Racism in America: Are We There Yet?

The year is 2009 and we have an African American president, Barack Obama, in office. Many have said this is the beginning of the end of a racist America. Let us start with defining the term. Racism refers to any theory or doctrine stating that inherited physical characteristics, such as skin color, facial features, and hair texture, determine behavior patterns, personality traits, or intellectual abilities (Berghe 109). According to Alan Goodman, a biological anthropologist, skin colors are simply the body’s adaptation to life under the sun (1). So can skin color really determine the actions of a person? Or could it possibly be the environment or social hierarchy in which a person lives in. As a nation, we have made great strides concerning discrimination against minorities in the past 200 years; but it is certain that we are far from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “American Dream”.

In the late 1800’s we had abolitionists, the civil war, the 13th Amendment, and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, stating the prohibition of slavery in the United States. These were merely the stepping stones laid out for future progress towards an egalitarian society. This is a society that we may never fully reach, but the idea gives us hope, aspirations, and ambition to succeed. Historically, America was a place of opportunity and privilege for land owning white males. Today we can see a much more equal distribution of rights. As we progressed toward the 21st century more and more of the population were in favor of support for racial equality (Case 100). However we still see discrimination against minorities in the business, education, and economic world.

The 13th amendment was passed 144 years ago. This was only the beginning of the journey for African Americans. Next they faced segregation every where they went. They weren’t allowed to attend the same schools, live in the same neighborhoods, go to the same churches; they even had to sit in the back of the public buses. These are only some of the minor problems experienced by African Americans. There were larger issues at hand. Where would they find work with so much discrimination and segregation? Without work how could they provide for their families? Violence against minorities occurred daily. The fear of the Ku Klux Klan was another issue. Jump forward a hundred years and Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his speech “I Have a Dream” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. King speaks out that he believes we will stand united and that the African Americans will be free at last. In 1965 African Americans are still suffering from oppression, segregation, and discrimination. For many college students today, this is the generation of their grandparents. As we can see progression is moving very slowly.