Tuesday, January 13, 2015
How Do You Face Racism?
Read the New York Times article given to you in class and linked here. Reply in the comment section with your reflections on the pressure of ongoing racism today. What does racism look like today and how might the lessons from chapters 15-17 of Black Boy speak to a solution to racial discrimination?
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There are hidden truths about the racism in America today that allow societies to believe the issue of racism is no longer present. People believe this because of improvements like having an African-American president or more available education opportunities. These improvements have helped but have not solved the racism problem. Like the New York Times article states, the nation still has far to go. Racism today is the injustice killings of black citizens by police officers, or simple acts like African-Americans feeling it necessary to use “sir” or “mam”. In Black Boy, Richard Wright describes this same problem of lingering racism. When Richard moves to the North, he discovers a whole new world where he is not harmed or ridiculed for being black. Essentially, people can no longer see his blackness. However, Richard explains that ignoring or hiding racism on the surface does not solve the problem. In chapters 15-17, Richard strives to seek an answer. He meets several people with different ideals, and comes to a conclusion that education can help solve the problem. Not only education for the blacks to understand ones societal position and how to be stripped of ignorance, but also educating whites on a blacks experience in American society. Although, Richard comprehends that it is impossible to understand a life unless you’ve lived it.
In America today, there is a great misconception about racism and the way people of color are treated. Many people believe that the racism problem has been solved and everyone is treated equally and held to the same standard. While we may have made improvements to cover up racism, the underlying problem is still there. We may not have separate schools or drinking fountains designated for colored people anymore, but many individuals still view black people as lesser and are aware of their “blackness.” America has made a great effort to try and heal its past, but the origin of slavery and the unfair treatment of blacks will always be a part of our history that we are unable to change. As Richard enters Chicago he feels uncomfortable because no one seems to recognize his blackness and he is just another person to them. The norms and accepted behaviors in Chicago are completely different from those of the Jim Crow South and Richard doesn’t know if he will ever be able to assimilate.
Society, as described in the article, “When Will the North Face Its Racism”, illustrates ongoing issues of racial discrimination since the beginning of America. In the New York Times, Isabel Wilkerson clarifies that although there has been much progress made since the Civil Rights Movement, America as a whole nation needs to resolve racial issues and tensions. One similarity between today and the 1960’s racial tensions continues to be created through ignorance. Ignorance is defined as a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education: the state of being ignorant. Ignorance is deeply rooted in racial problems due to one’s behavior in environment. Richard, in Black Boy, pictures a boy whose environment creates him to become aware of the ignorance of society. Richard understands that though progress has been made, racial problems still occur because of societies’ ignorance to the fundamental reality that African-Americans are below whites in “caste systems”. One solution to racial obstacles during the Civil Rights Movement is to create awareness in society of the issue of constant racial issues and tensions. “He was continuously at war with reality.”
Racism is still a prevalent element of our society today. History has altered the intensity of racial discrimination in the United States rather than abolished it, although many Americans believe that racism is no longer present due to having a black president and seeing, learning, and experiencing the improvements after the Civil Rights Movement. We may not treat black people today the same way they were treated throughout American history, but we are still conscious about their “blackness” in western culture. Through racial profiling and stereotypes influenced on people, we still see the different treatment between black and white Americans through prison sentences, conduct by police, and the injustice killings we still see on the news today. This has caused black families to rethink their security in their own nation. In chapters 15-17 in Black Boy, Wright struggles with the acceptance of race when he moves to Chicago because he cannot subsume it due to the way he was raised in Jim Crow South. He writes about how racism should be confronted, just like the many protests going on today. He wants whites to be educated on the Black culture so that there can be the possibility to live or be treated equally without the uncertainty and awkwardness he experiences when he first arrives in Chicago. From Wright’s writing and conclusion, teaches modern Americans that it is still possible to live a life of true equality in the United States today.
