Thesis
Racism is still a very big problem in the world and America in particular. The gains of the civil rights of the 1960's have been washed away, partly, by the rise of the ‘political correctness' era that designed things to be said in a certain way, and, a pluralistic ignorance that came out as an offshoot of political correctness, where, people speak about racism in acceptable terms while believing in the opposite to avoid appearing insensitive and racist. Just as racism was rampant in America in 1930’s as brought out in the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, it is still rampant in the American society, more than fifty years on, as evidenced by interracial hostility, police brutality and racial profiling, and racially-charged virtual interactions through social media.
Discussion
Just as interracial conflicts were rampant in 1930’s as shown in the novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird, the same level of racial hostility is evident in the society today. In the novel, Harper Lee narrates the story of Tom Robinson, who is incorrectly accused of raping a white lady. In the trial, another character called Atticus presents concrete evidence that Tom is innocent, and gives compelling evidence supporting his claims. However, the all-white jury rules against Tom, and he is sent to prison, where he gets shot dead in an escape attempt. “What did Francis call him?” “A nigger-lover.” (Lee 58). When Atticus tried to help Tom Robinson, many people accused him of being a sympathizer with a wrongdoer, raising concerns about the role played by the black people in racism, as recipients of hatred and oppression, “Well, most folks seem to think they're right, and you're wrong" (Lee 108). The disillusionment of the black people on their unfair treatment appears towards the end of the book with admissions that it would take so long to change the law that is unfair to black. The same unfair treatment shown to Tom is still seen in the society today. At a recent basketball game, high school students in Indiana hurled insults at their rivals, who are Latinos, with chants of deportation. These insulting chants had political connotations - “Build a wall,” - a reference to a popular presidential aspirant’s rhetoric of closing the Mexican border by building a wall (Good). This proves that racism is still widespread in the American society today.
Police brutality and racial profiling is still more evidence that racism is rampant even in government organs, adding to the public discontent that racism is increasingly threatening the American society fabric. Racial profiling occurs “every day in cities and towns across the country” (American Civil Liberties Union). The police killings in Ferguson gives an example of the extent of the problem and how people struggle with discrimination. People still feel disenfranchised and oppressed, and the new attention on racism gives them hope. This killing, unlike similar ones before, “had a particular resonance” (Day). Research has shown high levels of racism in America. In mid-2015, About 50% of Americans say that racism is a huge hurdle in the cohesiveness of the American society, up from 33% just half a decade earlier (Drake).
The ease of sharing information via social media has allowed individuals to express their racial views and spite freely and easily. In December 2014, a lady traveling in South Africa, Justin Sacco, tweeted, “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” (Ronson). What followed was an online war that made her the number one trend on Twitter, worldwide, with people attacking her character and narcissist statements. In a different social media episode, a white student in Missouri threatened to shoot every black person he saw via a message posted on YikYak, an anonymous social media app (Alcindor and Stanglin). The fact that someone can write that on social media, and the spread of hatred that followed, is proof that racism is as prevalent today as it was in the 1930’s.
Conclusion
Racism poses many social challenges in modern America. It is the duty of every patriotic American to live in harmony with everyone else, their race notwithstanding. A cohesive society built on ideals and respect is good for everyone today and even future generations. We all need to take personal responsibility to stand up against racism by treating everyone equally.
Works Cited
Alcindor, Yamiche and Doug Stanglin. "2 Suspects Arrested In Social Media Threats At Missouri Campuses". USA TODAY. N.p., 2015. Web. 5 June 2016.
American Civil Liberties Union. "Racial Profiling". American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., 2015. Web. 5 June 2016.
Day, Elizabeth. “#BlackLivesMatter: The Birth of a New Civil Rights Movement.” The Guardian 19 July 2015. Web. 5 June 2016.
Drake, Bruce. "5 Facts About Race In America". Pew Research Center. N.p., 2016. Web. 5 June 2016.
Good, Dan. "Students In Indiana, Iowa Taunt Latinos With Trump-Themed Insults During Basketball Games — Including 'Build A Wall!' Chant". Nydailynews.com. N.p., 29 February 2016. Web. 5 June 2016.
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mocking Bird Large Print. New York, NY: HarperLargePrint Classics, 1999. Print.
Ronson, Jon. “How One Stupid Tweet Blew up Justine Sacco’s Life.” Magazine 17 May 2015. Web. 5 June 2016.
