The history of the United States of
America is brief compared to that of other Countries. It is also one of the
histories that is comprised of the most hidden and ruthless systems of
discrimination and segregation within the world. Using an underlying process
that indicates a separate and unequal mentality the United States has
perpetuated the unfair process to the point of lasting effects both socially
and structurally. The processes showing the most discrimination include Jim
Crow Laws, Fair Housing Act, and failing Welfare Systems. Together they have
created a modern society in which urban areas now experience a sense of hyper
segregation and a system that has not helped to decrease the rising poverty
rates within urban areas, but rather punish those in poverty.
With the era of Industrialization
and associated migrations of blacks from farms to cities combining with the Jim
Crow Laws another way of bringing about the subjugation of blacks was created. With
an increase in available jobs can an increased demand for unskilled worker as
well as those to oversee these works. The overseers were mainly native white
Americans while the unskilled workers came mainly from migrants of every area.
After an economic boom both in European and American societies, these migrant
workers became primarily of black migrants as those of European dissent stayed
within the respective cities. The use of Blacks as strikebreakers and cheap labor
was a stepping stone to the system of exploitation of the black migrant worker.
The Jim Crows laws surfaced shortly after creating a separate but equal
attitude while in reality being unequal. The idea was to keep blacks in
separate schools, separate jobs, and separate neighborhoods. These neighborhoods were often urban and
industrial neighborhoods that thrived from unskilled workers and contained
worse schools. Over time this creates an environment in which education takes a
backseat and people thrive from taking unskilled jobs earlier and remain in
them longer. The Jim Crow Laws followed Black codes which had underlying civil
rights violations and voting right. Therefore blacks were no longer slaves, but
not equal in any sense to their white counterpart.
The new Jim Crow laws have
contributed to those black having already been in poverty now being imprisoned.
Modern difference in sentencing for substances of crack cocaine versus powder
cocaine has made an impact with the black minorities within urban areas.
Carrying a sentence that is four times what powdered cocaine is has allowed for
those that need a cheaper form of the drug to be punished more severely. These
individuals being punish show in statistics that they are a majority of black
males from urban regions.
The fair housing act also shows how
society contributed to the further segregation. According to our readings the
percent of blacks segregated from white communities has increased since their
migrations to cities. That there are more segregated blacks now than there were
during slavery. The fair housing act has helped reveal the practices that led
to a necessary law prohibiting discrimination in housing. Previously laws and black
codes had allowed for those selling and renting homes to discriminate against
those who attempt to live there. This could be discrimination by race, creed,
color, gender, religion, etc. Further discrimination was present within the
real estate industry through selective showings. Realtors can control the
houses one attempting to buy gets to see. This allowed for this business to
determine were those of minority status should live. Often this meant those of
black dissent lived in communities with things people didn’t want; lead paint,
garbage dumps, next to dumping facilities, etc.. Areas in which the health and
opportunities of one can be limited.
Welfare systems as they are today
have shown over the past decade that those within the system often don’t “escape
it”. The numbers of those obtaining some type of aid has increased throughout
the last half century with no end in sight. As the presentation showed this
week this is a solution to a micro problem that is ultimately stemming from the
macro perspective. This means unless the problems stemming from a structural standpoint
are addressed, even those that happen to get off welfare may wind up on it
again. Often stints on welfare for those born poor and black can last up to
twenty years. Whereas their white
counterpart will spend far less time within the welfare system.
Ultimately the underlying
discrimination within society can be missed unless one examines the social
structure and social reality of our society. Some things over the last half century that
have revealed the present discrimination are Jim Crow Laws, The Fair Housing
Act, and the Welfare system.
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