It is no lie that racial tension still exists in the U.S. To deny such a statement would be foolish. However, what is not foolish is to say that Americans still have not been able to come to a conclusion as to the manner in which to fix the issue. Anthony already touched on this aspect, but I do not believe that Americans today should feel guilty about anything that happened long before we, our parents, our grandparents, or our great-grandparents were even born. That make me sound like a callous person, but it’s the truth. I feel bad for our country that it ever happened, but I do not feel any guilt for American slavery. Also, I do not believe that race is the deciding factor in black people’s unfortunate circumstances.
For instance, it is not as if black people are the only race that has problems. By saying that, I am not trying to insinuate that the obvious, and statistically-proven traits, are not true. It is true that black men make up the majority of prisoners in the U.S. However, I do not believe that means that black people should be the only group talked about when it comes to being at a disadvantage. First, that only furthers racism rather than helping to exterminate it. It says that black people should be helped for what did not happen to them. Why not help descendants of Irish immigrants? People argued in class that it was much easier for them to assimilate into American society with less time than blacks after slavery was abolished. But then what about Chinese immigrants? What about Japanese immigrants? What about Latin American immigrants? These races may not have ever been slaves in the United States, but that doesn’t mean they have had it any easier.
This may have been a round-about way of saying it, but my point is that I do not believe focusing on race is going to solve all the problems associated with race in the U.S. If the argument is that black people don’t have access to resources then why not attack that problem for all poor people rather than just poor, black people? If we, as a country, begin to focus entirely on one racial group and try to make life better just for them, then what are we saying about all non-black poor people in the U.S.? Do they not matter just as much? It’s not just black people that are at a disadvantage. What about poor, rural white people who barely, if at all, graduate from high school? Who’s to say that they don’t have it just as hard when their major options in life are to make and sell drugs—which usually results in prison, apply for welfare and food stamps, and hope that, if they have kids, their children turn out better than they did while not providing them with any motivation to do so? Again, black people are not the only demographic group in the country who has it rough and is born with an inherent disadvantage.
Slavery is a difficult issue to deal with. This is why I think that it should not be focused on as much as it is. What can we do about the legacy of slavery? Can we ever make it better? Can we ever actually sincerely apologize for something that we didn’t do to people whom it wasn’t actually done to? I don’t know the answers to these questions. But what I do believe is that we can address the problem of inherent disadvantages, for all peoples regardless of skin color, in order to try to make the playing field level for everyone. A person should not be at a disadvantage just because of the color of his/her skin or the place in which he/she grew up.
I know this may not have dealt with slavery the entire time, but during class I felt as though we were discussing differences in opportunities more than slavery.
4 comments:
I think Tymon makes some interesting points and I would like to branch off of what he has said. He talks about many of the disadvantaged populations in the United States and says there are more groups than only African-Americans that could benefit from resources as well. I think this is very true. The problem I always run into is what kind of resources can be provided? We discussed in class the idea of increased funding to schools that were doing poorly academically. I think schools are a good place to provide resources, but it was also stated in class that this funding was less effective than originally hoped. Whether or not it is, what are our other options? Pushing adult education is a different take on the same idea. When adults are offered the chance to continue their education they are there because they want to be there. Everything from ABE/GED to continuing college education provides adults the opportunity to succeed and set an example for their children. Federally or State funded programs that offer this opportunity free of charge are a way to help those at more of a disadvantage financially. If kids see their parents taking their education and by extension their goals for success seriously it will have an even strong impact on how they make and achieve goals for themselves.
Tymon, Casey and I seem to agree on the point that all poor people in the Unites States should be provided with a better and more affordable education. The Black people are not the only ones who suffer from the huge inequalities existing today in the Unites States. And I think that it may be a good idea to give some incentives to increase adult education.
