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Ahliya Brown

Eng 1201

Professor Lisa Tyler

28 March. 2021

Does Racism Exist?

*BANG* What was that? That was the sound of a gunshot. News reporters gather at the

scene, cell phones begin to explode with what bystanders just witnessed. A routine traffic stop

has suddenly turned into a bloodbath, a toy gun has quickly become a threat. Standing stagnant

in the middle of a crime scene trying to distinguish reality from fiction in the present moment.

But don’t worry, the white officer is fine. However, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir

Rice, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Patrick Lynn, Sincere Pierce, and countless others are not

(Ater). Is this our reality? Black lives are being taken senselessly at the hands of officers who

receive little to no repercussions. These Black lives are mothers, sisters, uncles, brothers,

cousins, and working-class Americans. While these officers walk into their homes to their

families kissing their wives and kids - those Black families are left to grieve and receive the

heart-wrenching information their loved ones were senselessly murdered from the 5 o’clock

news. Those Black lives will never get the opportunity to kiss and hug their families again. Why?

The answer is simple, and it's all because of a careless act of violence on innocent Black lives.

But how does this injustice stop? Dismantling corrupt systems that harm the Black community

and educating people on Black history will assist in obliterating racism towards the Black

community.

When discussing BLM, society often hears the opposing side of multiple arguments. A

major argument is “All Lives Matter.” or “Blue Lives Matter.” Both, while to an extent is true,
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yes. Both arguments lack congruence. This is evident in not only history but in the time, we live

in right now. The argument for “All Lives Matter” was brought about by white people, who have

only ever experienced privilege in America. Stating that “All Lives Matter'' from a life that has

always mattered; this is a punch in the gut to a Black person. BLM is not something that Black

people are proud of. Black people do not want to chant “Black Lives Matter.” But there is a need

for it. A primary example of this is Geroge Floyd. White people since the dawn of time have

always mattered. Their lineage has not stemmed from being oppressed. As the oppressor in most

situations, white people should be enthusiastic to know they have never needed to fight for their

civil rights. Instead, they are once again attempting to showcase why they must be included in a

movement in which, from the start, they have been the underlying cause. As mentioned earlier

“Blue Lives Matter” is another common argument against BLM. This argument of the two is the

most inhumane. “Blue Lives'' aren't even remotely close to Black Lives. Mostly because “blue”

is not a race, Black is. Black people unlike the “Blue Lives'' cannot remove their skin color and

walk around as another race. Once officers take off their uniforms they instantly are identified as

any other white civilian. No matter how a Black person is dressed they will continually be Black.

Which will continually make a Black person a target. The comparison of “blue lives” and Black

lives is not only invalid, but it's extremely insulting and even more oppressive. Mainly because

there is a power complex in being a police officer, and in being white. Black people have no

power over anyone or anything because they are Black when there is no privilege in being Black

(Imperatrice).

The police are the first responders to situations and are actively involved with the public

welfare of all citizens, Black, and white. Yet, police do not keep the public welfare of all citizens

in mind. Especially Black citizens. Routine traffic stops should not turn into memorials. Black
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people have not been able to stop the police brutality with their protests, so now, they are calling

for reform of the whole system. A common misconception among many is that defunding the

police will do nothing to help the issue; in all actuality, it will. Defunding the police is a hot

button issue but killing people in the name of “fear” should be as well. Defunding the police

means simply replacing some of the money the police get and put it towards better-trained

workers, like social workers or psychologists to better defuse situations. Due to incidents in the

civil rights movement, the Black community is wary of the police. The current state of the police

and Black people does not help the relationship between the two parties. The police have always

been tarnished due to how they interacted with Black citizens during the civil rights movement.

These harsh acts have translated into what we see today. Abuses of power and that abuse of

power translates to “fear” for their lives, and the fear translates to death (Balto).

COVID is not the only virus plaguing American citizens. For many centuries, racism has

been a pandemic, killing and eliminating Black people. Political Black activists were killed amid

major changes. The summer protests were the modern-day civil rights movement of the 1960s

pushed into the 2020s. These protests seemed to spark all citizens across the globe. While others

were scavenging to remain safe within their homes from a virus. Black people were fighting a

much bigger demon. Fighting for their lives, from the very people that were sworn to protect

them.

When trying to fight against racism, it is important to recognize what exactly racism is.

According to the oxford dictionary, racism can be described as; preconception, bigotry, or

hostility aimed towards a person(s) due to their belonging in a specific ethnicity and, or racial

group, usually towards people of color (Oxford Reference). In understanding what the definition

of racism entails; it is easier to identify, understand, and actively work against being racist, or
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harboring racists tendencies. There are many ways to fight against racism, and many ways to

stop the spread of racism towards Black people. One of the most apparent being dismantling

corrupt systems that work against, instead of aiding to advance the Black community.

