Institutional Racism

934 Words2 Pages

Institutional racism is still prevalent in the United States. Racial groups are both denied or granted certain rights. Although there may no longer be lynch mobs or Jim Crow, there is still rampant racism from New York to Jena, Louisiana. Society should disband its racial conventions in programs such as affirmative action. It should instead adopt a new system based on many more factors than a person’s ethnic background.

Decades ago the issue was over creating equal opportunities for all people regardless of ethnic background. The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a landmark case for the civil rights movement. It solidified the rights of the minority to receive the same access to education as the white student. In modern society minority’s now feel more privileges should be awarded to them because of past transgressions. Many feel affirmative action is a solution. If the goal is to provide equal opportunities for all, why should it solely be based on ethnic background?

Ethnicity is much different in the United States today than it was ever before. The United States is the most ethnically diverse nation in the world. Immigrants flock here from all over the world to seek opportunities. Blacks are no longer the only major minority in the nation. Hispanics are the largest minority and along with them come a sizeable Asian counterpart. These two groups contribute largely to the ethnic makeup of the country. They also create unique situations and conflicts not encountered before.

Society has made a mistake with its current form of affirmative action. Instead of creating equal opportunities for everyone, it is one sided and ineffective. The current system of affirmative action gives minority groups certain benefits when it...

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...till being fought over, but now in different perspectives. Ultimately, society is balancing itself out. To truly achieve equality society must give up its old conventions and embrace new ones.

Works Cited

http://www.oyez.org/cases/1851-1900/1856/1856_0/

http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/landmark/dredscott.html

http://www.landmarkcases.org/dredscott/home.html

Grutter V. Bollinger

http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_02_241/argument

http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_02_241/

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/michigan/index.html

Brown V. Board

http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1952/1952_1/

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=347&invol=483

Gratz V. Bollinger

http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_02_516/

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=000&invol=02-516#dissent1

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