Introduction
The world where all are living has a different kind of people, for example, if you look in your home you will find someone is tall, someone is short, and someone is average, someone is good-looking and handsome. If you go into your surroundings you will find people from different cultures, classes, and races 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 concerns, we can see them as a source of hatred for each other sometimes people do not like other people who belong to any other kind of culture and race.
There is the differentiation of people by their color in which people are mostly white and black; there is a group living in the world that are naturally black in their colors, and they share the same color in their genes. They are dominated in the region of Africa, and also a big number of them can be found in diverse countries like America where different people from different cultures live 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 the 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 the 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 the government, but there are many things from their end.
Also, we will look at the brief introduction of this identity under this discussion, with a brief background of their history in America. In the end, we will be able to analyze the actual situation and clarify the dimensions so that we can 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 people who have a dark complexion as compared to other humans and are also known as black people. This term is used in different kinds of literature and articles and is casually used worldwide in different contexts. But if this word is heard we perceive a person who is illiterate, backward, or outdated and denied part of society, which is true but not these days. They have an influential role in different parts of social, economic, and politics Barack Obama is a recent example of being the President of the US as an African American, breaking all barriers of racism and making 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, and they also have good economic backgrounds. In North America, we see blacks not only due to their skin color or their appearance but due to a background of slavery while in the United Kingdom there is no such differentiation by color even in 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 ethnic groups in the US. Their history mostly starts from the 16th century when they were treated as slaves and institutionalized 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, it is only one of the most prominent political personalities we find among African Americans in the US. African Americans have different religious affiliations we can find in them Christians, Muslims, etc(Lynch).
Issues
The third largest ethnicity in the US has multiple issues, even though they do not have prominent roles yet. With such a large percentage, they have identified the following issues by looking at 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 look at the US, it is at its peak and blacks are in it. Obama in his time stated this issue as there are more black males in jails or prisons than in college for which we have to think and work out. To understand the scenario, we have seen a study of International prisoner studies, that the number of black males 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 gap has been created in their education, and they are unable to be socially responsible people for the country’s future, giving rise to many of the issues of social and economic status. We cannot compare them with the enrollment of colleges, which can be disadvantageous in the flaws, in this mostly reason we can see the acceptance of society and their perception of them as criminal in which many schools and colleges hand over black children mostly as compared to other for children in which about 28% juvenile arrest can be seen for the black children. Yet there is bias in different studies regarding it which had to neutralize and solve this issue because the budget for incarceration is four times higher than the budget for 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 the worst form of social crisis, which can open gates for many social issues or can make poor people social crises for society, which is not realized mostly by the people in the government or community.
Looking up family statistics of poverty and 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 we see all over the US it is around 11% which describes their difficult situation even these people are insecure with the status of food and shelter because of poor conditions. They are neglected by the government side, where they are unable to achieve social status, and they lack many social welfare facilities, which raises their chances of poverty increase(BlackDemographics.Com | POVERTY). If we are looking at individual status of poverty according to the ACS Bearue census about 27% percent of African Americans are facing poverty while looking to the other US overall we found nearly 16% which is concerning for this time. The main reason behind this is that they do not get many opportunities to change their social status and lack equal opportunities regarding education, jobs, and business. They are unable to get into better schools, and they are forced to study in worse kinds of schools because they are unable to afford good schools to help them out. Racial discrimination is there and will always be dominating till social change comes out from 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. We haven’t seen the proper solution to resolving this, but we can mostly see interest groups using them for their cause support(“Gangs”). They mostly take them up with themselves and are safe, but somehow, many of them are filled inside the prison, and their activities are watched out and fully banned. But indeed, this issue needs much attention to be worked out.
Gang violence is much going on with 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 victims and they are killed with a knife, using a gun, or any other process of assassination which is the reason for white supremacy and racism in the society of the US. This gang violence could disturb different social activities of communities, and most prior is also a reason for Black male imprisonment number because the youth get attracted towards such activities, and they want to feel superior to get out of an inferiority complex. There are different social factors involved in the development of gangs, which will, later on, give rise to social extremism between the groups also many families would live without their house header like their father because of the victim of gang violence or being involved in such activities(“Causes of Gang Violence and Knife Crime”).
