Premium Essay

Racial Injustice In America

Submitted By
Words 1159
Pages 5
Racial Injustice: Racial Profiling and Bias and How it Affects Us
“Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.” - Eric Holder. Principle rights of U.S. citizens of different color and origin are being violated due to racial injustice; this issue is widespread, affecting many aspects of the U.S., including law enforcement, the targeted individuals, and the courts.
Racially biased law enforcement here in the U.S. is one of many problems stemming from racial injustice here in the U.S. According to a study conducted by Kenneth Jost, African Americans are twice as likely as whites to be stopped by police, and …show more content…
pag.). Of the 1.6 million citizens stopped in New York City (NYC), over half were African American and one-third were Hispanic; only nine percent were white (Jost n. pag.). The New York City Police Department credits these stops with the slight decrease in crime rates, although many officials outside the city believe the police department has gone too far when it comes to race-based stops (Jost n. pag.). African Americans are not the only group that are targeted by law enforcement, immigrants and Hispanics are the second most watched racial profiling issue (Jost n. pag.). The Sheriff Department in Phoenix, Arizona, targeted Latinos without adequate cause, which led to reform and new workers in the that department. (Jost n. pag.). Although officials around the country still try to deny racial profiling in law enforcement, overwhelming evidence and statistics suggest otherwise (Jost n. pag.). Alternately, some …show more content…
courts are also affected by racial bias and injustice. There are not many African Americans who have positions of power in the criminal justice system; this makes courts overwhelmingly white (Alcindor n.pag.). Failure of a white prosecutor to indict the police officer responsible for the shooting and killing of Michael Brown concerned many U.S. citizens, who feared that African Americans were being stripped of their fundamental constitutional rights (Alcindor n. pag.). Situations like this have led to African Americans winning elections over previous prosecutors who had been criticized for being racially biased, even though African American candidates for positions in courts are difficult to come by (Alcindor n. pag.). Justice groups and U.S. citizens are trying to remedy the disproportionately small number of African American prosecutors, as well as other positions of power, in the criminal justice system (Alcindor n. pag.). These new efforts are in response to what some justice groups and U.S. citizens felt was an inadequate response from current district attorneys and prosecutors when it comes to racial bias (Alcindor n. pag.). Although these efforts face difficult demographic and institutional objectives that keep offices of prosecutors white, there are high hopes of success in these efforts (Alcindor n. pag.). A judge in NYC has ruled that racial profiling situations predominantly targeting those of color or in predominately minority areas violated rights,

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Confederate Flag Research Paper

...Is the Confederate Flag a modern day symbol of Southern culture or a symbol representing Racial injustice the violation of a right or rights of another? This is actually a question that comes up quite often, people want to know what the confederate flag stands for. Many people think different reasons that the confederate flag is still flown, in this paper i’m going to tell you why I think that the flag Is a sign Racial Injustice the violation of a right or rights of another. Some the reasons I will talk about are, What the Confederate Flag stud for during the civil war, why the flag represents racial injustice, what it means today. What did the confederate flag stand for during the civil war? The confederate flag was a symbol of the 11 states that seceded from the united states in 1861. They wanted a flag to represent their states before and after the civil war. “The confederate states seceded from the union to preserve slavery and political liberty for whites” according to, History.com Staff. “Confederate States of America.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/confederate-states-of-america. During the civil war and the creation of the confederate flag it stud for what the South believed which was racial injustice the violation of a right or rights of another. That's what the confederate flag stud for during the civil war....

Words: 393 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Why Is Discussion of Ethnicity and Race Considered Taboo?

...Managing Diversity Final Research Paper Why is Discussion of Race Taboo in America? America is said to be a melting pot of cultures, a country of not one nationality but a diverse mixture of all different types of people melted into one nation. This term became famous in America from the 1908 play of the same name, “The Melting Pot.” The basis of the play was how immigration to America caused the nation to be a fusion of nationalities, cultures, and ethnicities. What the play failed to mention was that although some nationalities were indeed melting together, American’s that were of different races were being excluded. The physical differences in races, such as African Americans, had caused them to be excluded from reaping the benefits of all that America had to offer. The worst part about all of this is that the people being excluded from “The Melting Pot” were decedents of individuals who did not come to this country by choice. Instead they were brought to this country through kidnapping. Flash forward a hundred years to Nov. 24th, 2008. America elects its first African American president Barack Obama. Article after article published around this time had headlines reading, “Barack Obama: The End of Racism in America.” We finally did it! Racism in America was able to be totally eradicated through the election of an African American as our nation’s president. If only it was that easy. Now in 2014, eight years after the election of our nation’s first African American...

