Issues of Black African Americans in the United States of America
Introduction
The world where all are living has a different kind of people, for example, if you see in your home you will find someone is tall, someone is short, and someone is average, someone is good looking and handsome. Same if you go in your surrounding you will find the people from different cultures, class, and race which are determined by social parameters. There are people being made different from one society due to their appearance, looks and color while still, we are in this debate after huge development in the social arena. Due to some concern, we can see them as a source of hatred to each other sometimes people do not like other people those belong to any other kind of culture and race.
There is differentiation of people by their color in which people are white and black mostly; there is group living in the world those are naturally black in their colors, and they share the same color which is in their genes. They are dominated in the region of Africa, and also a big number of them can be found in the diverse country like America where different people from different cultures living with each other, but when it comes to the Black identity we can see different debates and found them as a filthy part for the society. We can see so much racism at social level regarding them which has backward their social condition in which the people are facing different issues regarding their social development. In this research work, we are going to discuss Black Identity social condition in the United States of America concerning social parameters like class, culture, and race because there is not only what is done by government, but there are many things from their end.
Also, we will look up to the brief introduction this identity under this discussion with their little background in the history of America. In the end, we will be able to analyze the actual situation and clarify the dimension for us to move this identity towards betterment if they are in need of it.
Discussion
Black Identity
Black identity is apparent with its term that it is linked with the people who are having a dark complexion as compared to other human and also known as black people. This term being used in different kinds of literature, articles and is casually in use around the world with its different context. But if ever this word hears we perceive a person who is illiterate, backward or outdated and denied part of society which is somehow true but it is not in these days. They have an influential role in different part of social, economic and political as Barak Obama is a recent example for being the President of the US as African American breaking all barrier of racism and make his way for the US presidential ship(Huffpost).
The definition of Black varies from society to society and country to country because their history is different in every part of the country while they also have good economical backgrounds. In North America we see blacks are not only due to their skin color or their appearance but linking them with a background of slavery while in the United Kingdom there is no such differentiation by color even in the history we cannot identify but racism is out there too.
The subject of discussion in this study will be African Americans which is one of the largest ethnicity group in the US. Their history mostly starts from the 16th century when they were treated as slaves and institutionalize slavery was at its peak. While we have seen their regulation in social status in which Martin Luther King played a big role in the development of black people, and it is only one of the most prominent political personality we found in African Americans in the US. The African Americans have different religious affiliation we can find in them Christians, Muslims, etc(Lynch).
Issues
Looking to third largest ethnicity in the US they are having multiple issues, and even they do not have prominent roles till yet with having such large percentage in which have identified following issues under looking to different kinds of literature, news and social discussions which we are going to analyze under social dimensions.
Mass incarceration
Mass incarceration is a wide issue for which many countries are working but if we see in the US is at peak and black are in it. Obama in his time stated this issue as there is a black male in jails or prison than college for which we have to think and work out on it. To understand the scenario, we have seen a study of International prisoner studies, that number of a black male in prison is equivalent to the number of 9 countries( India, Finland, Israel, Canada Lebanon, Argentina, Germany, Japan, and England) prisoners of total population which describes the severity of this issue(Quigley). This is a gap which been created in their education, and they are unable to be a socially responsible people for the future of the country and gives rise to many of the issues social and economic status. We cannot compare them with the enrollment of colleges which can be disadvantage in the flaws, in this mostly reason we can see the acceptance of society and their perception of them taking as criminal in which many school and colleges hand over the black children mostly as compare to other for children in which about 28% juvenile arrest can be seen for the black children. Till yet there is biasness in different studies regarding it which had to neutralize and to solve this issue because the budget of incarceration is four times higher than the budget of business correction(Moore).
Poverty
Poverty is everywhere which is a reason from the people when we ask why there is poverty in Black people of America which shows their attitude towards the community. Poverty is worst form of social crises which can open gates for many of social issues for them or can make poor people social crises for the society which is not realized mostly by the people in government or community.
