Race issues in America: African American oppression?

Many regard America as a "post-racial society" and claim that blacks, and minorities in general, have equal opportunities as whites. For the most part, in comparison to the pre-Civil War America that valued racism and slavery, this is true--but race is still an ubiquitous issue in the United States, and this country has a long way to go before race issues are completely eliminated. Now, not only are there still lingering signs of prejudice from outside the black race, but there is oppression from within it too.

If some argue that racism is dead, situations like the Trayvon Martin tragedy offer excellent dispute. In February 2012, the 17-year-old Florida teen was walking home from the convenience store when the gated neighborhood's self-appointed watchman, George Zimmerman, fatally shot him in the chest. Zimmerman claimed that he acted out of self-defense, but witnesses argued that Zimmerman had seen Martin in a black hoodie, pursued him, and shot him. The racism even extends into the legal scope of the case. "[Zimmerman's] father calls up, the ex-magistrate? He calls up. Then the state prosecutor comes to the police station to talk and the lead detective wants to arrest the guy and he says no. And now we're getting the demonisation of the kid. He was this, he was that, he wore his pants down," said novelist and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison. After killing an innocent and defenseless boy, Zimmerman should have immediately been arrested, but he wasn't. If the roles were changed and a black man killed a white boy, sadly, he probably would not have received mercy from the legal system.

This plays into the fact in general that the US criminal justice system is pitted against black men. According to Fifth International, "blacks who are arrested are seven times more likely to be imprisoned than whites; they are sentenced to death four times more often than whites, and the average prison sentence is 10 months longer for black men than for white men." These are statistics that aren't easily noticeable, but are very real nonetheless, and they provide evidence that through not-so-obvious ways, racism is being kept alive in America.

On the other hand, blacks are also being oppressed by a group that is surprising to say the least--themselves. According to Capitalism Magazine, "Too many blacks do remain oppressed, but not by white Americans. Rather, it is by blacks who relish a perverse sub-culture of low standards and perpetual victimization. No longer do white racists tell black children books are for white people. Today, black people do this. Every day, black children suffer ridicule and disgrace for doing their homework, behaving in class, striving for excellence — in short, “acting white.”" Blacks have learned through the lessons in their history books and the teachings of their elders that the white man is the enemy, and it in turn distorts blacks' attitude towards the white man. Educated behavior and proper language has come to be widely identified with being "white" in the black community, pitting the blacks that act "black" against blacks that act "white." Even more disturbing is the "dark-skinned versus light-skinned" debate that has been prevalent among black youth--the notion that "light-skinned" blacks tend to be prettier and think that they are better than "dark-skinned" blacks. At this point, it is no longer white America that is drilling these ideas into black children's heads; it is the black children themselves, and through this, blacks are showing to the rest of the world that even after they have gained their freedom and equal rights, they are still incapable of wholly positive growth and unification as a people.

It is probably unfair to completely fault blacks for their present circumstances--after all, they are scarred as a race from their brutal and unforgiving past, and some may say that they have a right to feel the way they feel and their behavior should be excused. But it shouldn't--blacks have the potential to do better, and shouldn't subject themselves to victimization and self-pity. The slavery and black history of America shouldn't be put out of the minds of current day African Americans, but neither should it be an excuse for self-degradation. Blacks need to be more unified than ever to overcome the racial prejudice that undoubtedly still exists today, and progress positively as one.

Works Cited

Brockes, Emma. "Trayvon Martin Death Raises Issue of Racism in America, Says Toni Morrison." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

White, Dana. "Blacks Remain Oppressed, But Not By White Americans." Capitalism Magazine. Capitalism Magazine, 07 July 2003. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.

"The Oppression of Black People in the USA Today | League for the Fifth International."League for the Fifth International. League for the Fifth International, 10 Feb. 2008. Web. 07 Mar. 2013.