Racism is a senstitive topic because of it’s traumatizing history and many individuals are reluctant to believe it’s existence as an ongoing issue today. Yes, improvements have been made, but, inevitably, world views that segregate the “blacks" from the “whites" still exist. America has made progress by “correcting” the issue or adding a law that prevents the action of segregation, but the internal problems are still alive. Richard enters Chicago, a place where no one is aware of his “blackness” and he finds it difficult to accustom to the ways of a liberal city. The Jim Crow South drilled ideals into his head about the societal norms of being a black man and this drastic change has Richard questioning his ability to survive. As stated in the New York Times news article, racism is still a national issue and historian Taylor Branch points out that present day America, “feels like the South in the 1950s.”
Racism has always existed and will always exist. The racial discrimination that is in the late 1960’s and the racism that we are leaving now in 2014 is not the same. What I have read in chapters 15-17 is how black people are still being affected in the north even thought you can see a white man without feeling threatened. These chapters also talk about how the environment you are in changes your mental environment; Richard has to change his mental environment to fit in the worlds view. The chapters speak to a solution for racial discrimination but even thought they have thought of solutions, those solutions wont make any difference because there has always been racial discrimination and there will always be. To change the situation you have to change the environment and social structures, but solutions that bring violence and communism won’t solve the problem.
Wright demonstrates throughout chapters 15 to 17 how he lived in a time were racism was a discrimination of color and affected education and wealth to the African American race. “Color hate defined the place of black life as below that of white life”. Wright shows thru the eyes of Richard the difference between African Americans and whites since they could not live in the same environment or have a big salary due to restrictions black people had.
Racism has evolved in American society for a long period of time, and ceases to exist today. Throughout history, black people have been racially discriminated, suffering through many cruel injustices and oppression in the world. The severe racism from early American history have gradually relaxed in modern day society, however, it still remains present as humans are conscious of the color of skin. The racial judgements seen between the black and whites today are influenced by common stereotypes of black people, which have stuck around originating from the beginning of America. As described in the New York Times article, Isabel Wilkerson demands that America should resolve the issues of racial problems. This racial conception today is still problematic, as the history of slavery will forever be remembered and unchanged. In chapters 15-17 of Black Boy, Richard has a difficult time assimilating into Chicago, as he is exposed to a whole new environment in the North compared to the South where he came from. Throughout Wright’s adventure in this new city, he encounters many situations involving racial discrimination, and thus experiencing the inequity as a black boy living in the dominated white race of America.
Racism today is still present. Although many people in our society would like to believe racism is resolved or almost resolved, it is not. Racism is so embedded in the American experience—due to slavery—that is cannot be resolved as easily as people think. Progress has been made, there is no doubt about that, but racism permeates through different levels of society and affects people of different societal branches differently. Through the evolution of racism, children are taught how to be racist. Once children are taught, they feel pressured to continue that behavior. Racism can only be resolved by the changing of our society as a whole. When the environment changes, so will the future generations.
Chapters 15-17 of black boy present three main solutions to the problem of racism—adopting loose morals, Gravyitism, and Communism. Each of these solutions challenge Richard, but Richard decides that none of them would work. Through the adoption of loose morals, Richard finds no real permanent solution. Instead of solving the problem, adopting these loose morals only masks the problem with wild sex, heavy drinking, and other forms of self-medication. Through the Gravyites, Richard finds that going back to Africa would not solve the problem either. Separating the races would only solve the consequences, but not the problem. Communism would not work because Richard sees that the ideas of Communism are very radical and would involve the undying loyalty and cooperation from masses of people—which is very unlikely. Racial discrimination is one of the world’s most difficult problems to solve, and as we see through Richards experiences, the answer to racism is hard to find.
Racial problem seems to be softened in today’s society. Nevertheless, Black people are still under the invisible oppression in the social roles from the White-dominant society. People choose to believe that this problem is solved and disappeared completely, However, racial sentiment is actually embedded into the society. It passes from generation to generation so it won’t be easily erased. “The protests are beginning to wake people up to the idea that the problems are not only there but have been obvious all along” (Wilerson). Police brutality reminds people that Black people still live in danger and violence. Racism doesn’t disappear in the American society, however, its form grows and changes with time. Government tries to change law to protect Black people’s right, but the attitudes of the white people is not easily changed.
