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The Role of Race/Gender/Class/Stereotypes in the Media
essays on american culture
The Role of Race/Gender/Class/Stereotypes in the Media
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Every day, race is discussed and criticized in news articles, magazines, television, and various other parts of the media. Although we seem to be past segregation, race is still a polarizing issue. Many people today still assert the idea that certain races are of a lower class or are to be feared, when people are nothing more than products of their own environments. If all minorities were given the same opportunities, these misconceptions and stereotypes would disappear. A post-racial America is not possible because the past of racism will continue to linger throughout generations, people are born as judgemental, and there will always be that one person whose ignorance outweighs all else. Many people argue that our past racial history is gone and that America is beginning to fulfill the concept of a post-racial America. For instances, there are no longer many major instances of African Americans being treated as a lower class as opposed to other skins. “The election of Obama proved, as nothing else could have, that it [racism] no longer does [exist]” (McWhorter). Barack Obama, our current president, is the first African American to be elected into office. However, people are still judgemental and bigoted towards other races and treat them with very little respect. You often hear Hispanic or Latino Americans being colloquially referred to as Mexicans. You also see people getting stopped and taken aside at airports to participate in supposedly random searches just because they are Muslim. Even the very same African Americans that we have been attempting to treat as equals for so long are still getting treated unfairly. “Only 14 percent of drug users are black, but blacks constitute 37 percent of those arrested for drug crimes...are... ... middle of paper ... ...ach of a post-humanitarian world. Works Cited Kuznia, Rob. "Racism in Schools: Unintentional But No Less Damaging - Pacific Standard: The Science of Society." Psmag.com, 2009. Web. 30 Jan 2014. . Mcwhorter, John. "Racism In America Is Over." Forbes, 2008. Web. 30 Jan 2014. . Reeves, Anne. "Post-racial America depends on our kids: Anne Reeves." The Patriot-News - PennLive.com, 2013. Web. 30 Jan 2014. . Whitehead, John. "OpEdNews Article: The Myth of a Post-Racial America." OpEdNews, 2013. Web. 30 Jan 2014. .
Although the United States have come a long way from slavery, we still have a long way to go where people can begin to feel no prejudices, which will probably never happen. Unfortunately, racism still exist and is still a major issue in culture and politics, it has taken a back seat to intellect and
Since the election of President Barrack Obama in 2008, many people have started to believe that America is beyond racial inequalities - this is not the reality. Rather, we, as a society, chose to see only what we want to see. Discrimination is still rampant in our nation. Michelle Alexander explains that since the Jim Crow laws were abolished, new forms of racial caste systems have taken their place. Our society and criminal justice system claim to be colorblind, but this is not the actuality. Michelle Alexander explains:
When speaking about the topic of race even today, it is a sore subject among all Americans. The history of race in America has been a long and trying road, one that most Americans tend to ignore and attempt to gloss over. The book, How Race Survived U.S. History by David Roediger, goes into great detail about how discrimination towards others that we deem different than us has always been in American history, and shows no sign of going away anytime soon. In fact, Roediger states that, “race-thinking will survive and in new destructive permutations” (230). The main points of the book include that: race was gradual, discrimination was not only against those of African descent, and that progress has only
Wise, T. (2012). Dear white America: Letter to a new minority. San Francisco, CA: City
Despite the fact the 1800s was two centuries ago, racism is still persistent in the 21st century. Even with the election of the first black president, Obama is biracial, yet he is still recognized as black. Many black Americans thought racism would cease to exist with Obama in office. The color of skin and race still lives on, after all the United States is multicultural. As in the 1800s, racism had astronomically effects on society; nonetheless American citizens have more laws and agencies to safeguard against racism. Remember, slavery is a part of America’s history and it can’t be erased like an error. Harriet Jacobs wrote, “There are wrongs which even the grave does not bury.” Despite the abolishment of slavery, racism has simply adapted to the changes within society.
From its first utterance in 2008 to herald the rise of Barrack Obama, the concept was misguided and delusional.” I somewhat agree with what the author is saying about race, but not completely because the actual definition of “Post-Racial” literally means “after race” or that race does not exist. Like Mr. Capehart I believe a post-racial society is not realistic; that there will always be differences between cultures, no matter what steps, precautions, or measurements you take to eliminate the racial tensions. However, I am not saying that we cannot greatly diminish the tensions and prejudices, and therefore I disagree with Mr. Capehart. The way race is viewed needs to be changed. If you are able to change the way people view and look at race, you can reduce racial tensions and racial inequalities. Changing the way people view race is no easy task and doesn’t happen overnight. I believe it’s a long process that will be difficult and will be met with opposition. Racism is the root of the problem. I found this point brought up in the article, “The Fallacy of a ‘post racial’ society” to be very interesting, “The racist and anti-Semitic hate group…” called the Ku Klux Klan, that is known for, “…white sheets, cross burnings, and has a history of other
Howell, Llewellyn D. "Losing The Race To Erase Racism." USA Today Magazine 139.2790 (2011): 62-65. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
“White America speaks of the growing equality for all the residents of this country. However, the truth of the matter is this: the mor...
Throughout the history of the country, America has been considered a fairly racist union. From the workplaces to the society, as an Asian, I felt there's a strong barrier between white and black people, although I felt a little bit of racial among us. In this essay, I will talk about the major racial issue of this country through out my experiences.
Racism (n): the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other race (Wordnet search, 1), a controversial topic in today’s society, a subject that many people try to sweep under the rug, but yet a detrimental problem that has been present in America since the colonial era. Will this dilemma come to a halt? Can all Americans see each other as equals despite their skin color and nationality; and what role has it played in past generations versus today’s generations and how will it affect our future? Has this on going way of thinking gotten better or worse? These are questions raised when many think about the subject; especially members of American ethnic groups and backgrounds, because most have dealt with racial discrimination in their life time.
Omi, Michael, and Howard Winant. Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990. London: Routledge, 1994.
Rhodes, Deborah L. "Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination." Washington Post. 23 May 2010. The Washington Post. 26 Mar. 2014 .
Will we ever let the past stay behind us and move forward? In today’s era, is it the peoples’ responsibility to defend the history of their race just because of the color of their skin? Based on the color of our skin, individuals will always be placed and categorized under a certain race. In the essay “Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections” by Kwame Anthony Appiah, he tries to explains why race doesn’t exist and the only race in America is the human race. In “Social Identity and Group Solidarity” by Tommie Shelby, he discusses how in America, blacks are looked as one group even though are different cultures amongst Blacks. Even though in today’s world, people of all races get along just well with each other, but there are still signs of racism and discrimination that haunt us from the slavery era years ago as African Americans. People tend to easily find their identity because they base other people off of their race, ethnicity, living conditions, religion and more. Appiah and Shelby both connect on the idea of Cultural diversity dealing with “race” because Appiah argues whether that race actually exists and Shelby talks about black solidarity being separated and affected because of self-determination and equality.
Center for Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, prod. Angela Y. Davis at the University of Chicago- May 2013. YoutTube. YouTube, 1 May. 2014. Web. 10, May 2013.
The world has lived through generations of racism and racial profiling. After the days of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Civil Rights Movement, the American people thought they had passed the days of hatred and discrimination. Although Americans think that they live in a non-racist society, minorities today still live in the chains of oppression and prejudice through sports, schools, and social media.