[Solved] Writing Project 2: Analysis of Racism in the US from Multiple Viewpoints

Racism

The Backstory of the Issues

Prejudice is a complex cultural problem in the USA because it affects the community on a large scale; for instance, it influences the government, businesses, cultural attitudes, educational system, children, families, and individuals. More so, it is considered a severe issue as it involves grouping people based on their physical appearance to discriminate against them socially. The concept entails a set of concepts, discursive practices, discourses, and ideologies (Macedo and Gounari 4). Furthermore, it has been formed as a system and institution over the last several hundred years. In essence, the bias involves the White subordinating the individuals of colour; consequently, the Blacks are the most affected by this matter. For this reason, different authors have explored how racism has been manifested.

Different Arguments about Racism

Different writers have presented various views concerning the practice. For instance, there is the argument that equality remained a distant dream for five decades after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated (Goldberg). The reason behind that is that based on the exploration of realists, especially in the wake of the 2016 presidential elections, the country will still face the issues of racism and inequality for the decades to come. Of equal importance, some Whites, mainly low-down Democrats, would not allow reality or expediency to alleviate their enmity for the Black population (Goldberg). In this article, the author uses his experience, qualifications, and background as the basis to establish his credibility and trustworthiness. In this regard, it is observed that Jeffrey Goldberg is a receiver of the Countrywide Magazine Honor for Journalism and is also the executive editor of The Atlantic (Goldberg).

Another case of racism is evident where those with names prevalent among the ethnic minority may be quoted more for car insurance (Kretchmer). Such findings have, in turn, raised serious questions for organizations providing assurance; if the investigations have demonstrated facts, it is a precise instance of racial discrimination. Arguably, insurers are unacceptable and unlawful to act outside the law by pricing coverage based on ethnicity (Kretchmer). All clients expect to be treated fairly, and the company is required to guarantee that they are indirectly indiscriminating specific ethnicity without a genuine cause. In this article, the author uses triangulation to establish his credibility and trustworthiness. The technique entails using analytics tools as the central data collection strategy. It allows him to obtain car insurance quotes from five leading price comparison websites (Kretchmer).

Furthermore, the stop-and-frisk policy is perceived as a racial profiling practice that violates Constitutional and civil rights (Silverstein). People are opposing the tactic because not only is racial profiling a danger to the legal rights of a citizen as enshrined under the law, but it is also a danger to their health. The reason is that the act raises the risk of many physical and emotional problems, including stress, depression, hypertension, and even mortality (Silverstein). Therefore, while only 3.5% and 1.6% of Whites suffer from psychological pressure and physical tension, respectively, it is not surprising to establish that for Blacks, the number rises to 18.2% and 9.8% for emotional stress and somatic anxiety correspondingly. In essence, victims of racism often suffer from poorer intellectual and physical health due to these conditions. As the author, Silverstein has proven his credibility by applying triangulation, which mainly involves using theories. To this end, he has utilized different philosophies to expand the knowledge of the phenomenon under analysis. For example, the writer examines the association between the anticipation of prejudice and the increase in mental and cardiovascular anxiety by referring to the investigation conducted by Pamela J. Sawyer and associates (Silverstein).

Additionally, the subjugation of the Blacks as slaves has led to the persistence of the belief in their poverty and inferiority, which has strangled them for hundreds of years (Ward). More so, the notion that any individual of African descent is still inferior flourishes; it becomes evident after emancipation, whereby the Blacks are imprisoned for minor offences, such as petty thievery, loitering, and vagrancy. Similarly, in Mississippi, Republican lawmakers have focused on cutting programs that serve the poor, which is a move that seems to be targeting those of colour since the majority of them depend on social plans for help (Ward). Arguably, the author relies on triangulation as a primary observation method to establish her credibility and trustworthiness in this article. Notably, she claims that material poverty is persistent in Mississippi for her family and all Blacks (Ward).

The Relationship among the Different Viewpoints

The mentioned texts can be grouped because they present profound similarities in racism. The common ground between the articles is that they support the notion that the issue is still an ongoing severe challenge globally. Nonetheless, those who are racist are not mindful of it. More so, the articles seem to agree that in the modern days, the problem reveals itself in the following ways: economic disparities between Whites and Blacks, people of colour being mistreated by the police, and political opposition to programs that redress it. The authors also seem to agree that Blacks and Whites remain voluntary and primarily segregated from each other in the contemporary USA. Moreover, the long history of racial injustices and slavery, where the Whites were the perpetrators, led to a lingering distance between the two races.

In brief, the authors’ approach to establishing their credibility and trustworthiness distinguishes one text from another. To this end, some apply triangulation techniques, while others use their experience, qualifications, and background to ensure that their study measures what is intended. Finally, it can be argued that the issue of racism is essential to these writers, who aim to raise awareness about it. By doing so, they empower individuals and communities to reduce and prevent the problem and seek to redress it when it transpires. It is also significant for scholars because they are creating awareness of the issue and how it affects the broader community and the lives of individuals. The goal is to root out racism in the USA (“The Police Force in the US City of Chicago”).

