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African American Struggles

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RUNNING HEAD: AFRICAN AMERICAN STRUGGLES 1

African American Struggles

Shaneisa Smith

Soc 308: Racial & Ethnic Groups

Risa Garelick

November 23, 2011

AFRICAN AMERICAN STRUGGLES 2

African American Struggles African Americans are knows to face various issues throughout their lives. From being discriminated against, to trying to fit into society, African Americans still have problems because they are considered to be the minority (McGhee, 2010). African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendents of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States. Most African Americans are of West African descent and make up the single largest racial minority in the United States (African American Studies, 2001). Due to the fact that African Americans are minorities, they face problems in today’s world. Unlike the civil rights movement in the 1960s, African Americans today are not fighting for basic civil rights such as the right to vote and the right to attend non segregated schools. Many of the challenges are more subtle. The struggle would involve things like fighting negative stereotypes, pushing against institutional barriers that have been strengthened by those in favor of maintaining a historical precedent or the status quo, and fighting for equal opportunities (McGhee, 2010). For the most part, African Americans are still thought of to be part of the lower class. They experience inequalities with economic, social, political, and ideological dimensions (social stratification). They are forced to be faced with boundaries within society (Pluralism) (Marger, 2012). For example, job

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