Discrimination Against Non-Whites

Justice John Harlan stated “ Our Constitution is color-blind and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved. . .”. When Harlan says that he is saying how color doesn't matter.

Three constitutional amendments altered the nature of African American rights, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude.., shall exist in the United States…”(Section 1 Document D). “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subjected to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens,”(Section 2 Document D). “The right of citizens of the United states to vote shall not be denied,”(Section 3 Document D). Slavery was abolished, they were becoming citizens, and gained the rights to vote. Although these amendments seem great, the whites still found a way to torment free slaves.

Johnson states three iconic phrases known by Americans, “All men are created equal,” “government by consent of the governed,” “give me liberty or give me death.” (paragraph 9). Those phrases make the promise that all citizens are worthy of the respect of others. This promise is in violation because it relies on the fact that everyone has access to the same opportunities. Since Negroes are denied their basic rights as citizens, they don’t have access to these opportunities.

Similar to one of many lessons Huck learns on his adventures, my mother always says “It is what's on the inside that counts.” Unfortunately, not everyone comes to this realization that every human being deserves to treated with respect. Racial stereotypes and prejudices continue to be passed along from family, friends, entertainment, social media, and even music. In Cultural Etiquette by Amoja Three Rivers, she also points out that “All people are people” and there is no true divisions of race between us because we are all humans (Three Rivers, Amoja). I also believe that racism can be destructive against any race, and it is possible for white people to experience prejudice from African American people or other non-whites as

Every country on this beautiful sphere that we call earth has its own view on society. All countries around the world views America as being the land of the free and the land of being able to express yourself, but their just looking through a microscope .Whether those countries know it or not America has flaws. One of Americans biggest flaw is racial discrimination against people of color. When Jim Crow laws were introduced in the 1890’s it had a lasting effect on people of color socially, mentally, and their opportunities.

The government designed literacy tests to take away votes from the former slaves. Since the former slaves had no prior education that taught them how to read and write, they did not pass the tests and therefore could not vote in elections. Colored children had to travel far to attend colored schools because they were not allowed to attend white schools. The quality of the “white” and “colored” facilities and schools was not equal because the government was not willing to spend money to improve the “colored” facilities. For example, the article “Segregation and Desegregation” states, “In 1915, South Carolina was spending twelve times more public funds per student on white schools in comparison to schools for black Americans” (Brannen).

The 'grandfather clause ' was introduced, it stated that any person whose grandfather was a slave didn 't have the right to vote. Through a literacy test they requested that uneducated slaves could vote. " Black codes" were introduced to forbid to black people the right to own a gun. A terrible racist society, called the Ku Klux Klan, was created in 1865 to prevent black people from gaining rights. Eventually, in 1872, the Klan was abolished, but people still belonged to it secretly.

Also, the right to vote was taken away from many African Americans. Poll taxes and literacy tests were instated, targeted at newly freed slaves because they did not have either the money or education to meet new guidelines. Poor and illiterate White Americans were not subjected to the same guidelines because they were protected by grandfather clauses. Black Codes and Jim Crow laws were a setback to a more equal society because they stripped African Americans of the rights they were just granted during

In chapter one, "Privilege, Oppression, and Difference, Allan Johnson begins his argument that "difference is not the problem"( Johnson, pg 5 ). The author goes on to explain that difference by itself is not the problem, rather difference in conjunction with our ideas that cause fear. That being said, discrimination was a bigger problem in the past and it still is today. We starts with talking about Rodney King and racism he had received from police officers in Los Angeles. Johnson continues on with the idea that people are judged not for who they are or the things they have accomplished, but how they are perceived by others.

The natural distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it unjust that persons are born in society at some particular position” (Sandel 165). Rawls points out that our society has chosen to ignore the issue of inequity most of the time, so long that the effects of this indifference do not hurt their positions. Moreover, what Rawls has described in this quote is very much evident in our society. The citizens on top–especially upper class white males–have the power to pretend the inequities in American society don’t exist, therefore making our society unjust. More

Rawls states that equality of opportunity represents, “… the background institutions of social and economic justice,” that help those who are most disadvantaged (Rawls 288). Through his own story, Moore displays how education allows those who come from essentially nothing can achieve success. It gives, “… a reason to believe that a story of struggle apathy, and pain… can still have a happy ending,” (Moore 183). Rawls also believes in the, “… equal opportunities of education for all regardless of family income” (Rawls 286). Both see education not only as providing knowledge for all people, but also resources and role models, as the most direct and effective method for creating greater social equality within a

Whether by ignorance or by will, inequality is viewed differently based on personal experiences.” He points out that when we discuss race, depending on who you are having the conversation, you are not talking about the same topic or issues(Lebron). The writer also states that we believe our democracy to be a superior form of government mainly because we have evolved to respecting the rights of one another, for the most part. The argument to that theory is systemic racism and how it continues to affect wealth, jobs, education and public services for minorities(Lebron). Other people would argue that minorities cause their own problems and hinder their own progress.

The major thesis in this book, are broken down into two components. The first is how we define racism, and the impact that definition has on how we see and understand racism. Dr. Beverly Tatum chooses to use the definition given by “David Wellman that defines racism as a system of advantages based on race” (1470). This definition of racism helps to establish Dr. Tatum’s theories of racial injustice and the advantages either willingly or unwillingly that white privilege plays in our society today. The second major thesis in this book is the significant role that a racial identity has in our society.

Even approaching more recent times, the racial factor that denies us equality is still present. One report shows that, ‘’In 1995, average white households had $18,000 in financial wealth, while Black households possessed a total of only $200’’(‘’International Socialist Review’’) Just as we saw when talking about the gender inequality, people of certain, ‘’undesirable,’’ races can be subjected to unequal pay, due to racist, and bias bosses. Skin is only so deep, so we have to ask ourselves: Should color determine how others treat ? If so, we can then start to understand why America won’t ever be completely

There are still factors that have only been erased on the surface but still play a large role in the way that people of color are treated in America, and dictate to a certain extent, compromise the “freedom” that people have. On the other hand, we have white America, who have heightened chances of achieving anything that they please. This does not apply to every white American, as there are also white Americans who are living on or below the poverty line, and much like everybody else must put in a lot of effort to reach certain heights, however they have an advantage over all other denomination of people known as “white privilege” which are the societal benefits that people who can be categorized as “white” enjoy over the rest of the population and in the end, have a higher social status. Ultimately, people of color must work harder, and face many more setbacks in their climb to success than white Americans do, which is not fair,