Words: 2953 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Racial Profiling

...Shawnta Morris CJE 101-01 Research Paper October1, 2013 Racial Profiling and the Effects it has on Blacks in the Criminal Justice System. Some people wonder what is racial profiling. Racial profiling deals with miss-education, slavery, and incarceration. Since the beginning of slavery African Americans have suffered due to their identity. Racial profiling deals with selecting a person for their complaint of a specific racial group. The main reason in advocating racial profiling in the background of criminal study can enlarge the possibility of arresting criminals. Paul Bou-Habib stated, “If the rate at which members of a specific racial group commits a crime is higher than that of other criminals will be caught if the police concentrate their efforts on investigating members of the racial group in question?” (2011, p.34). It is injustice, when police officers, political officials, and judges have learned how to automatically have a racist attitude towards blacks. For example, my friend was in McDonald’s parking lot and he was in the process of switching seats with his friend because he was exhausted of driving. While leaving the parking lot, the officer had pulled them over because he seen a black guy get out of his car and thought something seemed suspicious. The officer implied that my friend did not use his right turning signal. The term “driving while black has been used to describe the practice of law enforcement officials to stop African-American drivers without probable...

Words: 1936 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Declaration Of Independence Dbq Analysis

...The establishment of a republic that eventually was named the United States of America proposed a foundation with expectations by a national government. The founding fathers created the Declaration of Independence in 1776 with a clear view of how they anticipated the country to function in the future. Not only was the Declaration of Independence created, but in 1787 the Constitution was signed declaring the fundamental laws of the national government as well as the basic rights for citizens of the country. Nonetheless, these formal statements regarding the colonies’ intentions would not eventuate later on in the future. In its place, America would encounter a time period facing injustices and racial inequality. The 1800s was a time when African Americans were deprived of...

Words: 592 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Racism In America Research Paper

...Civil rights are the right for people to have their freedom and the rights to equality. There are basic laws and rules that you have to follow in many countries especially in America, if these rules don’t reach a certain standards or if the rule has been broken by anyone, they would suffer the consequence. However that’s not the point, the point is, most things that’s happening in the world today is injustice, including gender inequality, religious inequality, bullying and most important is racial discrimination also know as racism. Racism is being prejudice or discriminating a person of their color or what they are. Racism was a big problem in the world for years and now today the same problem is proceeding. Everyone has their own freedom...

Words: 1369 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Racial Profiling

...Racial Profiling Furnie J. Oden IV Strayer University- Lithonia Campus Some people wonder what is racial profiling. Racial profiling derives from fear of the unknown, miss-education, slavery, and incarceration. Since the beginning of slavery African Americans have dealt with profiling due to their identity. Racial profiling deals with selecting a person within a stereotypical criteria according to their specific racial group. The main reason in advocating racial profiling in the background of criminal study can enlarge the possibility of arresting criminals. Paul Bou-Habib stated, “If the rate at which members of a specific racial group commits a crime is higher than that of other criminals will be caught if the police concentrate their efforts on investigating members of the racial group in question?” (2011, p.34). It is not right when police officers, political officials, and judges make decisions based on predetermined racist and some would say ignorant beliefs. For example, my friend was in McDonald’s parking lot and he was in the process of switching seats with his friend because he was exhausted of driving. . The term “driving while black has been used to describe the practice of law enforcement officials to stop African-American drivers without probable cause” (Weatherspoon, 2004). This is one of the leading minority men are pulled over in their vehicle. Which usually leads to a unwarranted stop...

Words: 2178 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Mlk Ancient Appeals

...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” was a passionate and motivational speech to end racial segregation in the United States during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Dr. King, Jr.’s speech was organized, heartfelt and credible, following the ancient appeals techniques: logos, pathos and ethos, to persuade the audience to take immediate action to end racial discrimination through passive resistance. The first section describes to organization of his speech and the use of historical references, analogies and repetition of keywords now, freedom and dream to relay the urgency to attain racial harmony. Then, the second section shows how using of the first person in his speech and describing his dream of racial equality for his children’s future life creates an emotional connection with the audience. Lastly, the third section describes how his persona as a father, pastor, victim and civil rights leader builds his integrity as a speaker. Dr. King, Jr. carefully organized his speech by first building his credibility by using historical references, then describing the trials and tribulations of the African-American community, and then ending with his dreams and hopes for freedom and racial equality. Dr. King, Jr. established the foundation of his speech with the reincarnation of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by previous United States President Abraham Lincoln, and reiteration of words from the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In addition...

Words: 1100 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Racial Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

...Racial injustice is the plague that has infected the nation we live in today, spreading from the day that farms discovered cash crops and fighting against all odds to ruin the views that we have against people of color. It takes the form of denial of rights in front of a judge, or casually residing in those on the streets, tempting them to change their opinions based on someone’s differences. The courts, juries and everyday people across the nation demonstrate this ideal of racial injustice everyday, shown from the writings of anti-racist Tim Wise and the life of Scout Finch in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in which they highlight the difference in treatment between those of color and those who are white. Throughout the entirety...