Drugs
Drugs are normal in the society of America where people proudly share their drug addiction habits because they think it is normal. Everyone has an open end for using it because we all live with our own choices. But drugs kill the ability of many things because it has a direct effect on physical and mental health which is concerning as day by day it is getting in use by youth with popularity and become like the adoption of new fashion in the surrounding.
Drugs are really prevalent among African Americans as they are 2nd largest racial consumer of drugs, out of 22.8% of drug addicts in the US Population in 3% are African Americans who are habitual to drug addiction while 5% of the 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 mental illness about half of African Americans are affected due to mental illness which is the cause of drug addiction. Mostly, they get addicted due to three reasons in which the Environment is important. and we can see in the above-explained scenarios they are deprived and socially neglected which leads 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 which affects 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 in drug addiction, these things go genetically transferred to the child who later on adopts it as a habit of their self. Being drug addict, they deprive their social condition more with regards to education. Imprisonment reason for blacks also includes this severe kind of drug addiction.
Education
Anything that can change a person from head to toe(externally and internally due to education. Education helps a person in numerous ways, 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 live. African Americans are far behind in education while we have many success stories in which we can see that they are becoming the social change for the world we have seen many as professors of universities and within good jobs around but numbers are really rare in them(Garibaldi).
This gap is thought of now as nothing, but still, there is racism and ethnic 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 by the teachers and administration even due to their economic status they are unable to approach good urban schools. The study was done in stateside schools where their condition worsens, and still, no.
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 a 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 to drop out from the institute. Being far from education and not offering good opportunities actually raises issues in the areas 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 who are uneducated even of any race are a threat to society and burden for the economy(Darling-Hammond).
Unemployment
It is a severe issue and we should appreciate the US government for working on it and laying down the percentage in the 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 as high in them than in the US. While there was the addition of 1,50000 jobs in the last year of Obama we have seen that most of the jobs were taken by the white and good education holders where blacks were offered in police or firefighter and some lower level jobs which have no worth in social status. The jobs that mostly come into the market belong to the eligibility of good education holders, which is not prominent among black people. Some economists are still hopeful for change in this number and blacks will get more opportunities, but still, we see that things are the same for numerous reasons.
As we have seen, there is a significant number of blacks are in jail, and they are waiting to get out of those 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 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 then move again to jail.
Also, there is ethnic conflict and racism mostly in the departments headed by white people who discriminate against them due to white supremacy and mostly white people do not like to work with them or under their supervision. If we come into the debate of gender in this community, we will find even white females have more opportunities than the males of the African American community. Unemployment is a source of social instability due to which this community is involved in criminal activities and they are forced to live in the poor status of society.
Police Brutality
Police are the law enforcement agencies that make people feel secure with regard to any social threat or crime. But most way police become more violent than criminals for the people, and there is a long history of brutality in the Police departments of America. However, 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 criminals or suspected as criminals. Either they are students, which socially makes them vulnerable in their position. There is something which we have observed, and we have seen that many cases in which not only youngsters but school-going children and elders are victims too.
A case was shared in which a student was passing through one of the stores and watching from outside. The store manager called the police and they attacked them without any verification and were killed because of breathing blockage the student didn’t have to breathe properly even side walking people tried to help, but the police called him a criminal which later on became the cause of death(Police Brutality towards African Americans).
There is a serious lack of investigation behavior, which is making the third-largest population of America vulnerable, and they do not even trust the police. Police have made the scenarios vulnerable not only to the community but also to many things and we can see that such behavior from the police does not let them trust them as their social security.
Conclusions
All the issues that look as easy as they are are nothing for society, but they are making one of the largest populations vulnerable with regard to their living in the US. There is systematic racism going on in this community in which not only individuals but we have seen that all stakeholders are involved in their capacities. We cannot blame only one person for the white American race making things worse, but actually, institutions either public or private, are involved in disturbing the community.
Racism is a threat to 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 cultures in society. Community and state-level organizations should work on this and mobilize with peace and hormonal values to sustain 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. We have to broaden our working area, pay specific attention to Black identity, and accept them as part of society.
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