Looking up with family statistics of poverty with comparing all over the US with so many communities African Americans are in the worst condition of poverty. About 22.9% of African people are in the trap of poverty as if we see all over the US it is around 11% which describes their severe situation even these people are insecure with the status of food and shelter because of poor condition. They are neglected from the government side where they are unable to achieve the social status, and they lack many of social welfare facilities which raise their chances of poverty increase(BlackDemographics.Com | POVERTY). If we are looking to individual status of poverty according to ACS Bearue census in which about 27% percent people from African American are facing poverty while looking to the other US overall we found near to 16% which is concerning for this time. The main reason which is identified behind this is that they do not get much opportunity to change their social status is lacking to equal opportunity regarding education, jobs, and business. They are unable to get in better schools, and they are forced to study in worse kind of schools because they are unable to afford good schools to help them out. The racial discrimination is there and will always be dominating till the social change comes out from the society in a democratic manner(“Three Lessons about Black Poverty”).
Gang violence
About 1.4 million people are actively working for different gangs in America till yet there we haven’t seen the proper solution of resolving it while mostly we can see there is interest group using them for their cause support(“Gangs”). For which they mostly took them up with themselves and they are safe but somehow many of them are filled inside the prison, and their activities are watched out and fully ban somehow to their working. But indeed this issue needs much attention to work out.
Gang violence is much going with the black people, as the inner city gangs do not let them with comfort and mostly they are threatened due to them, and some become part of them. Mostly, according to different studies families are the victim of them and they are killed with a knife, using a gun or any other process of assassination which is the reason of white supremacy and racism in the society of the US. This gang violence could disturb different social activities of communities, and the most prior is also a reason of Black male imprisonment number because the youth get attracted towards such activities, and they want to feel superior to get out of inferiority complex. There are different and social factors which involved in the development of gangs which will, later on, give rise to the social extremism between the groups and also many families would live without their house header like their father because of the victim of gang violence or be involved in such activities(“Causes of Gang Violence and Knife Crime”).
Drugs
Drugs are normal in the society of America where people proudly share about their drug addiction habits because they think it is normal and everyone had an open end for using it because we all are living with our own choice. But drugs kills the ability of many things because it has a direct affect on physical and mental health which is concerning as day by day it is getting in use of youth with popularity and become like the adoption of new fashion in the surrounding.
Drugs are really much prevalent in the African American as they are 2nd largest racial consumer of drugs, out of 22.8% of drug addict in all over US Population in which 3% are African American those are habitual to the drugs addiction while 5% of total black population is using drugs which are highest among all the races living in the boundaries of the US(“Addiction Among African Americans”). If we compare this percentage to the mental illness about half of the African Americans are affected due to mental illness which is the cause of drug addiction. Mostly they get addict due to three reasons in which Environment is important, and we can see in the above explain scenarios they are deprived and socially neglected which lead them to have drugs and make their self-relax in that sense but eventually they disturb their own life.
Usually, they are ignored by the good companies and being unemployed. Also, they do not sit with good people with effect their mental health as a human is social for which they go to the bad companies and get into this trap of drug addiction. Biologically they are affected because if the parents are habitual for the drug addiction, these things go in genetic transfer to the child who later on adopts as the habit of their self. Being drug addict, they deprive their social condition more with regards to education. Imprisonment reason for black also includes this severe kind of drug addiction.
Education
Anything which can change a person from head to toe(externally and internal due to education. Education helps out a person within numerous ways like helping to increase social status, exposure to political understanding and developing the economic situation of people to adjust within the good class which is the reality of the world in which we are living. African Americans are far behind in the education while we have many of success stories in which we can see that they are becoming the social change for the world like we have seen many as professor of the universities and within good jobs around but numbers are really rare in them(Garibaldi).
