Racial issues in American Society in 2015

It’s 2015. Nearly 400 years since blacks were first brought to America and sold as slaves, 150 years after the end of the civil war, 52 years since Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous “I have a dream speech”, 7 years since the first black president was elected president, and race is still a huge issue facing the United States. We like to think we have come far since slavery existed in our country, but recent events show our true colors. Race is an issue as prominent in our society as ever.

There have been several cases in the US regarding a white officer shooting, and killing unarmed black men. Recently, one account in Ferguson has outraged the public so much that protests and riots are becoming apart of daily life. Citizens of Ferguson are accusing white officers of being racist and claiming that that is why these black men are being shot for no reason. An article, written by journalist Rob Crilly, looks into these riots and how it reflects issues about race in the US. Crilly points out that a recent poll discovered that “while 80% of blacks believe the shooting raises issues of race, only 37% of whites agreed”. I think that statistic is very interesting and can connect to some of the points raised in Toni Morrison’s novel, Beloved. The book looks into a black family that has recently escaped slavery. Any mention of white people is negative. Morrison really points out that white people didn’t think about slaves as actual human beings. They were disposable. They were dirty. They were animals. White people didn’t understand the cruelty they were inflicting on their slaves. They didn’t see the problems slaves were facing. I’m not saying that in today’s society people still treat African Americans like slaves or like animals. But generally if you ask a white person about racial issues, they won’t see race as an issue. But if you ask a black person, someone who would experience the issues full force, they see it more.

The article goes on to discuss racial profiling and the degree to which people will keep protesting. The riots have gotten violent, police are using more force to get a handle on the events. It’s a hard time for the people of Ferguson right now. One protestor said “We will keep demonstrating until justice is done. People just don’t know what else they can do”. What can you do to make your point clear? What can anyone do when faced with horrible options. Do you stay silent in a time where race is as evident as years ago? Do you spare you children’s lives with the risk of entering a lifetime of slavery? What do you do? Beloved points out the horrible events black people went through during a time of slavery. It’s hard to imagine living the lives that so many African Americans were forced into. I think society needs to reach a time where any issue doesn’t involve race. But I don’t know if we will ever get there. One thing Beloved really teachers the reader is that the past comes back to haunt you. Sethe murdered her child, Beloved, when she thought she was going to be forced into slavery again. Years later Beloved shows up at Sethe’s doorstep and soon all memories of the part are brought up to Sethe and everyone else in 124. We see this happening today. People think race is a thing of the past. But in reality it hasn’t left. It’s still around to haunt us.

The full article can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11052845/Michael-Brown-What-the-Ferguson-riots-tell-us-about-race-in-America-today.html