Primary Sources of Conflict between the Writers

The author’s disagreement is evident from the fact that although they agree that there is a problem of racism, they fail to settle on who is responsible for fixing it. The scholars have not demonstrated whether the duty to end the issue is exclusive to one race or the responsibility belongs to both Blacks and Whites. Most people perceive that everyone should work towards solving the problem. Due to those differences, the articles do not seem to improve the disparity in the insight into the societal progress between the two racial groups. In brief, some people seem to argue that improving race relations is the responsibility of each citizen. Others seem to believe it belongs to the White, and people of colour do not need to work hard to end it. Consequently, it has become a necessity to have tutors willing to discuss racism and race because it would help improve student learning (Anderson). Racism should not be tolerated in society, mainly at the highest levels of government (“Newly Uncovered Government Documents about MLK”).

Another source of conflict among the authors is over how to define the problem. The disagreements in the description of racism seem to plague their policy discourse and research on race relations. Such tensions have appeared of equal importance because the scholars are from different sectors and are concerned with the various concepts of prejudice. Furthermore, there are differences in ideologies even within the disciplines of the researchers. For example, in the anti-racist approach, there is the belief that the USA is divided between the Blacks, considered the victims, and the Whites, the oppressors. The colour-blind approach, on the other hand, is concerned with the belief that people are the same and that race and culture should make no difference. Indeed, differentiating the numerous approaches to and elements of bias by the authors is essential because it has enhanced accuracy and precision in understanding its scope, reinforcers, causes, and nature. Nonetheless, the disagreement on the definition has caused misunderstanding since the writers lack a common ground to communicate (Sawrikar and Katz 81).

Conclusion

In summary, based on the analysis of different viewpoints concerning race as a complex cultural issue, the pattern evident through the responses is that changing the culture is the only way to solve the problem. People should have contact to challenge the deep-seated prejudices that shape behaviour. Moreover, the country needs to create as much socioeconomic fairness as possible, and, at the same time, the nation requires an integrated society. Such an effort can establish an egalitarian relationship across the group lines, which, in turn, will build trust between those belonging to different ethnic groups. Concerning the relations between the authors, these patterns suggest that they identify racism as the most prominent issue in American society. The problem is linked to certain kinds of extreme violence and various categories of entrenched poverty. Conversely, based on the controversy, the patterns suggest that the issue is a denial of the human relationship; the population that does not experience it often fails to recognize how it is deeply offensive.

Works Cited

Anderson, Melinda. “Urban-Education Programs Prepare Them for Imperative Contemporary Conversations With Students.” How Teachers Learn to Discuss racism, 9 Jan. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/01/how-teachers-learn-to-discuss-racism/512474/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018.

Goldberg, Jeffrey. “Five Decades After the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Equality, for Many, Remains a Distant Dream.” The Chasm Between Racial Optimism and Reality, n.d.,www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/a-dream-deferred/552593/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018.

Kretchmer, Harry. “Insurers Risk Being Found Guilty of “Racial Discrimination,” a Leading Equality Campaigner Has Claimed, Following a BBC Investigation.” Insurers ‘Risk Breaking Racism Laws’, 9 Feb. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/business-43011882. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018.

Macedo, Donaldo, and Panayota Gounari. Globalization of Racism. Routledge, 2015.

“Newly Uncovered Government Documents about MLK Provide a Deeper Glimpse into a History That Is Still Unfolding.” The Historically Fraught Relations Between the FBI and Black Activists, ProQuest, n.d, www.proquest.com/blog/pqblog/2018/The-Historically-Fraught-Relations-Between-the-FBI-and-Black-Activists.html. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018.

Sawrikar, Pooja, and Ilan Katz. “Only White People can be Racist: What does Power have to with Prejudice?” Cosmopolitan Civil Societies, vol. 2, no. 1, 2010, pp. 80-98.

Silverstein, Jason. “’Stop and Frisk’ is a threat to public health on a large scale.” How Racism Is Bad for Our Bodies, 12 Mar. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/how-racism-is-bad-for-our-bodies/273911/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018.

“The Police Force in the US City of Chicago is Plagued By Racism, According to An Official Report.” Chicago Police Plagued By Racism, Says Official Report, 14 Apr. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-Canada-36041990.

Ward, Jesmyn. “The National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward Reflects on Choosing to Raise Her Children in her Home State, and How the Forces that Martin Luther King Jr. Fought Against Still Shape Its Destiny.” How Poverty and Racism Persist in Mississippi, n.d., www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/jesmyn-ward-mississippi/552500/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018.