In the chapter 15-17, the black people were still segregated by the Northern society. The North is supposed to be more free and offers black people’s more opportunities, but Richard sees and senses the pain and struggle of black people in the North. He realizes that only people coming together to see and understand their struggle and meaning of life can give them chance to break out imprisonment of control of white society.
Often times, we do not think about racism and whether or not it is present in our society and if it affects the ongoing cycle of problems in our own communities. These large problems do not have solutions and are waiting to be masked by the ideas that racial discrimination has been put to an end. Racial discrimination is a large problem and excludes people from fully and equally participating in society’s values. We many not truly think about racism and have a skewed perception of what the term racial discrimination means but that does not mean racism is not existent. Throughout chapters 15-17 Richard begins to see that nothing can solve the problem of peoples prejudice views until the root of the problem, which is society, begins to accept the hopes and aspirations of black people. Today events like police brutality display that although progress has been made racism exists as a national problem.
Although today there are many policies and laws that help prevent racist actions, they are unable to rid the societal pressures inflicted upon the African American community. I think that these expectations of racial minorities are not always obvious, but they contribute to present day racial discrimination. Physical events, such as the police brutalities mentioned in the article, also prove the ongoing existence of racism. I think that although the commonness of racism has profoundly improved, it is still an issue that requires recognition and confrontation. In chapter 16 in Black Boy, Richard disagrees with the Garveyites’ solution to racial discrimination because leaving the country won’t solve the problem. He later explains that his ideal solution would be through a specific type of education.
Some people think that now racism does not exist in America society, but actually that is wrong. People are racism, no matter in North or South, and race problem is hidden in the society. Even in the North, black people always work those direst jobs and get lowest wages. The article in New York Times discuss that America still has a long way to go in order to solve the race problem, and the entire nation needs to work on it together. In the book Black Boy, Richard moves to North. He finds that people in Chicago pretend that they treat whites and blacks in the same way; however, in their heart they are racism. “If you know too much boy, your brains might explode”, this is what a doctor says to Richard when Richard is trying to learn experiment. Richard feels the hidden racism problem in the North, and he is trying to find the way to solve it. He asks other blacks, but he is disappointed because he finds that most blacks are ignorant and ideal, and they even do not understand the society. Blacks only live in their small groups; they never live or touch in the society. So Richard thinks the best to solve the race problem is education, since education can help blacks get rid of ignorance and really get into the society; they cannot solve the problem if they don’t live in the society.
Although many people no longer think racism is still found in our society, it unfourtunalty is. Although the US has made substantial changes in hopes of abolishing slavery, it still remains prevalent in our society. In Black Boy as well as in real life, there are different levels of racism, and there are different ways to which it is introduced into society. Many forms of racism stem from history, and previous mindsets or early Americans. Racism is passed down through the generations, through the negative mindset that some parents pass on to their children. Parents, who see one race as inferior, will teach their children, who will eventually think the same. Although some people raise their children with a negative mindset, several parents raise their children to accept everyone as equals and to acknowledge that everyone is human and equals.
Racism today is fear-based. Police and the general public perceive certain groups of people to be a threat. When police shoot a young black kid, it is because they fear they will be shot first. The best solution is money: when people have economic dependence, they own part of the economy. The easiest way to repress people is to deny them access to economic prosperity: that’s what Jim Crow laws did. Today, however, lack of access to economic prosperity has created a more violet sector inside many races trying to succeed. Police shootings are as much economically motivated as they are racially.
The text from Black Boy implies that the solution to racial discrimination is forcing people to face their fear and to become comfortable with their discomfort. Richard believes that “it was in the psychological distance that separated the races that the deepest meaning of the problem of the Negro lay,” page 272. Facing your discomfort forces you to learn.
