racism and slavery essay

racism and slavery essay

Racism and Slavery: A Call for Justice and Equality

1. Introduction

An African American, Rosa Parks, once said, “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.” This quote today still stands throughout many lives of various individuals. Many people may face inequality when it comes to racism and slavery. As there have been many laws, policies, and political leaders that have tried to endorse equality, still society plants the seed of hatred in the minds of many. Working-class citizens, females, and immigrants are the most common targets of racism due to economic factors, cultural differences, and stereotypes. This deeply troubling and pervasive racism is a significant factor in the cause of the violence, poverty, and suffering experienced by these groups and the country as a whole. Prejudice is fueled by ignorance and fear and can be overcome through education, and though there have been successful efforts to reduce racist views and organizations, some still fight to continue to leave a legacy of racism in legislation and policy. This is important for us to be aware of and do something to change it, in order to bless our future generations with a society free of racism and hate.

2. Historical Background

Although preceded by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, slavery was not officially outlawed in the United States of America until the passage of the 13th Amendment in December 1865. However, the official enforcement of the law was subverted by Southern states by way of state legislation known as Black Codes, as well as a series of laws and actions that came to be known as Jim Crow. This was a state-driven system of discrimination and segregation that relegated blacks to second-class citizen status, with limited rights to education, voting, and economic welfare. It was not until the mid-20th century, and after much civil unrest, that the United States government took any decisive action against such racial discrimination. Despite the legal progress made with the Civil Rights movement, there are many that would argue that de facto segregation and discrimination still exist today.

The socio-economic problems stemming from the trans-Atlantic slave trade, slavery, and post-slavery racism are rooted in such a historical construction of race and manifested in an ongoing racial caste system. A 2001 study on slavery concluded, “The benefits accrued from slavery, which are visible throughout Western Europe and North America, are clear. The former colonial powers have developed at a faster rate than those who did not participate in the slave trade or did not gain directly from colonialism.” This statement was made in reaction to western nations’ resistance to discuss the trans-Atlantic slave trade at the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, primarily out of fear of reparation claims. The disparities in social and economic status of whites and blacks in America are the direct result of a centuries-old status quo that has propagated and institutionalized racism and white privilege in the U.S.

Between the 16th and 19th centuries, European and white American slave traders forcibly took approximately 10-15 million Africans from their homelands, with an additional 2-4 million Africans dying during capture and transport. The result was a catastrophic, long-term undermining of the social, cultural, and economic development of the African continent and its diaspora. Large-scale immigration of North-Western European Americans did not begin until the mid-19th century. Until that time, racial intermixture was perceived as sinful and legislation and social practice served to separate white from black. Though European indentured servants often intermarried and fraternized with African slaves (even working, sleeping, and eating together), a significant effort was made to draw a distinction between the two groups. A rigid racial hierarchy was established whereby whites were given the privilege of land ownership and the right to economic advancement through whiteness. White planters who had originally used African indentured servants slowly changed to the African slave labor force.

3. Impact of Racism and Slavery

The effects of racism and slavery are still felt to this day. These two institutions resulted in an unfair, academic, and economic disadvantage for African-Americans. Racism through biased opinion has resulted in death and injury for many African-Americans. Pre-Civil War, Southern whites feared that the freed blacks would become a menacing element in society, so they enacted laws that took away blacks’ political rights. Many of these rights were not restored until the 1960s. With the political rights revoked, African-Americans lost security on countless occasions and were subjected to violence. Public outcry during the civil rights movement did not have an immediate effect, and some argue that racism still exists today. The economic impact of slavery and racism is clear. African-Americans make up 12% of the nation but possess just 1% of the nation’s wealth. The average white family has about 8 times the amount of wealth as the average black family. This gap is most likely due to the discrimination blacks faced in the job market and employment. Slavery ended in the 1860s, yet the racism that accompanied it resulted in an extreme economic disadvantage for African-Americans that still exists today. In 1972, the unemployment rate for African-Americans was around 2 times that of whites. The unequal economic statuses of blacks versus whites prove that slavery and racism still have an effect today. Finally, countless acts of racism and slavery have resulted in psychological effects for both the descendants of slaves and those who enslaved them. The effects range from internalized self-hatred to denials of the injustices against them. This form of racism could be the most deep-seated and the hardest to eradicate.

4. Overcoming Racism and Slavery

There were many questions that swirled around Reconstruction. What form of government would the Southern states have? Would the leaders of the Confederacy be punished for their treason against the United States? What would become of the newly freed slaves? The answers to these questions were never clear cut, nor were the results of the plans for Reconstruction. What is clear is that the end of the Reconstruction marked a turning point in American history. The government in the United States sought to end the Reconstruction, and the ways in which this was done marked a new era in the history of race relations in the United States.

The Civil War brought the Confederate States in America to their knees. The South was decimated and occupied by Union troops. This was a bitter pill for a proud people to swallow. It was made worse when the Union, bent on making the Confederacy suffer, began to implement a program called Reconstruction. This program was established to reorganize the Southern states after the Civil War, rebuild the South’s infrastructure, and attempt to integrate the Southern states back into the Union. Many different plans for Reconstruction were proposed, but the primary goal of the Reconstruction was to bring the Confederate states back into the Union as quickly as possible, and in the process, “reconstruct” Southern society.

5. Conclusion: Building a Just and Equal Society

Many steps have been taken in an attempt to eradicate racism in America and around the world, but as long as there are distinctions made between individuals based on the color of their skin, racism is very much alive today. The most important catalyst for change has been the ongoing struggle for African Americans with dialogue about a new racial justice. It was the African American struggle for freedom and justice that sparked a light of new possibility for other disempowered groups throughout the world. The struggle for racial justice has been and will continue to be long and arduous, but with perseverance and dedication to transforming a racist and unequal society, a new day will dawn. As time progresses and awareness of racism and its impact on society and the world sharpens, new tools will be created and utilized to move towards a racially just society. A racially just society is a realistic goal that can be achieved, but it will take continuous effort on the parts of not just African Americans, but all people who empathize with the injustices of racism and are dedicated to the changes that must be made. When the leap is made from a racist to a racially just society, is when racism is an issue of the past that is examined with incredulity and sorrow. The culmination of the struggle for racial justice will leave an incredible historical legacy for the United States and the world. The ultimate goal of successful development of an anti-racist society is the establishment of a normal, routine, and taken for granted society based on equality, respect for differences, and the reduction and elimination of prejudice and discrimination. The achievement of a racially just society will be one of the most glorious highlights of the American story where there were inequalities, oppressions, and cruelties stemming from racism against dark Ghanaian human hair, but also for African Americans, black people. The impact of the struggle for racial justice will create a world that is far different for future generations of all racial groups. A racially just society will benefit all racial groups in not just America, but the world.