Essay about Racism and Prejudice in America - 629 Words

Racism and Prejudice in America Nigger, Spic, Kike, Cracker. Words of hate that resonate throughout the ideals of racism. Society tends to look only at prejudice on the surface. It is easy to ignore the racism that hides below the surface and is part of American life. I’m talking about apathy. It is apathy that keeps the legacy of hate part of American life. I’m not saying that the majority of white America has a KKK robe in their closet and likes to burn crosses. I’m not even saying that the majority of America is racist. I’m stating that the majority of Americans do absolutely nothing about racism. In the 1960’s equal rights was on the tip of the American tongue. It was an inevitable change that was brought about by dedicated†¦show more content†¦The newly enfranchised slaves began to enjoy life as full citizens, despite their unfortunate economic situation. Many blacks began to take public office and all black men were enfranchised. When reconstruction ended and the North pulled the military out of the South, things changed. The south used new mechanisms of repression to keep the freedmen poor and unable to vote. The North stood by idle and apathetic. Reconstruction failed because of that. Apathy is destroying the efforts of men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. It is destroying the lifetime dreams of Medgar Evers and Robert Kennedy who rose above violence and repression to say they weren’t going to take it. American society is allowing institutional racism to infect the social conscience. Many of you may read this and say: I’m not racist. Are you doing anything to change the way things are? For some the answer is yes and others don’t know what to do. When you don’t know what to do, do something. Don’t be lazy and allow mistakes of the past become mistakes of the present and future. There may be more equality today then there was fifty years ago, but that is not an excuse do nothing about racism. There should never have been such oppression and ignorance. The other day I was in Dunkin’ Donuts at three in the morning. It had been a long night and my friend and I were hungry. As we were sitting there eatingShow MoreRelated Prejudice and Racism - Home Ownership in A Raisin in the Sun and in America2249 Words   |  9 PagesThe Black’s Quest for a Home Ownership in A Raisin in the Sun and in America    In the famous 1959 kitchen debate with Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev, Richard Nixon asserted the American Dream of homeownership was available to all Americans regardless of class, race, or any other social constraint. For Nixon, this claim was proof of Americas dominance over Russia-of democracys superiority over communism. 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