People nowadays think that racism is not a big deal anymore since we have already passed the very dark time for racism; but there are actually still some hidden things that we do not see. For example, using a white name on the resume has a greater chance of getting a job than using a Black name. People are just trying to ignore the obvious racism problem around us all of the time because they do not want to face the fear and not understanding they have to the minority. The Blacks do not even have the justice in the country they are living in… white policemen killing Blacks that do not even have a weapon… this made their life really insecure, but what is irony is that the society now is always talking about how constitution protects people’s life, property, and liberty, but the Blacks are not experiencing what we are now. The Blacks are even asking for the right to live, to acquire something, and to live without fear… these may seem simple for us, but to the Blacks, they still do not feel like they are fully equal to the Whites. For works, the Black men are paid with the lowest wages doing the dirtiest work now is just like how in chapter 17, the menial workers in the hospital were all Blacks while the professional ones were all white. Even if the Blacks have the ability to do the same work as the White, they will not get the same chance – this is how they are unequal. During the Great migration, most Blacks moved away from the South, just like what Richard did, believing in a better life in other cities, but was there really such a big difference? Most importantly, the racial problems, challenges of colors are not a personal problem but really, a national problem, a person has no power over this to change the situation, only if everyone tried to change it. Racism comes from the fear of not understanding the minority, that is why we tries to push them away, so the only way to change it is by everyone, learning about the minority and overcome the fear. As what was said in chapter 16, “I felt certain that the Negro could never solve his problem until the deeper problem of American civilization had been faced and solved.”
Despite how many choose to hide or completely ignore the blatant examples of social racism in our present day society, the idea of racism and the unequal treatment solely based on the physical appearance of a person is still believed and valued. Many Americas praise the fact that our great country has advanced this far, “defeating” segregation and Jim Crowe south, yet if you take a look at the news today, 152 years after the emancipation proclamation, the prevalence of racism in American culture and values is on full display. The reason these american beliefs have survived for so long is due to the fact that our American culture and society was not and still is not structured to ensure that those of colored descent do in fact succeed and live the “American Dream”. Yes, laws and legislation was passed and legally changed the way Americans should have valued the black community but it didn’t actually change socially. As explained by Mr. Nicholson during class, if you give a physically disabled person a prothestic, to doesn’t fix the problem of their disability, it only eases the burden. These laws did just that, they didn’t change much socially, they only eased the burden of the change in how Americans viewed the black community. Our society was specifically built for white men to succeed and thrive, excluding anyone who doesn’t fit our criteria. Richard is a member of the minority, one who is marginalized because he doesn’t fit the criteria. He experiences first hand the american society that was structured for a certain way for a specific reason. He doubts his chance of survival in our american culture, knowing the almost impossibility of even keeping your head above water, in a culture that was taught to keep you under.
Although racism has been slowly diminishing since the civil rights movement, racism is still present and it restricts discriminated group of people’s freedom, chance, opportunity, speech, right, and action. There are still the news that we can hear from TV about Blacks shot or beaten up by White policemen. There are still some limited opportunities for Blacks in economy, housing, education, and etc. As long as we as humans form society and live together as a group with diverse people, some kind of discrimination (can be based on race, gender, age, nationality, or whatever) will exist and will not be eradicated because humans are afraid of something or someone different from the majority. Blacks might be discriminated the most and for the longest amount of time because African Americans were the first minority, the first new people that are different from White that were introduced to America.
Like the Northern cities in the past were not prepared enough to support discriminated black thus system or society not working well, the society and system in the Black Boy are not able to make Blacks to live a full, human life. While those who are discriminated are in the society (though not ‘of’ it), they cannot see the problem. Richard is the only one in the book who sees the ultimate, unsolved, bottom-line problem of racism. It was possible for Richard to recognize and be awakened because he is educated in any way.
Racism is still universal in the world today. Over the past few years, discrimination against violence has had more of an impact on people than it has ever done. These acts of violence mainly have to do with discontent of law enforcement. Police brutality against the black people today has more of an impact on people, because they are more aware of the black segregation from not that long ago. It was only about fifty to sixty years ago when black people and white people could not even look at each other, use the same bathroom, or even be next to one another on a bus. Society has come a long way, but you cannot take away what has happened. Therefore, when an act of violence occurs between a black person and a police officer, it brings up the assumption of discrimination against that person and explains that racism still occurs today and most likely will always occur. The lessons from chapter 15-17 relate the racial discrimination today because all of Richard’s life (along with all of the black people in Jim Crow South) are treated with no respect and are a threat to society. When he travels to Chicago he is astonished at the fact that he is not treated very different from any other white person on the street. Richard starts to learn that if he is not like everyone else in the north, he has a story that he wants to say, but cannot express his feelings until he has the same experience as any person in the north.