Dismantling and reconstructing the judicial, police, education, and healthcare systems

will not only benefit the Black community but all races and ethnicities. These systems were

initially designed without Black people in mind because up until 1868 Black people were not

considered as citizens of the United States (Chang). Teaching non-Black people about the history

of Black people, and how racism came to be apparent will actively teach people how to be

anti-racist allies. Educating on the history of America, instead of attempting to mask it, and cover

it up with new renditions of laws, and amendments will do nothing but harm the oppressed more.

Black people feel the effects of racists systems because these systems were not built to help

them. The judicial system for example is among one that has actively outrightly put laws into

place to disenfranchise Black citizens. The Jim Crow laws were typically enforced in states

within the south. These laws were mainly to enforce the segregation of Black people from white

people. Jim Crow was in place for many years and was first signed into law in 1877 and still had

an effect up into the 1950s (Urofsky). Separate but equal facilities were put into place for

business owners, and other public amenities to openly discriminate against Black people. The

public outlets often showcased signs labeled “colored” and “white.” Amenities like bathrooms,

water fountains, lunch counters, parks, schools, etc. Were reserved to separate the races from one

another. But Jim Crow laws were not the sole act of discrimination of the judicial system.

The labor of Black slaves built-businesses and physical structures benefitting their slave

masters who were white people. Even after slavery was minimized, government

systems/assistance were not geared towards Black citizens. Black people were not eligible for
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social insurance. Even nowadays, African American adolescents live in quadruple the poverty

rate Caucasian adolescents do (EJI). Much of this can be owed to racial discrimination in

employment. Even as children grow into adulthood they are still left at a disadvantage when job

searching. Jobs available to Black people are often very low-skilled and pay unlivable wages.

Therefore, many Black families remain in poverty (Cooper).

Many jobs that Black people can obtain do not offer healthcare insurance, so, the access

Black people do have to healthcare is slim. The healthcare system needs reform (Cooper). Black

women in parental roles feel the wrath of the unreformed health care systems. The healthcare

industry often disregards the feelings of Black citizens, or healthcare amenities are not easily

accessible to Black people. The chances for a Black mother to experience complications like

dying or hemorrhaging during birth is 243% more than a white woman giving birth (Martin and

Montagne). According to Dr. Oz, Black infants are twice as likely to perish under the custody of

a white doctor versus the care of a Black doctor.

A 2016 study conducted by Grossman Hospital, found 73% of white medical students

held at a single preconceived notion based upon biological differences between Black people,

and other races. These prejudices range from; African Americans harboring tougher skin reduced

sensitive nerve endings, or better endowed immune systems (Biggers). If medical students have

beliefs like this and are going into a profession that requires interaction between Black people, it

could affect the outcome of treatment services rendered. These racial biases can result in

inadequate care, no care at all, or death.

Black doctors only make up about 5% of the healthcare population (Association of

American Medical Colleges). A lack of education and resources can be to blame for this. The

housing crisis along with low-income jobs keep Black kids, and families in poverty. A lack of a
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good education can resort in Black adolescents never discovering their true potential. That

potential could be them becoming a doctor. Black doctors’ knowledge of culture can help to

eliminate unnecessary deaths amongst Black people. Black individuals ranging from 18-49 are

two times more likely to pass away from heart disease as opposed to Caucasians (CDC). Also,

Black adults ranging from 35-64 are 50% more likely to experience higher blood pressure as

opposed to Caucasians (CDC). In a study conducted by the NBER, it was unveiled that those

African American men who were treated by African American doctors versus non-Black doctors

could reduce the heart disease death rate by 16 deaths per 100,000 every year (National Bureau

Of Economic Research). But this cannot happen on a bigger level if the education systems are

not reworked to benefit all kids, especially Black kids.

Starting with a strong foundation can set anyone up with the tools needed to be

successful. But how are Black people meant to be successful, when the generational poverty

amongst the Black community is passed down? Racism has been rooted in many things,

education especially. In 1954 the famous case of the Brown v. Board of education was

monumental for the public appeal. But, not so much for the effects, it had on Black students.

While on paper, school segregation was a thing of the past. The reality of the desegregation of

schools did not make much of a difference. Predominantly Black schools remain underfunded.

They lack critical education resources like; textbooks, updated computers, school buses, etc.

‘The Atlantic’ conducted a study in Philadelphia schools. They found that in districts with

mostly white students 95-100% white funding was significantly higher. In schools with a

majority of minorities in particular Black kids in attendance, not only had significantly less

funding, but they were also underfunded (White). Why is this? Jim Crow can be accredited for

this. In the Jim Crow era segregation proposed “separate but equal,” this is the farthest from the
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truth. When these laws were signed into law education/schoolings systems were the first to feel

the effects. White people were seen as superior. Naturally, their facilities were superior as well.

They were funded with buses, textbooks, and extracurriculars. Black schools nearby did not have

the same privileges as their white counterpart schools. Racism is systematically rooted in the

education systems. Mamie and Kenneth Clark highlighted how racism affects Black adolescents.

