Studies have shown that race does not have biological relations. No science has determined that White people and Black people have separate genetic components. The events that occurred in the post-slavery period saw the dominant Non-Hispanic White population introduce the concept of race to demarcate boundaries and classify people based on their physical characteristics, ostensibly to deny them access and control of key resources. The history of racism dates back to the era of slavery. White Americans received high social privileges at the expense of Native Americans, African Americans and other minority ethnic groups (Vaught 39). The historical construction of race continues to affect the lives of minority Americans in subtle forms. Access to social services such as healthcare, education and sanitation has been elusive for minority Americans.
Because racism was a colonial concept, it was in the best interest of Europeans who colonized the United States to institutionalize this vice. The Europeans recognized that for the racial concept to function there was a need to systematically introduce it through the various organizational systems. The first institution to embrace the racial concept was the judiciary. The dominant white community acknowledged the centrality of the judicial system in the dispensation of justice. Laws were made for African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans and the Indian Americans (the aboriginal populations). Since the inception of judicial racism, more people of color have been incarcerated in the justice system than Non-Hispanic Whites for the same criminal offenses.
The justice system is openly biased towards the African-Americans. The population of juvenile blacks serving their terms in jails have increased over the years, thereby lending credence to the notion that racism was a concept developed to delineate the human race on the basis of color. There have been increased cases of police shooting innocent black people and subsequently being acquitted for lack of supporting evidence to justify their racist behavior. Nothing explains this proposition as the Ferguson police shooting in which a young black man was shot dead by the police. When he was taken to court, the three judge bench acquitted the police for lack of evidence to warrant his incarceration. These vents buttress the notion that the colonial concept of racism against the black population in America is still alive.
As Vaught observed, the population of people of color who have gone to schools and acquired relevant educational qualifications but are jobless have risen over the years compared to white population (42). This is because the construction of racism is in such a way that the majority of job creators and heads of multinational corporations are whites. In this regard, the culture institutional favoritism has reared its ugly head within institutions and employment bodies. Most African-Americans do menial jobs despite having relevant qualifications that can procure high-paying jobs. In addition to this, there has been consistent and subtle segregation of people of color in various parts of the United States. A comparison of educational institutions for the minority populations and the educational institutions for the non-Hispanic white population reveal a sad tale. Most black-dominated schools are located in deplorable low socio-economic settings while schools for the white population are located in cleaner environments. This situation provides evidence to the social construction of race.
In light of the above evidence, it is indubitable that racism remains a socially constructed concept in America. This problem has pervaded the social, economic and political systems in the country. Thus, there is a need to rethink the colonial concept of racism and review systems that encourage it. In the present setting, it is impossible to achieve equality when the white supremacy remains a cherished concept among the white population.
Works Cited
Vaught, Sabina. “Racism, Public Schooling, and the Entrenchment of White Supremacy: A
Critical Race ethnography.” State of New York University Press. 2011. 35-93. Print.
