The “Terms” of Racial Inequality in the United States

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

3 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/03/2007

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

Social sciences

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Summary :

Introduction
A power structure with whites on top and all nonwhites below
Fanon's description of the settler community
Racism today
Conclusion
References

Abstract

"To engage in a serious discussion of race in America, we must begin not with the problems of black people but with the flaws of American society-flaws rooted in historical inequalities and longstanding cultural stereotypes." (West, p. 6) In the America many people pretend that race does not matter, that racism is a thing of the past. However, racism is not an anachronism, it is a very real part of our everyday lives; and the façade that race is no longer important is a lie we tell ourselves. While some people concede that race does not biologically exist, our society suffers from apathy toward racism: people do not talk about race or racism, and yet our society is incredibly influenced by race. We have programs like affirmative action that acknowledge just how important race and racial inequality are in our society. Thus, through our readings and lectures this semester, we have focused on the fact that racism is a social reality for Americans, and that racism must be studied because it is important to recognize racism as a problem in its own right. Furthermore, we have attempted to understand why race relations in America developed in such a negative manner, and subsequently why racial inequality continues today.