Institutional Racism An Excuse Or A Reality - 1504 Words

Amit Randhawa Mrs. Ferdinandsen Honors English 10 18 December 2014 Institutional Racism: An Excuse or a Reality? Take a step into the tragic period between the 1940s and ’60s and imagine how prevalent racism was at the time. In a historic period during the Civil Rights movement and even later, how would we portray racism within America? Was it in its beginning stages? Or had it hit its highest point? It’s commonly known that racism was at its height around these intimidating moments. However, when compared to racism in America this last decade, have we really made any progress? Although much has changed about racism, from our laws to our rights, the educational system, along with the justice system, serve as clear examples in revealing the negative effects of racism and discrimination that continue to heavily influence our nation. In the middle of the 1900s, law enforcement maintained a clearly racist perspective on those of color. Backed by the Jim Crow’s laws, the chances of racial profiling and discrimination were awfully hig h. Undoubtedly, there was a smaller sense of pity as it became a common mindset throughout the nation. In fact, the right to maintain fully segregated facilities weren’t even considered inherently unequal at the time (Densho). As laws helped popularize discrimination, there wasn’t a single obstacle in the development of a largely ignorant and insensible society. Furthermore, the law helped categorize African Americans as second-class citizens forShow MoreRelatedRacism And The Black Athlete Essay1483 Words   |  6 PagesRacism is an evolving problem that we have face in our society for generations. This issue is evolving because it opens itself to all components of life. Sport is no stranger to involvement with racism, in fact it has been a platform which sparks change or intensifies the state of racism in society. 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