigrant who came to the country in 1905; and the other was a poor black living in the South at the height of the Civil Rights movement. Certainly, these two very different women, from far dissimilar backgrounds and generations, could have nothing in common. Yet, as the reader delves into their stories, they discover these two women have far more in common that first envisioned."
Tags: asian, women, asia, chinese, civil, rights, racism, integration, korea
Abstract This paper explores the period from 1863-1977 in America, and, specifically, looks at three major issues from that period. These are the Emancipation Proclamation, the Republican and Democratic compromise, and the period of Redemption, where many of the period's gains were lost again. The writer shows how, in addition to dealing with politics, however, Foner also deals with the social aspects of the Reconstruction.
From the Paper "One of the reasons that Foner's book is so very powerful is that it is based on many documents that came from that time. More than 98 different sets of private papers were utilized for this book, as well as contemporary works from newspapers and magazines. The amount of information that Foner collected is almost more important than the information itself. The amount of information shows that Foner had a real desire to uncover the truth and make sure that he told the whole story, not just the story that had already been told countless times by various history textbooks."
Tags: civil, war, racism, black, slavery, african, american, republican, democrat
This paper discusses being black in America through the eyes of Spike Lee in his film "Do the Right Thing" and Richard White in his novel "Native Son".
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that the film's central theme in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" is that being black in America entails struggle and occasionally the struggle against social and economic oppression manifests in unfortunate acts of violence. The writer then points out that the character Bigger in Richard Wright's novel "Native Son" is a victim of social, political and economic oppression directly related to the color of his skin. The writer looks at the two works and discusses that "Native Son" illustrates the extent of racial discrimination during the early half of the twentieth century and that "Do the Right Thing" reveals the extent of racial discrimination during the latter half of the century. The writer maintains that the protagonists in "Native Son" and "Do the Right Thing" live in different times and therefore the level of discrimination they experience differs. The writer concludes that African Americans must continue to fight for equality ideally using nonviolent means. When nonviolence fails to yield results then riots and outbursts are the most likely outcomes.
From the Paper "One of the main reasons Mookie and Bigger react differently to social and economic oppression is because Mookie lives in post-Civil Rights era America whereas Bigger's story takes place just after the turn of the century. In other words, both men are victims of the times they live in, even more than they are victims of their own tragic flaws. The inclusion of quotes from two of the Civil Rights era's most notable and influential figures in Lee's "Do the Right Thing" underscores the ideological differences between his film and Wright's novel. Lee invokes a Civil Rights Era that had not even taken place when Wright wrote Native Son. Bigger does not have access to the social networks that existed for Mookie such as the idea of Black Power itself or Black Nationalism. The idea that "staying black" might be socially acceptable was a foreign concept for Bigger and therefore he deals with being politically disempowered with less finesse than Mookie does."
Abstract Systemic racism is found just as much in the nursing profession as in many other institutionalized workplaces. This form of racism produces serious conflict that can harm morale and efficiency because the problem can remain hidden. Systemic racism, or institutionalized racism, is racism that is built into the system. Systemic racism is the result of interlocking systems of social oppression such as classism, sexism and ableism in the health care system. This paper explains what system racism is and discusses the serious harm it can cause. In particular, the paper discusses systemic racism within the nursing profession and looks at how it is an especially problematic issue with regard to the delivery of health services.
From the Paper "Workplace diversity is a tremendous benefit, but it can cause serious problems not only for the staff but also for patients and the delivery of care (Aries, 2004). Systemic racism is found just as much in the nursing profession as in many other institutionalized workplaces. Minority and ethnic groups continue to be viewed as different. "Diversity has become a more pressing issue in the delivery of health services because added to long-standing racial disparities are problems associated with caring for new immigrant populations" (Aries, 2004, p. 173)."
Abstract This paper reviews Joe R. Feagin and Melvin P. Sikes' book "Living with Racism," in which the authors challenge the conventional view that racism is a thing of the past, gone with the days of slavery. To challenge this view, Feagin and Sikes collected personal accounts from over 200 middle-class black Americans to reveal the racism that pervades many aspects of American daily life today. The authors pull together accounts revealing subtle and overt racism, and examine how this racism is expressed in discriminatory behavior. "Living with Racism" is an important reminder about how much work remains to be done regarding racial relations in the United States.
From the Paper "The authors pull together accounts revealing subtle and overt racism, and how this racism is expressed in discriminatory behavior. Despite the Civil Rights Movement and the resultant laws that mandate against discriminatory practices, Feagin and Sikes gather a multitude of accounts showing how African Americans continue to face discrimination at public places, such as hotels, restaurants and stores. The stories are carefully gathered to provide a narrative account that encompasses many aspects of American public life. Together, these stories show that racism and the resultant discriminatory behavior are alive and well."
Abstract The premise of the paper is that slavery was not caused perpetuated by racism. The paper examines the debates by historians and sociologists that slavery encourages racism, and racism establishes slavery.
The historical evolution of slavery is analyzed in order to establish that this idea of mutual supporting systems of racism and slavery is not correct.
From the Paper "For many years, historians and sociologists have debated the relationship between racism and slavery. Some contend that slavery caused and perpetuated racism, while others argue that racism caused and perpetuated slavery. Examining the historical evidence indicates that in colonial and pre-Civil War America, racism was both a cause and consequence of slavery. Ultimately, institutionalized slavery and institutionalized racism co-existed as mutually supporting systems, based upon prevailing social and cultural assumptions that blacks were an inferior race. In order to resolve this issue, it is necessary to examine and evaluate slavery's historical development, for doing so provides evidence that in many societies, slavery has not been caused or perpetuated by racism."
Abstract This paper presents a review of empirical literature on the topic of racism and violence. The literature addresses theories of racism and violence, including a discussion of ethnicity. The paper also explores ways to cope with exposure to racism and violence.