In their famous doll study, Black students were asked to pick between a Black doll and a white

doll. They were given a series of descriptors/questions like “which doll is ugly?” “Which doll is

bad?” Kids reserved derogatory adjectives like 'ugly' for the Black doll. While encouraging

adjectives like; “pretty” were granted to the white doll. (Beschloss). This showcased self-hate

and how the separation of the races impacts Black kids and their development. Their famous

study was presented in the Brown v. Board of education Supreme Court case which, as

mentioned; ruled segregation unconstitutional (Beschloss). Regardless of the ruling in Brown v.

Board of Education, up until that point, racism was normalized in the schooling systems. Once

schools were integrated Black students, especially Black male students became the target for a

mass amount of discipline. Even in schools today, Black students are three times more likely to

get suspended for the same violation a white student has committed (ACLU). Black Students are

disproportionately punished for things white students get a slap on the wrist for. These harsh

disciplinary actions pushed Black students to bridge the gap for the school-to-prison pipeline

(ACLU).

The school-to-prison pipeline promotes mass incarceration of Black people. It targets

Black men from a young age, extending into adulthood. Research states that 76% of all inmates

will end up reincarcerated at least once (Hatcher). Since Black adolescents in school receive

harsher punishments for the same offenses committed by white kids, these extreme sentences can
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result in jail time. Black children represent 31% of school arrests (ACLU). This is higher than

any other racial group in public schools. In many cases, these Black children that have

committed the same offense as their white counterparts will be arrested and sentenced to juvenile

court. This juvenile court system is tailored to groom them for imprisonment. Mass incarceration

of Black men has been an ongoing issue for many years. Black boys as young as 10 are set up for

failure from being punished in the school system and expect to enter the prison system due to the

culture.

The way the court, prison, and entire judicial systems perform regarding Black citizens

needs to change. Racism plays a significant role when it comes to sentencing for crimes Black

and white people commit. For example, when a white man mass shoots citizens in public places

they are assumed to have mental health issues, psychiatric evaluations are performed, plea deals,

and chances of parole are usually given. Versus when a Black person shoots a single individual

their crime is “expected”, and they are considered a menace to society (Metzl). When Black

people commit equal or lesser crimes to a white person, their sentencing usually does not fit their

crime, compared to how their white counterparts are treated. As if the way sentencing is decided

were not enough proof, looking at how Black citizens were used as political bait in Presidential

campaigns like Nixion’s. Nixon’s intentions were deliberate in criminalizing Black people with

the “war on drugs”. The Nixon administration knew they could not classify being anti-war, or

African American as illegal. So, to combat this, Nixon convinced the public to tie the

“free-spirited people '' to marijuana, and tie African Americans to heroin, and placing heavy

legal restrictions on both drugs, to disenfranchise the Black community further (DPA). Nixon ran

his entire political campaign, and most of his time in the white house were catered towards

convincing the white public that Black people need to be criminalized. Nixon and his entourage
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conveyed Black Americans as the determining factor of America either being safe, or dangerous.

Black people were imprisoned on drug charges with no chance of parole and received the

harshest sentence possible. There are currently 792,000 Black men in the U.S. prison system, this

number equals the number of enslaved Africans in 1820 (Boyd). The United States prison system

has become modern-day slavery, where Black people are treated poorly, working in harsh forced

conditions. Both the U.S. prison and Judicial systems desperately need reform.

The judicial, prison, education, and medical systems all desperately need to be reformed

to accommodate Black people’s needs. The first step in the reformation of all these systems is

educating non-Black people on Black issues. Pushing education on the history of African

Americans in the United States. How Blackness affects everything when it comes to these

systems and the needed reform to make them work with, not against Black people. In many

schools, African American history classes are not required, or African American history is not

taught in-depth. Medical students need to be taught the extensive history of sicknesses that was

caused by enslavement. They should strive to understand how Black people have higher rates of

diabetes, and heart disease and how to properly treat them. For police reform, racial training

should be implemented. Also, enforcing at least the need for an associate degree in some form of

criminal justice, and extensive background checks of any racist tendencies; racists hate groups,

posts, etc. The police need to dissect and understand why the relationship between Black people

and the police is disconnected. Police Officers should receive diversity training. Being a Police

officer is a profession that should need a longer amount of training and education. The judicial

system needs to implement the right to a “fair” trial across all races. When a Black person

commits an offense, and a Caucasian person commits an equivalent unlawful act and obtains a

less extensive sentence this should not be considered a “fair” trial. Education will help people
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understand how Black people feel in a society that works against them and has worked against

them for centuries. When Black people listen too, and their concerns are taken into consideration

a lot of changes can happen. In an integrated society, and in a society that has benefited vastly

from Black people whether that is through; music, architecture, science, etc. it’s important to

learn about how Black people contribute to the greater good. Highlighting: the good, the bad, and

the ugly of Black history should be mandatory, and encouraged in any profession, and walk of

life. Education, and attempting to understand how Black people feel in America will move

society towards the eradication of racism.

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Public Scholar , 29 May 2020,

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