Racism in America: Are We There Yet?

by Lindseyf2402 in Ethnicity, February 27, 2009

Even though we have an African American, as president can we really say that America is not racist?

It is safe to say that we are progressing towards an egalitarian society, but that’s all that can be said. Barack Obama’s election into office stunned numerous people. Having received fifty three percent of the popular vote speaks a great deal of how far we have come since the late 1800’s. We have crossed a bridge that many people never thought they would see in their lifetime. Two hundred years ago, our third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, stated that he didn’t believe that blacks and whites could live together. The inauguration of president Obama would shock Jefferson if he were alive today, but it shows extremely slow progress towards the “American Dream” for African American’s.

Pierre L. van den Berghe believes that one of the causes of racism and discrimination can be linked to real conflicts of interest and competition for scarce resources (109). This sentence describes every living creature on earth. If we look at a pack of dogs we see fierce competition for food and dominance. This basic rule of thumb can be applied to almost any specie in the animal kingdom. While we are classified as part of this kingdom scientifically, sociologically we are in a whole different universe. We have the gift of knowledge, universal communication, and let’s face it; we are at the top of the food chain. It is these qualities we possess that must drive out the animal instincts in us. We live in a nation where we shouldn’t have to kill for resources or oppress others for our own selfish interests. We hold in our hands the power to unite and glorify our existence as one, and yet we aren’t there yet.

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