Modern Day Racism: Analysis of The Fire Next Time

Literature Review:

In the past few decades, the United States of America has come a long way by means of industry, exports, economy, and development in every field. After coming out from the days of slavery, the government proposed equal rights for everyone free of race, color, or breed. But still, racism is present as the most pressing issue in America where some people consider them superior to others just because of a specific color or breed. DeAngelo (2018) discusses the dynamics of racism in modern-day America as well as the factors that make it difficult for those who identify as white to openly discuss racism. The author also posits that white people carry with them the benefits of white privilege and that even without realizing it, they may be engaging in racist acts. The author suggests that in order to resolve this issue the ‘white people should focus on their actions and should ask for feedback whenever dealing with people of diverse cultures and communities. It will help them evaluate their behavior towards others. In most cases, it has been observed that white people always in the intention to prove themselves on the right side by throwing these race discriminants. When every citizen pays an equal percentage of taxes and have all the rights to live freely, then who gave this authority to a few people that they can humiliate or oppress some people from another color or breed?

In his era, Jim Crow enforced and implemented the law that was to oppressed people on basis of race and restricted them. Considering the modern age situation, Moore (2017) argues that the Jim Crow laws have not been eliminated: they have simply been redesigned. These laws have been rebuilt in such a way that people won’t be able to doubt the governmental strategy and still be involved in racial acts without knowing. The author states that the United States criminal justice system is racist in the way it targets black people in the war against drugs. By so doing, the system relegates millions of people of color to second-class status even though it tries to present itself as a system that does not judge based on color. Hundreds of racism-based incidents occur every day in America but no one is considering this issue as alarming as global warming or animal rights. The makers of legislation in the USA must be broad-minded enough to speak against racism and then enforce laws of equal rights by keeping it politics-free.

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Considering all the injustice going on for black people in a society where white people are prior to them, the black people who belong to a different breed are now trying to act like whites in order to be loved and to valued. Franz Fanon (2008) in his book “Black skins, White masks”, demonstrates that black people have started thinking of themselves as oppressed in a white-dominated society. They are learning to live like white people and are adopting their culture and customs with the intention of being valued like them, but they are not the ones who they’re pretending to be. Their desire to become white has caused them to forget about their own morals and values, they try to create healthy relationships with white people after observing the unfortunate fact that white people have more opportunities. He suggests that because of all this racism and injustice, black people have accepted self-denial. This is really depressing that people have accepted to change them completely regardless of their hundreds of years old history. This society is stealing the real identity of people just because of some awful myths that have been inculcated in the whole world’s minds.

America claims that it is a multiracial nation and provides equal rights to the people of each race. James Baldwin in his book “The fire next time” says that the black man has functioned in the white man’s star, an immovable pillar: and as he moves out of his place, heaven and earth are shaken to the core. He argues for equity among the races while asking that everyone acknowledges that America has always been and will always be a multiracial nation. These facts were presented a long time ago but still when we compare them to our modern era’s problems we find them exactly fitted. The author frames his words in a manner that he is neither holding anyone’s hands nor attacking a faction. He’s not only concerned about the black people, he’s talking about every person in the United States who belongs to some other race. The racist lawmakers have to realize what they are making of this country and their rules must follow their ideologies. In order to actually make America a multiracial nation with justice, every countryman has to respect the values and morals of other people despite of any race, color, or breed.

Modern-day racism is taking over the peace of not only America but of the whole world. People are becoming less tolerant towards others which are becoming the cause of increasing violence. A human being is born without any kind of concern about races and breeds, he should be kept that way as it is the society that feeds different perspectives in it. He starts looking the society with a narrow point of view in such a way the possibilities of development and peace go down. Hence, in order to make this world a better place to live people have to look at each other with an eye of respect and love.

The United States of America has always been a multicultural and multiracial country but still the minorities there are considered to be inferior to white Americans. Racism is the belief that humans of different races and cultures are superior or inferior to one another based on their color, personality, intellect, or morality. Besides the fact that the United States have come a long way after the days of slavery came to end, and now government officials are making every move to abolish the racial beliefs among people and provide equal rights. Still, racism is a very crucial issue of the US which is causing violence and destroying the peace of the country. The modern age is becoming more liberal every day but still, modern racism exists and there are some unfortunate reasons of it. For example, when a child is born he is unaware of any kind of race but then this society instills the beliefs inside him and he starts thinking himself superior or inferior according to those beliefs. In America, black people are considered to be of the lower class as compared to white people as it has been observed that white people are preferred over others. We all have heard about central park five: where 5 innocent boys were accused of rape and attempt of murder just because they were black and the policemen and jury had negative perspectives about black people. When such incidents happen and the actual truth reveals, it leads to change most people’s minds about race and color that there’s no such thing and everyone is equal. Still, the increase in modern-day racism and injustice in the USA, people from other countries and races are boycotting migrating to America which is eventually increasing hate in the world and is harmful for the peaceful development of America.

References

1. DiAngelo, R. (2018). White Fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism. Beacon Press.
2. Franz Fanon (2008). Black skins, White masks. New York: Grove Press.
3. Moore, R. (2017). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. Macat Library.
4. Baldwin, James. “The Fire Next Time.” Vintage International: Random House, 9.