Racial Discrimination and Development of Civil Rights in America
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Racial Discrimination and Development of Civil Rights in America
In 2013, The Black Lives Matter Movement was formed in the United States, and its core values are to fight racism and violence and police brutality among black people. This movement condemns unjust killings of black people caused by police and demands the society value the humanity of black lives as much as it values white lives. The movement began after George Zimmerman, of German and Peruvian descent, shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager in Sanford, Florida. Later the movement expanded in 2014 after the police killed two unarmed black men, namely Eric Garner and Michael Brown. The Black Lives Matter Movement’s effects are being felt since it plays a major role by holding demonstrations against police brutality and racial discrimination.
The Justice system has contributed to its disparate racial impact in several ways. First, racial disparities in traffic stops may have diminished in recent years, but it persists in many jurisdictions. Police officers are likely to stop black people for investigative reasons, search and arrest them for absolutely no reason. The same effect is felt in the judicial system, where prosecutors and judges often treat blacks harshly when charging and sentencing decisions. Recently, some judges have worked with police and prosecutors and developed guidelines that have reduced racial disparities when charging enhancements for people arrested for drug crimes in a school zone.
Criminal justice systems do not receive enough funds, thus putting blacks who have low incomes at a disadvantage. Pretrial release requires money bonds, and this can be prohibitive to low-income individuals, thus increasing the pressure on black prisoners to accept less favorable plea deals. Low- income individuals have limited treatment and sentencing alternatives since the public drug treatment programs are underfunded. Several cities have tried dealing with these problems, such as New Jersey, which has overhauled bail laws, increasing nonmonetary bail laws. As a result, nonmonetary release options will increase to create a more even playing field for low-income individuals.
Criminal justice policies exacerbate inequalities by imposing consequences on those with criminal records and diverting public spending. This problem mostly affects black people since there are higher numbers of black offenders than white offenders. In the United States, a criminal conviction creates a barrier to securing steady employment. Felony drug convictions are most of the time disqualified from public assistance and public housing. Also, the allocation of public resources to punitive programs comes at the expense of investments in crime prevention and drug treatment programs. Black people are affected by these policy choices because of their higher rates of incarceration and poverty. California has taken steps in dealing with some of these problems by reclassifying some low-level offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. This initiative will reduce prison admissions and spare many low-level offenders collateral consequences of a felony conviction.
In recent times, African Americans have become an important minority in a nation with a singular degree of world influence. They have gain greater access to colleges and universities. However, poverty and a broader backdrop of exclusion play a part in poor educational outcomes. Few African-American families can afford private schools’ costs, meaning that black children are still faced with inadequate education. Inadequate education only means that they will get low-paying jobs, and this is reflected in their lifestyles. Recently, there has been an increase in educated blacks, and they hold many high positions in government and various departments.
With the formation of the Civil Rights Movements, black people have acquired several rights. They can vote, and this was witnessed in 2008 when Barack Obama vied for a presidential position, and black people supported him, and he became the president. Major strides have been made in the health and housing department, where black people can now get better health care and housing.
Effects of racial discrimination are also felt in the job environment where white Americans occupy higher positions than black Americans. White people access high-paying jobs, thus leading to stability. Lack of family stability and role models are major blocks for black people. When it comes to borrowing money from financial institutions, white people have a higher chance of getting the money.
Beyond criminal justice, the health status of minorities in the United States is under threat. Like in the case of Hispanics, who are the largest minority group in America, their current health status is flawed. Their social and structural position factors largely shape these people’s situations, mainly referred to as social determinants of health (SDH). Health services in America are expensive. It is even more costly if one does not have health insurance coverage. Hispanics fail to take up insurance for either lack of finances or due to their undocumented status. A significant number of Hispanics cross over into America illegally. Therefore, they cannot take insurance covers as they do not have the required papers. Besides, they cannot pay on a cash basis in hospitals as they lack enough money due to low-paying jobs or unemployment. A majority of those with papers lack the financial ability to take up the insurance covers too. Many Hispanics resort to remain untreated or use Over the Counter (OTC) drugs to manage symptoms.
Large gaps are seen when minority education attainment and outcomes are compared to white Americans in the education sector. Students are deprived of valuable resources, and high achieving African American students may be exposed to less rigorous curriculums. These students will be forced to attend schools with fewer resources and have teachers who expect less academically. As a result, they will be employed in low-paying jobs, meaning that they cannot afford proper housing, balanced meals, and health insurance.
Psychological distress in racial minorities has been attributed to socioeconomic deprivation and racial discrimination. Young adults with a negative net worth, zero net worth, and not owning a home are often associated with depressive symptoms, independent of the other socioeconomic indicators. The research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicates that most racial minority groups have higher rates of PTSD than whites. Further, most of them are dependent on alcohol to help them deal with their stress levels.
The Black Lives Movement was formed to deal with police brutality that has been witnessed across the United States. Different issues that affect criminal justice were highlighted through this, and today reforms have been formed to deal with these issues. Civil rights promote equal social opportunities and protection under the law regardless of race. Over the years, the development of civil rights has been felted across America. The rights of minorities have been felt in various areas and not only in the justice system. Some of these areas are the health sectors and the educations sectors.
References
American Council on Education. (2006, October). Students of color make dramatic gains in college enrollment but still trail Whites in the rate at which they attend college.
Bahls, C. (2011, October 6).Health policy brief: Achieving equity in health.
Black Lives Matter: Eliminating Racial Inequity in the Criminal Justice System, February 03, 2015, Nazgol Ghandnoosh.