Racial Inequality In America

Although slavery has been abolished for over 150 years—racial inequality is still apparent today. It is 2018; America is in an era of change, acceptance, and innovation— anyone can be whomever they want to be. Finally, everyone in America belongs and there is equality… except when there isn’t. A recent study done by the Pew Research Center in 2016 revealed how discrimination is present today. The study reports, “A majority of blacks (71%) say that they have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity. Roughly one-in-ten (11%) say this happens to them on a regular basis, while 60% say they have experienced this rarely or from time to time” (“On Views of Race and Inequality…”). Many people think that

Specifically, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stopped segregation in public and banned employment discrimination against any person. Martin Luther King Jr. is famous for being a civil rights advocate. King Jr. famously wrote, “In assessing the results of the Negro revolution so far, it can be concluded that Negroes have established a foothold, no more. We have written a Declaration of Independence, itself an accomplishment, but the effort to transform the words into a life experience still lies ahead” (King). The Civil Rights Movement brought equality and finally marked a new beginning for black Americans. They would still experience countless cruelties and injustices, but they finally had laws on their side to gain equality. It took over one hundred years after being freed from slavery for African Americans to gain a voice and they were finally able to vocalize their opinions on their own

In Black Wealth, White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality, authors Melvin L. Oliver and Thomas M. Shapiro discuss the battle of racial inequality and the drastic differences between the white and black communities in terms of wealth. There are enormous differences in wealth between black and white families financially, in spite of the fact that black and white Americans are capable of doing the same work. “In service jobs, non blacks are preferred over blacks, particularly black men, a preference that contributes to the low wages blacks earn, to high rates of joblessness, and thus to earnings inequality” (Oliver 37). Black Americans are not offered equal job opportunities because no one wants to see the success they are capable of. Progress has been made in the fight for racial equality, but there is so much more work to be