Nowadays, the racial problem seems to be solved. However, growing up in a society in which the face of racial discrimination is often masked and ignored by social media. So people may argue that the paradox of the racial disparity does not exist today, but there are still some hidden things that being ignored by us, which means that the racial inequality persists within society today. The high profile-cases of police brutality show us that the Black people are still facing injustice and living with violence. Through out the chapters 15 to 17 in Black Boy, it is not only about racial discrimination but to help others stand up from their fear. There is still having a huge conflict between the North society and South society, and Black people can have more human right and freedom from North, where offers people more opportunities. In the text, Richard suddenly feels the sense of community that exists between all suffering people. Also at the same time, he sees that others have begun to sense this kinship themselves, “Their talking was enabling them to sense the collectivity of their lives” (Wright), and Richard is not the only one who suffering in the problem of racism. Finally he figures out that it has something to do with the power and promise to needy people coming together to comprehend the meaning of their suffering and their capacity for change.
It is such a shame that racism is still such a problem. I feel as though we are taking a lot of time to finish something that shouldn’t have even been started in the first place. It is a widespread belief that the situation of racism could’ve been completely the opposite; with whites as the minority and blacks reigning, it was just those white people and their ideas that caused this chaos to begin. “high profile-cases of police brutality have recently come to be associated with the North rather than the South” shows that these modern situations occurred due to an instinct, a feeling, an opinion, whereas “it is in the South that two recent cases of police shootings of unarmed black people resulted in more vigorous prosecution” (Wilkerson); prosecution is the law, it is not something that people can input their personal and individual beliefs into. It looks to me as if racism is still an issue today and that many people don’t want to admit it. I think people often mask their feelings towards racism and towards the hate of certain races because of the general feeling that society has today. If given the opportunity with no criticism, I am sure that there would be many people who still are not comfortable with the idea and who would prefer for blacks to be treated as slaves. We need to stop acting like animals and we need to stop treating others as animals. Once people start treating others equally, then the hate will be gone.
Today, many people believe that racism is not a problem, however, it is still present. Even though slavery and racism was much more evident in society back in the days, today it plays a much more discreet role. This shows that there has been progress in fixing that racism problem, but the fact is a new generation would have to change all of the racist problems. Through instances of shootings or even as simple actions as staring at someone or saying something behind their back if they are colored, it still falls into racism. Even though America was able to get rid of the separation of stores, bathrooms, drinking fountains, or other essential places, that still does not mean the problem is solved. Many people have tried to find a way to fix it, but not many people have noticed that it will take a long time to fix. In Chapters 15-17 in Black Boy, Richard talks about the way people were trying to solve the problem of racism. Whether it was Communism, loose morals, or Garveyism, the blacks were trying to cope with the situation. Richard sees that none of these processes work, and they still don’t work today. That is the reason why racism is still evident today, even though it is not as obvious as it was in the South.
Throughout most of our country’s history, the South has received the most attention in matters of racial injustice beginning before the Civil War. In modern day, the North has become more familiar with and has begun to reveal the disparities that different races have been experiencing for more than 100 years. Modern day cases of police killing innocent African-American people has sparked outrage among many and has made these African-American families reconsider their safety. The African-Americans migrated to the North to escape the violence and terrible treatment they had received. The whole purpose was to escape that but now their past is coming back to haunt them. Racism should not be a problem in this day in age and it shocks me that racism is still present and how white people seem to inflict violence among the African-Americans for no apparent reason. In Black Boy, by Richard Wright, Richard talks about how the African-Americans were treated as animals, and although in the North their treatment was better, there was still a masked racism. “The doctor inserted the scalpel and severed the vocal chords. Later, when the dogs came to, they would lift their heads to the ceiling and gape in a soundless wail” (Wright, 305). This depicts not only the African-Americans as being animals but that they had no voice and could do nothing about their situation, they were silently suffering. There is no set solution to ending racial discrimination but Richard does express his desire to tell the white people about his experiences so that they can see how his life is life and what he has gone through to make it to a better place, “they knew nothing of hate and fear, and strove instinctively to avoid all passion” (Wright, 271). He wanted the white people to know about the hardships blacks had to face in Jim Crow South and he wanted to educate them about this matter. He has a deep desire to tell his story on behalf of all African-Americans who went through and still might go through the same things as him, this is the purpose of Richard wanting to write and the purpose of his book.