I like comparing the US system with European ones. In this particular case, even if it may have nothing to do with slavery, I'd like to present the Danish system which is interesting. In Denmark everybody is provided with a benefit allowing you to study for 5 years without having to get a job to afford an housing for instance. Basically, the government pay you five years to study. It allows students to get a master. But there is no limitation regarding age. This means that you can decide to get some education at 40 and receive a pension to make it possible. I personally like this system, even if it must have some drawbacks (all the more as I have a very limited knowledge of the system and its consequences on the Danish society). But, I just found interesting to let you know about this. Indeed, Denmark is a liberal country (even if there is a strong social-democrate party). They have adopted a lot of liberal measures. But, they understand that education is a national issue, and must be made accessible to all.
I’m going to disagree here, with Tymon, and say that I firmly believe it is the United States responsibility to formally apologize for it’s abuse of slavery. Although I cannot say I understand why people would feel like we shouldn’t, I can appreciate the fact that people have different perspectives that need to be respected, part of the true beauty that is America. But as an American whose ancestors did not participate in slavery (my mother was born in Cuba and my fatter is a third generation American) I still feel an ethical responsibility, a need to make amends for any wrongdoings. Take into consideration as well that, had we not abused these people and stripped them of any form of human rights, there is no way America would be what it is today. Economically he slaves who gave their lives are largely responsible for Americas quick growth.
But, my real issue here is what harm is there in apologizing? While reparations are not a good idea, as we cannot directly pay those who were wronged, a formal apology never hurt anyone. Wasn’t apologizing for wrong doings one of the first things we learned as children? Perhaps I’m being naïve but I would rather be viewed as a people of compassion and sympathy then a nation that can’t take responsibility for its actions. I think something else that needs to be addressed is that we are talking about issues of slavery based in Africa, hence Civilizations of Africa. While other ethnicities have had their fare share of wrong doings they have had a much easier time camouflaging into society. A task that is much harder to come by when you physically have nothing in common.
That being said I would just like to briefly touch on the institution of slavery. I still find the progression of slavery in the U.s. very compelling. Slavery in England was nothing like the slavery in the U.S. Viewed as a form of wealth slaves had the power to aid their masters and could succeed to higher positions. Additionally their children were not considered property of the master and had hopes of a better future. Quite the opposite was slavery in America with entire families bred into the trade without means of ever getting out.
Lauren makes an important point here about the nature of America's early growth, and namely how without slave labor, it would not have been possible. Reparations in the form of significant wealth redistribution to communities of color is not about backing up an apology, or using money to make amends for wrongdoings which are primarily metaphysical, as it has been painted by some of the other posts, but should be conceived of simply as monetary compensation for the lost wealth of generations of indentured labor. Many of the other posts recognize the inequalities of wealth underpinning the current racial divide in this country, and so it is precisely at that level that a reparations program ought to focus. With regard to whether or not such a pogrom of social uplift ought or ought not be race-conscious, I ask you what is the basis of this inequality? Do we live in a country where bald people face endemic discrimination on the job, in the courts, and on the streets? Is it unsafe for most of the tall people among us to walk through the neighborhoods into which they were born, merely because they were born tall? Let's not fool ourselves, as Cornell West says, as long as race counts, we must count race. Don't get me wrong, I believe in active policies of affirmative action for members of all other marginalized groups, too. I've been reading this great book "White-Washing Race - The Myth of a Color-Blind Society", and I think this small excerpt from its conclusion sums up pretty well what's running through my mind as I reconsider our debate:
"Much of the debate about race in America today still revolves around the question of whether ongoing racial disparities in schooling, jobs, income, incarceration, and other realms are mainly the result of current overt discrimination or the result of flawed culture and behavior of people of color. As we have demonstrated throughout this book, the correct answer is neither. Most of the current gap in life-chances and various measures of performance between blacks and whites reflects the legacy of past decisions - decisions that cumulatively resulted in a profound imbalance in the most fundamental structures of opportunity and support in America. In housing, in education, in transportation, in employment policy, and in income support/social insurance policy, the choices that systematically disadvantaged black Americans were also ones that, by design or otherwise, benefited white Americans. These policies, in combination and over generations, have had enormous and pervasive consequences."
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