This gap is thought now as nothing, but still, there is racism and ethnicity conflict in the 21st century because people are acknowledged, but they are not ready to practice the stabilization of society. Racism is faced by the children who are black, and they are treated as inferior from the teachers and administration even due to the economic status they are unable to approach good urban schools. The study in the stateside schools where their condition is worse and still no.
While a minimal number of black goes to the higher education side because they are not adequately nourished that way and are neglected in their past school context where they are unable to develop good interaction with teachers. They are ignored due to their race and most teachers are not neutral in their behavior and focus the white children more. Even another student from different race faces it but black is widely neglected in it and if they move to high school due to their weak capacity they have been a drop out from the institute. Being far from education and do not offer with good opportunities actually rising the issues in the areas been discussed above because if you aren’t aware of the limitations and rights you will never be able to spend a good life and such people those are uneducated even of any race are threat to society and burden for the economy(Darling-Hammond).
Unemployment
It is the severe issue and we should appreciate US government for working on it and lay down the percentage in unemployment arena as there are opportunities opening day by day with more increasing and people can get jobs in the market frequently. But in this all still black people are facing unemployment which is twice higher in them than the allover US. While there was the addition of 1,50000 jobs in last year of Obama but we have seen that most of the jobs were taken by the white and good education holder where blacks were offered in police or firefighter and some lower level jobs which have no worth in social status. The jobs which mostly coming in the market belongs to the eligibility of good education holder which is not prominent in the black people. Some economists are still hopeful for change in this number and black will get more of opportunity, but still, we see the things are stood same due to numerous reasons.
As we have seen, there is a significant number of the blacks are in jail, and they are waiting to get out of that cells. If they come out, they are not allowed to work for one year, and later on, they are not accepted in the firms and for the offices considering their record bad or in criminal activity. It mostly leads them to be in the same life again because of the economic pressures and hunger that could lead them to any bad activity and them will move again to the jail.
Also, there is ethnic conflict and also racism mostly the departments headed by white people which discriminate with them due to white supremacy and mostly white people do not like to work with them or under their supervision. If we come in the debate of gender in this community, we will find even white females have more opportunity then the male of the African American community.Unemployment is a source of social instability due to which this community involved in criminal activities and they are a force to live in the poor status of society.
Police Brutality
Police are the law enforcement agency which makes people feel secure with regards to any social threat or crime. But most way police become more violent than the criminal for the people, and there is a long history of brutality in the Police department of America. But as there is a perception that blacks are the root of crime either they are, or they are not, but everywhere we have seen they are treated like the criminal or suspected as criminal either they are the students which socially make them vulnerable with their position. There is something which we have observed, and we have seen that many cases which not only youngsters but school going children and elder are victims too.
There was case been shared in which student is passing through one of the stores and was watching from outside, the store manager call police and they attacked them without any verification and been killed because of breathing blockage and the student didn’t have to breathe properly even side walking people tried to help, but police called him criminal which later on became cause of death(Police Brutality towards African Americans).
There is seriously lacking in the behavior of investigation which is making the third largest population of America vulnerable, and they even do not trust the police. Police have made the scenarios vulnerable not only to the community but there are many things which we can see that such behavior from the police do not let them trust them as their social security.
Conclusions
Looking at all the issues which are looking as easy as they are nothing for the society but they are making one of the largest population vulnerable with regards to their living in the US. There is systematic racism going with this community in which not only individual but we have seen that all stakeholders are involved in their capacities. We cannot blame an only person for white American race making things worse, but actually, institutions either public or private are involved in the disturbing the community.
The racism is a threat to the democracy and also to the diverse culture of the US where people from different races are living in the US which are feeling vulnerable as racism is getting at its peak which is not suitable for the development of diverse culture in society. The organizations on the community level and state level should work on it and mobilize with the peace and hormonal values to sustain the social development around America.
African American has good potential to become an influential part of society but they are neglected for which they are getting deprived of social status, and their economic situation is not also going well. For which we have too broad out our working area and have to specified attention towards Black identity and accept them as part of society.
Works Cited
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