Barack Obama’s presidency has triggered a new sense of optimism and hope in African-American communities all across the United States. His historic election and presidency will forever be etched in American history as a monumental milestone for race relations in the United States and the rest of the world. There is no doubt that most African Americans across the nation are proud of this feat, but the reality of it all is that the life of the average African-American man has not change significantly.
Racial Discrimination in the Judicial System
Many Black communities around the United States still very much distrust police officers and the judicial system. Historically, there have been egregious acts of racial discrimination ushered by police departments and judges from all sections of the country. Nonetheless, the real issue is not whether or not the Black community like the police departments or not, but whether they are willing to trust them in their protection. Because of the disconnect between the police and the Black community, many individuals from the Black community do not trust the police and the judicial system to properly protect them; and thus are less likely to cooperate with authorities when crimes occur in their environments.
Furthermore, the injustices of the judicial system are more apparent within the Black community. One of the most apparent signs of that would have to be drug litigation. Over 68% of drug abusers are white, yet 90% of those convicted for drug offenses are persons of color (Black or Hispanics). White drug offenders are over 60% more likely to be sent to rehab than to be sentenced to prison time than African Americans. And since over 50% of all prisoners are serving time because of drug related incidences, it is no wonder why African American males and females are over-represented in the American prison system (Gamoran, 2001; Kubiak, & Siefert, 2008; Racism Threat, 2007).
This is due to some laws that are blatantly intended to discriminate against some races over others. For example, the differences in crack cocaine and powder cocaine possession prison sentences are remarkably different. “Why?” One might ask. The reason is quite simple. The drug of choice of most suburban white families is usually pure cocaine, yet the drug of choice for most inner-city Black individuals tend to be crack cocaine. One would need at least 10 times more powder cocaine in order to get the same mandatory prison sentence as someone with crack cocaine even though powder cocaine is the more expensive and potent drug. Studies have even shown that African Americans tend to abuse illegal substances and prescription drugs much less than their white counterparts, but are more prone to getting in serious issues with the law because of it (Racism Threat, 2007; Cooper, 2007).
Why are the disproportionate drug-related arrests, prosecutions, and convictions of African Americans important? Well, aside from the incarceration itself, drug arrests can severely hinder a person’s access to education, housing, employment, health care, etc. This in turn leads many African Americans at the brink of extreme poverty even after they have dealt with their drug related issues and plan on reforming their lives (Cooper, 2007).
Recession and Black America
This global recession has affected almost everyone around the world negatively. Nonetheless, the African American male population has felt the brunt of the fury of this recession more so than any other group in the United States. While unemployment hovers around 10% for most Americans, more than a quarter of African American men are unemployed (Horst, 2009).
During the early part of this year, African Americans in general were 80% more likely to have lost their jobs due to the recession compared to other groups. Significant jobs losses in manufacturing, construction and other male-dominated career paths have led many African American men to less desirable and lower paying positions in the service industry (Horst, 2009). Many of them are even unable to obtain those positions because of the competitive nature of today’s economy. “In recessions, African Americans in general are usually the first to get fired and the last to be hired. Therefore, even when the economy rebounds the plight of the average African American man will remain a significant issue for months or even years to come,” said Jimmy Jean-Philippe, a renowned African American activist in South Florida.
Finally, it is important to understand that Obama’s presidency does not signal an end to racial discrimination. Rather it should be a renewed conversation in the issue of race in America. While for many idealistic Americans who dreamed of a country without color barriers, this is a dream beyond dreams coming true; the reality for most African Americansstill remain unchanged. Laws meant to limit access and opportunity in many fields are very much still on the books; African American youths remain underserved in our educational institutions; glass ceilings in the workplace still ban Blacks from achieving their true potential; and African Americans continue to be misrepresented and underrepresented in Hollywood and many other mediums of entertainment.
References
Cooper, Caroline. “Drug courts-Just the beginning: Getting other areas of public policy in sync.” Substance Use & Misuse, 42, 243-256, 2007.
Gamoran, Anderson. "American schooling and educational inequality: A forecast for 21st century." Sociology of Education, 27, 135-151, 2001.
Horst, Brand. “U.S. workers confront growing insecurity.” Dissent, 56, 48-53, 2009.
Kubiak, Sheryl Pimlott & Siefert, Kristine. “Depression in African American and white women convicted of a felony drug offense.” Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 8, 322-342, 21, 2008.
“Racism’s Threat.” Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, 24, 2007.
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