Racism In America

Racism in America
"Stranger in the Village" by James Baldwin is a masterpiece that remains relevant to the contemporary world in general and to America in particular. Racism is synonymous with the history of America, although the citizens of the world held their breath as America ushered in Barrack Obama as the first African-American president. It was assumed the Americans had finally given racism a wide berth and that it was setting in of a utopia in racism-free America. This essay asserts the position that the issue of racism is much more complicated and that the election of President Obama was not significant in overcoming the challenge. The paper also demonstrates that the "dawn of a new America" after 2008 was a fallacy and that the issue

of racism cannot just disappear.
From the position of a secret observer, Baldwin (392) says "the negro-in-America is a form of insanity which overtakes white men. "Despite the many years that have elapsed since the author wrote the book, the statement is significant in the struggles with racism in modern America. It is paramount to recall that observation today in the assessment of the media and the general notion that America is indeed making progress in the dealing with the issue of racism. The naiveté of the Americans become more pronounced for assuming that the historic election of an African American president, Barrack Obama is synonymous with overcoming racism (Hill 47). It is hypocritical to imagine that racism is a straightforward or a rational phenomenon though ironically, the vice is treated as if it were. The American population discusses racism and its ultimate end as if defeating the vice is a clearly defined gradual process which has a clear timeline. However, the deep- rooted perceptions on racism cannot just disappear through sophisticated definitions and rationalizations. Racism is not a function of time or period in history but rather an ingrained issue which cannot just exit the American society overnight. Condemnation and short-lived narratives by the public across the racial divide does little to alleviate the situation.
The position of racism and all other discriminations in America today are accepted as the standard way of life (Biney 70). The rule, however, is unwritten while the people are not ready to admit the fact. All aspects of life in the American society depict a determination to perpetuate racism in all its forms. Individuals are relentless in relating most endeavors in life to some racism value, and one is tempted to believe that there is a conspiracy by all to guard racism, no matter the cost (Biney 48). One can almost feel the silent rearrangements and reorganizations as entire societies engage in demographic segmentation to create better meanings of racism
The election of Barrack Obama in 2008 was not enough reason to demonstrate any vicious efforts by the American society to overcome the challenge of racism (Hill 26).

Rather, the aftermath of the event only shows ignorance of the American people regarding a problem that silently defines their way of life. The fantasy that America had achieved a milestone by overcoming racism could not have been far from the truth. The fallacy can only qualify for the movie theaters where all that counts is entertaining the audience. Baldwin (389) describes the racism arena as "foolish and dreadful spectacle", to depict the casualness in which Americans treat the issue. The author despises the ignorance in which people hold in the definition of the race relations. The United States of American is not about to overcome the stumbling block, mainly because the public does not acknowledge the magnitude of the issue. Rather the public is dancing on imaginary graves of racism even when the issue suffocates all across the racial spectrum. Although the 2008 Obama victory was a milestone in the history of America, it would be proper to assess the challenge from all perspectives (Hill 32). It was a moment when the American populace went into slumber only to wake up to a harsh reality. Any thinking that America had eventually conquered the racial monster would be tantamount to proclaiming a healing of chronic ailment just because the patient has had what Baldwin describes as "good day" in the park. The

post-2008 election utopia was just another event in the American calendar, comparable to a wedding ceremony just before the couple reverts to their individual selves. The harsh reality, however, is manifested in every aspect of the life of the American society.
A poll conducted in 2012 revealed a worrying picture in America as a nation.

The survey established that that more than 50% of Americans hold negative perceptions towards blacks, and there were a bigger proportion of the Americans who held negative attitudes towards the Hispanics (Biney 67). The statistics were a wake-up call to a nation that is keen to embrace a different route in its demonstration of the progress achieved in its emancipation from racism. The poll revealed what the American media has ignored for long, and it was even more significant to know that less than half of the white Americans voted for Obama. Further interrogation of the findings provided a complex matrix that the history of racism cannot easily explain. The study revealed that more than 40% of the African Americans are anti blacks, and 30% of the white Americans hold negative attitudes towards fellow whites. Overall 88% of the American population holds some form a racial prejudice (Biney 69). It is, therefore, clear that the web of racism is getting more intertwined and America is further from the utopia of a racism-free nation. The findings are self-defeating and expose the contradiction that characterizes the US. The issue of racism in America is therefore much more complicated than any American would admit. The voting and eventual announcement of the results in 2008 was a mere recess before the Americans went back to an issue that they are united to

protect.
Baldwin (395) exposes the madness that exists within the American society via a phrase, "people who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster."The stories and conversations that occupy the media, homes and the public arena are just smart ways of shifting responsibilities so that that no one is willing to shoulder the blame. Everyone considers themselves innocent, and it is always someone else to blame for the issue that has somehow just refused to disappear despite the perpetual denial. It is not just the history of the African Americans that defines the struggle with the issue of racism, but the history of the entire America.
In conclusion, the post-2008 regarding overcoming racism was a fallacy. The problem of racism is much more complicated than the American public would admit. It has undergone a metamorphosis over time and hence continues to manifest itself in many forms than ever before.