Racism is a widespread issue throughout our society in many ways whether we acknowledge it or not. Despite the fact that there has been a large amount of progress made since the Civil Rights Movement, there is still an underlying problem that we still have not managed to identify. Although we have managed to move past the racial tension of larger issues such as rights and laws, Chapter 17’s racial problems manage to demonstrate the current, ongoing racial issues of discrimination that are still common in today’s society. As Richard enters himself into the new environment of Chicago, he is uncomfortable with the fact that his surrounding environment and those people who surround him do not judge him based on the color of his skin. This is something that Richard has never felt in his entire life before and through the awareness of the situation, Richard does not know if he will be able to be one with society, in which he has been craving his whole life.
The pressure of ongoing racism today has been masked by the progress made post - Civil Rights Movement regarding the treatment of African-Americans; however, is still very present and pressing in the lives of many black people. The significant role racism still plays throughout this country is disguised by people’s ignorance to understand that just because there was an entire revolution devoted to destroying the cycle of oppressor/oppressed does not mean racism no longer exists because it is very much so alive. Having an African American president in office, the extinction of the N-word, and the great leap in respect earned for the blacks does a wonderful job covering up the unconstitutional treatment of African-Americans. To this day, black people struggle with racism in the US just like how blacks struggled with racism in Chicago even though the North was a much more safe environment for blacks when compared to the Jim Crow South. The scene in chapter 17, when doctors practically hid the four black workers from the rest of society like the voiceless animals they were treated to be in the South, stood out to readers to display even when black people were in a better environment, they still had the problems and burden as they did in the South. This burden just happened to be better kept a secret in the North than in the South where it was very evident. A solution to steadily solve the problem of racial discrimination would be to (on a greater scale) make more evident the ignorance of Americans and let us all clearly see racism is still a problem, today. Whether there need to be more marches, media coverage, discussions, and actions taken, the solution needs to be put in action now.
Till this day racism is still a huge issue in America, although many people don’t want to admit it. The recent situations, such as the Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin cases convey how this country falls into stereotypes. White people are still benefiting from white privileges, such as not likely having to be a victim of law enforcement like Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. Segregation may not be the issue today, but the constant inequality and discrimination towards this minority group is still seen all the time. America may have an African American president, but it does not mean these issues do not exist. In Chapter 17 Richard Wright discusses the issue of racism and how a person tries to cope with it, which is like America today. Once society as a whole gets rid of this stereotypical mindset this country will have less discrimination and inequality.
Although racism has become less noticeable in our society today, the problem still scars America. The difference between old fashion racism and present day racism is that today we perform racism in less noticeable ways. For example in the 1950s we used to be much more harsh about it and upfront, blacks would be told they couldn't sit in the front of the bus, they wouldn't be invited places, and they would have separate schools just for them so they wouldn't "bother" anyone. Today we show it in acts of violence or noticeable criticism towards colored people. For example, three black boys were waiting for there bus to pick them up and take them to their sporting event. A police officer told them to leave and even after there coach told the officer the situation the police man still arrested the kids. In chapters 15-17 Richard feels lost because when he goes to Chicago no one notices that he is colored and they treat him the same. Richard is not used to this response from people since he grew up in Jim Crow South where being black was a crime. Richard has this hatred for society because he is frustrated with the standards of being treated equally.