Words: 859 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Latin-American Ethnicity

...Community does not cease to exist in the absence of geographical proximity. People all over the world, no matter the distance, relate and connect to one another through shared values and characteristics embodied in a common ethnicity. Within an ethnicity, shared language works to develop communities, and, especially when in the minority, gives its members an emotional strength that powers them in times of alienation. Cultural values that come with ethnic backgrounds, such as traditions and moral doctrine, facilitate the fabrication of strong morals. Even the racial identity of members of specific ethnicities have much to gain from the community in which their race identifies with. These communities have a natural tendency to facilitate the...

Words: 850 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Mr. Stefan

... Racial discrimination is a socially global issue for all minority ethnic groups around the globe especially in America. It was rooted in a history of colonialism and slavery during the 17th century. Racial discrimination usually was used by the dominant or the mainstream ethnicity group as a 'weapon' to exploiting and discriminating the minority. Racial discrimination was inherited by the idea of race or skin colour differences that blacks were always inferior race to whites; whites also reproached blacks as a morally depraved ethnicity that was born to be slaves, and deserved any kind of subjugation and poverty they get along during their life. The history of racial discrimination in America began when the English colonists settled in Virginia, United States. Most of African Americans that were occupied the colonial area were either descendants of Africans custodies or immigrants. They were forced to leave their homeland and subsequently sold as slaves to farm owners in the Southern states of America. The African American slaves were despotically treated as 'personal investment properties' by their owners, because it was legally governed by the laws of individual states. Racial discrimination worsened during the 19th century as segregation, anti-black violence, and the expressions of white supremacy increased rapidly. Although, practices of slavery were eliminated during the half of 19th century, African Americans still faced injustice throughout...

Words: 943 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Oppression Of People Of Color Analysis

...Within America, oppression of people of color has been integrated within society since the founding of the colonies. Within America, this means that policy changes have been put into place since the Civil Rights Movement to try to change how people of color are treated within America, but this appears to not be enough. The types of policies that could be put into place to further the objective of racially unifying America would be racial bias training, profiling prevention and cultural competency training. This is because many of the issues that are being felt within the communities of people of color are founded in a lack of understanding or bias that individuals have with others that are different. The issue is that with this type of policy...

Words: 1800 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

An Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

...King’s movement was majorly successful, yet injustices still continue to exist in our nation. There are still oppressive situations that exist in our nation, and, examples from the past have taught us that actions must be taken in order to prevent these situations from arising again. Martin Luther King’s letter and actions for racial inequality and justice, although people may be from different races and cultures, is a paragon for many people in the current day, in order to create total equality among...

Words: 1623 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

...In April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned in Birmingham, Alabama for leading the non-violent demonstration against racial segregation and injustice. As Kind read the letter written by the eight local Clergymen, he then wrote his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, in order to defend his action nonviolent actions. King uses many varieties of rhetoric strategies to exemplify his argument. He uses three Aristolean means of persuasion Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to establish his argument on the nonviolent protest movement. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, written from the Birmingham Jail, he uses ethos to establish the credibility on the subject of racial discrimination and injustice. King states in the letter “I have the honor of serving as president of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated...

Words: 666 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Affirmative Action

...the issue of affirmative action has been subject to a tremendous amount of debate and controversy. When President Kennedy proposed the idea of preferential treatment in 1961, the nation was in the midst of radical changes regarding civil liberties. It was a time when the injustices imposed upon minorities were beginning to be recognized, and people wanted to make up for the years of oppression that served as a barrier for the advancement of minorities in America. At the time, the idea was morally justified and socially appropriate. While it is still a morally commendable effort today, the system has become an attempt to atone for the sins of our country's past, and a double standard that threatens every citizen's liberties. The first problem with affirmative action is the obvious fact that it is an attempt to end discrimination with discrimination. When a company or university discriminates against a white male for the sake of bettering the outcome of another racial group, an injustice occurs. Affirmative action is the governmental legislation of the active discrimination of one person over another an unacceptable and dangerous double standard. Secondly, affirmative action seeks to reconcile the injustices of the past. The horrible atrocities of the past, including slavery and the refusal to grant women and minorities the right to vote, cast an ugly shadow on the history of our nation. But affirmative action cannot erase what our ancestors did years ago. Instead of trying to...

Words: 1404 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

...The treatment of African-Americans had been inferior for years. Racial discrimination was tearing the nation apart. Then during the 1960’s, Martin Luther King began to speak up. He was a simple minister from Alabama, until he became the figurehead of the Civil Rights movement. King had witnessed racial injustices for many years, but even he couldn’t have imagined the impact he would make by standing up to those injustices.He organized boycotts, led rallies, and gave speeches; however, he is best known for one speech. The "I Have a Dream..." speech was given during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. Over 250,000 civil rights supporters witnessed one of the most famous speeches in history. King used powerful, emotional metaphors, repetition, Logical appeal, and Emotional appeal to rally the audience by painting a picture of what the world could be. At the time King gave his...

Words: 1028 - Pages: 5