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HR:303
PostSeminar:
Studentswillrespondtothefollowingquestionsandthenvolunteerswillsharetheir
responseswiththewholeclasswhilewedebrieftheseminar.
1. InhisspeechattheMarchonWashington,MartinLutherKingpontificatedonthe
hopeshehadforthenationbeyond1963.Inwhatwayshasorhasntthenation
actedonhishopes?Inyourresponseitiscrucialthatyoumakeconnectionsto
currentrace/religiousrelationsintheUS.Citeevidencetosupportyourclaim(s).
Racismhasgottenfarworsethanitmayhavebeeninthepast.Whilesomeproblems
havebeensolved,manyotherproblemshavebrokenthelegsforwhichtheystandupon.Thefact
is,itsnotjustaboutracismanymore.Peoplewilljudgeyoubaseduponyourskincolor,gender,
sexuality,disabilities,religion,age,etc.Manytrytodenythefactthatracismisstillalivetoday,
despitethefactthatthereistoomuchevidenceofitonthenews,almosteveryday.
AsIstatedearlier,racismhasgottenfarinsomeaspects.ThereisnowmoreAfrican
Americanpeoplewhoservepositionsinthegovernment.Currently,AmericahasanAfrican
Americanpresident,PresidentBarackObama.Nothingworthwhileinthiscountryhasever
happenedunlesssomebody,somewhereiswillingtohope.Somebodyiswillingtostandup.
Somebodywhoiswillingtostandupwhentheyaretold,Noyoucantandinsteadtheysay
Yeswecan.(BarackObama,inavictoryspeechFebruary12,2008.)
Americaaswholenowallowsthosewhoarelesbian,gay,bisexual,andtransgenderto
obtaintherightsthattheyhadnotpreviouslyhad.OnJune26,2015,theUSSupremeCourt
ruledthattheUSConstitutionguaranteestherightforsamesexcouplestomarryinall50US
states.AssociateJusticeAnthonyKennedystatedinthemajorityopinion:"TheCourt,inthis
decision,holdssamesexcouplesmayexercisethefundamentalrighttomarryinallStates.
Also,amajorityofpeopleintheUnitedStatessupportequalrightsforall,meaningthatasa
countrywemaybemoreunitedthanwepreviouslyhad.InPewResearchpollingin2001,
Americansopposedsamesexmarriagebya57%to35%margin.Sincethen,supportfor
samesexmarriagehassteadilygrown.Basedonpollingin2015,amajorityofAmericans(55%)
supportsamesexmarriage,comparedwith39%whoopposeit.
Bysimplyturningonthenewsyoumayhearofarecentshootingthathadtakenplace.
Mosttimes,itdoesntmatterwhereyoulive,theremusthavebeensomementionofaracist
shootingorriot.Mr.Garnersdeathwasthestartofasuccessionofpolicekillingsthatcaptured
nationalattentionandigniteddebateoverraceandlawenforcement.FromMichaelBrownin
Ferguson,Mo.,toWalterScottinNorthCharleston,S.C.,toFreddieGrayinBaltimore,the
deathsofblackmenatthehandsofthepolicehavefacedalevelofscrutinythatwouldhave
NAME:NoreenAhmed
HR:303
beenunlikelyjustayearago,beforeMr.GarnerdiedandbeforeagrandjuryinDecember
declinedtobringchargesinhisdeath.Theshootingoftheseinnocentpeopleshowthatthereis
stillracismtoBlackAmericans,howpoliceofficersoftenattackblackmenevenifthereisno
reasonto.
RacismisnotjustspecificallytowardsBlackAmericansanymoreithasincreasedfor
otherracestoo.Somemaybeassimpleasajokeincludingaraciststereotype,orasgreatas
beingescortedoffofaplanebecauseofracialprofiling.
Awomanandthreemendescribedby
fellowpassengersasbeingofMiddleEasterndescentwereescortedoffaplaneheadedto
ChicagosOHareInternationalAirportafterawitnessreportedsuspiciousactivitytothecrew,
theBaltimoreSunreported,citingpolice.Intheend,policedeterminedthatoneofthe
passengershadsimplybeenwatchinganewsreportonasmartphone,accordingtothe
newspaper.TheCouncilonAmericanIslamicRelationssaidtheindividualswereracially
profiled.Thesepassengerswereinconveniencedandforcedtoendurehumiliatingtreatment
andinvasivequestioningfornoapparentsubstantialreasonotherthanbecausetheirperceived
ethnicitycausedalarminafellowpassenger,aspokeswomantoldthenewspaper.
Today,racismisnottheonlylargeproblemthenationisfacing.Problemssuchas
sexism,ageism,classism,ableism,etc.wouldnotbetoDr.Kingsliking.Peopleare
discriminatedagainstforsimplereasonsasbeingawoman,youngorold,andhavingadisability.
Womengetpaid77centsonthedollarforeverydollaramanmakes,accordingtoarecent
studyfromtheInstituteforWomen'sPolicyResearch.That'sadifferenceofmorethan$10,000
peryearonaverage.Thosewithdisabilitiesoftenfareworse.Thereisa70%unemployment
ratewithinthedisabledpopulation.
Dr.MartinLutherKingJrwouldbepleasedwithsomeoftheimprovementsthathave
beenmade,butwouldbesaddenedwithalloftheotherproblemsournationfaces.Thoughhe
wouldstillhavehope,forifourcountrycanimproveonsomethings,thanitmustbeableto
improveuponothers.Ihavewalkedthatlongroadtofreedom.Ihavetriednottofalter:Ihave
mademisstepsalongtheway.ButIhavediscoveredthesecretthatafterclimbingagreathill,
oneonlyfindsthattherearemanymorehillstoclimb.Ihavetakenamomentheretorest,to
stealaviewofthegloriousvistathatsurroundsmetolooksbackonthedistanceIhavecome.
ButIcanonlyrestforamoment,forwithfreedomcomesresponsibility,andIdarenotlinger,
formylongwalkisnotended.(NelsonMandela)
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/07/29/graphicsslideshowchangingattitudesongaymarriage/
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/nyregion/ericgarnerpolicechokeholdstatenisland.html?_r=0
http://tribune.com.pk/story/995746/twomentemporarilykeptoffusflightafterspeakingarabic/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/20/sexistworkplace_n_2718249.html
NAME:NoreenAhmed
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http://healthresearchfunding.org/19amazingableismstatistics/