Despite the claims made by many Americans, racism is still a prevalent issue in society today. This idea that physical features determine the actions and lifestyle of an individual is still believed and practiced. To many citizens, inequality is no longer a matter in question, that segregation has been long fixed since the time of slavery, but these people would be wrong. The American culture was, and always will be structured to find the flaw in each individual, regardless of intelligence or good character. The physical aspect of a person is the very first thing noticed and the color of ones skin immediately determines worth. In an effort to amend this problem, laws have been passed to ensure equal treatment to everyone regardless of race or ethnicity. While these laws have helped regulated the amount of racism presented in most societies, it has not, and never will, be able to fix the entire issue at hand. Judging people based on the color of his or her skin is something that humans will never be able to socially over come, solely based on the fact that it part of our nature. Although many people want to alter the paradigm that is racism, I feel that there is unfortunately no permanent fix, only temporary solutions to a permanent issue.
Today racism is still a very large part of society. Although it is not as bad as it was before in U.S. history, it is still very much alive and still plays a major part in our lives. Having a black president, and experiencing advances in racial equality does not mean that the problem of racism has been solved. Today we subconsciously and consciously identify people by the color of their skin, and continue to categorize and judge others based on their color. The issue of racial profiling is one of the main things keeping racism alive today. In chapters 15-17 of Black Boy Richard Wright fights with the accepting and overcoming the idea of his race and color in Chicago because of his uprising in the Jim Crow. Wright explores the ways of how he believes racism should be approached and abolished. His goal is for whites to understand the Black culture in order to create an equal environment for blacks and whites.
Today, race still exist. Although racism has calmed down throughout the years, there are still many instances thought-out the country. In the middle 1900’s, there were many examples of racism and those examples were very noticeable because they were not considered to be bad actions coming from the whites. An example of something in the middle 1900’s that was considered to be racist but to the whites was not, was when there were signs for African Americans to use different things or go through a different entrance just so the whites wouldn’t have to share with a different color of skin. The lessons from chapters 15-17 of Black Boy shows us is that, Richard is not comfortable in his new environment in Chicago and from that, it has changed his own personality and the way that he sees his own life. He is also not used to the situation of people actually being nice to him that are not his race, because he grew up in the South and that is what he is used to. Richard is being treated like every other African American at that time in Chicago, but he wants to be noticed in the way that people can see him for the tough, compassionate person that he really is.
Racial discrimination is still prevalent in today’s society; it is simply well hidden from people, especially when they do not want to see it anyways. Many parts of society make the issue of discrimination seem to no exist anymore, but it is still around, and the New York Times article points out several examples of it that have happened recently. In Black Boy, Richard had moved north, and found that the issue of racisms was there in the north, it just was not on the surface anymore. In the North Richard meets a variety of people who have different views on the issue; some wanted to send all the black people back to Africa, but Richard knows that this does not solve the problem of racism in America, it just removes apart of it. Towards the beginning of the book Richard also notices that there was a strange, “absence of real kindness in Negroes, how unstable was sour tenderness how lacking in genuine passion we were, how void of great hope.” Richard know that black people are missing something. As Richard grows more accustomed to living in the North and meets more people, he comes the the realization that all of these people living in this society do not actually know what about their society, but are living in a compliant ignorant state. Richard comes to the conclusion that the issue of racism can only be solved by the black people, but the problem cannot be solved unless they fully understand their society and how they are trapped in it.
We often imagine racism as a huge ordeal that happened in the south before, during, and shortly after the Civil War. Today we believe that issue of racism has progressed and it has developed. We have created laws that mask the racial discrimination problem, but racism has not ceased to exist and is still a predicament in today’s society. It still occurs because everyone participates in it, whether they know it or not. Some might recognize the ethical issues, but they continue to ignore their involvement. Recently, more people have become aware of the racial issues because of the brutality committed against harmless African Americans and have started to make a change and stand up for what is right. Racial discrimination excludes and restricts people from experiencing the “American Dream”. According to Richard Wright, the solution to ending racial problems is to end the cycle of racism and the psychological effects that come along with the cycle. Everyone must gain insight to the cycle first, before we can figure out the solution. In chapter 17 we start to see the black community, including Richard, experimenting to find the solution, but they do not have the correct tools to mend that issue quite yet.
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