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Bradleigh Latimer

Mrs. DeBock

English IV

April 6, 2017

Discrimination in America

In the United States there has been one major complication which has seemingly

continued for centuries. The issue of discrimination towards African-Americans and minorities

began with the abolishment of slavery and, although it has seemingly subsided over the

centuries, is still a major issue in todays society. Discrimination in its purest form is the unjust

or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of

race, age, or sex. . Discrimination is prevalent in all aspects of life and especially in the

workplace, schools, or any place where there is any type of social involvement with others.

Various organizations like the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored

People) have helped to improve these conditions as well as activist such as James Meredith and

Al Sharpton. Although in the United States it is stated that we have equal rights with factual

evidence and statistics it proves that, there is a seemingly active amount of discrimination,

profiling, and biased treatment towards minorities.

In the United States, blacks are less able to receive home or business loans, no matter their

qualifications. In a study about loans in America the article gives insight that 24 million people

were given business loans in that year. (Dickler1). Yet out of those 24 million loans, only 8.2%
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were given to blacks. This percentage placed blacks in last place. (Discrimination Opens Up

Black Business Owners, Women to Predatory Loans 1). Although those African Americans were

equally as qualified, the only rational conclusion was that discrimination played a significant role

in the selection process. A loan advisor gives us insight on what exactly they look of when

deciding who receives a loan. The major qualifications are: credit history, cash flow history,

projections for the business, your collateral accessible to secure the loan, your complexion,

myriad pieces of loan documentation that includes business and personal financial statements,

income tax returns, and a business plan that fundamentally sums up and provides evidence for

the first four items listed.(Discrimination Opens Up Black Business Owners, Women to

Predatory Loans 2). Race indeed played a factor in receiving a loan. While small businesses are

a keen asset to society, many minorities are not able to fully participate due to the fact that they

are discriminated against and not given a chance. These claims give factual evidence and

statistics and help prove my thesis that discrimination is still prevailing in society.

Segregation in school systems was one of the consensual issues in society, especially in the 60s.

Although schools became integrated, discrimination and hate still prevailed. One school in

particular in upstate New York showed that minority teachers and advisors were more likely to

face verbal assault and harassment when compared to their white counterparts. One of the

advisors for the high school gives us a recap of what he faced on a daily basis getting called slurs

and racial names. It was so bad, I couldn't even stay. I had to leave, (Racist Queens principal

targeted 3 black teachers for poor reviews, federal lawsuit charges 1). While this discrimination

and blatant disrespect was proven, it was allowed to continue and resulted with teachers

resigning from their jobs. That was not the only way discrimination occurred. Out of 24,280

people, African Americans received the highest percentage of disciplinary action and had the
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highest expulsion rate.(Fast Facts1). While some might say that those African American and

minority students committed all the acts which led to their punishment, Richards gives

percentages of how blacks are suspended far more for the same crimes that whites commit in

schools. Five percent of white students were suspended annually, compared with 16 percent of

black students. (Richards). Meaning that even if they committed the same acts, the African

American students were faced with a higher penalty even based solely on race. While examples

like this are fairly obvious and are even proven by facts still nothing is being done to end this

hatred. These articles would prove my claim that discrimination is becoming more apparent and

is happening at a higher rate.

In 1954 segregation became illegal meaning that African Americans and minorities could now go

to the same schools, public facilities, and work in the same place. However that did not mean

that they were treated fairly, discrimination and profiling became prosperous and resulted in an

obvious racial inequality. In some cases this is severely apparent Monica Hardwell a utility

energy provider worked hard to get where she was were she trained employees on how to fix

wires and electrical equipment she was profiled against because she was a women, black, and

gay (Hamilton 1). She was denied promotions due to this fact even though she was always more

qualified than her opponents, "In virtually every case of Con Ed rejecting her applications, the

victorious seeker was a Whiteman who was less experienced than Ms. Harwell by experience,

education or both," Harwell's complaint alleged (Vega 1). Meaning no matter how hard she

worked and how much experience she had she was always denied because of her other opposing

mates most of the time being white males. This sort of profiling is not only blatantly obvious but

shows that because of the color of your skin people are denied certain jobs in the work force.
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Statistics have shown that many African American have felt discriminated by police officers.

Law enforcement officers have said that they have profiled individuals due to their dialect, the

way they carry themselves, and even because of their clothing. In Some Racial Profiling

Discrimination is justified, the author states that racial profiling is not based on race but rather

how someone carries himself. . Many have felt that African Americans tend to wear more urban

style fashions and speak using a slang style of speech more so than Caucasian Americans. In an

interview with WNBC, a group of minority cops disclosed how they are asked to prey on the

Black, Latino, LGBT and homeless communities. Meaning even if bystanders aren't doing

anything inadequate or causing trouble they have to be stopped and questioned due to their race,

sex, or origin. Although some might say the police force is the cause of this sort of profiling

many police face the same harassment. In Racism Promotes Police Brutality, one officer gives us

an account on what he faced when he took off his uniform, he said At one point he was even

stopped and questioned while walking down the street.(Mumakil 1). These claims not only

prove that racial profiling is happening, yet it proves that racial profiling is not only happening to

African Americans, but towards all minorities.

Over the years there have been countless acts and organizations to help end discrimination one

being the NAACP (Nation Advancement Association of Colored People). The NAACP has

helped minorities since February 12, 1909 to aid & assist them through trials and tribulations.

Over the years the membership of the NAACP has grown tremendously and has significantly

helped to cause awareness to violence and profiling over the years. Recently many African-

American men have loss lives due to police brutality. While many media and news stations

criticized the death and character of these men in order to protect the police, the NAACP

supported these men and their families by paying legal fees and uplifting their lives with protest.
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(Born Suspect: Stop-and-Frisk Abuses & the Continued Fight to End Racial Profiling in America

1). While this significantly helped, many didn't have a platform to advocate for black lives. The

NAACP portrays what discrimination looks like in America by providing lifelong examples and

real life statistics to support my claim with factual evidence.

Although society has progressed as a whole and has changed, discrimination is

still transpiring in the United States. Not only do people discriminate because of race, but of

your sex, size, and etc. This has led to many acts of violence and a widespread of protest . While

some might disagree that this is not happening in the US this is presently and actively occurring

on a daily basis. Discrimination against minorities is happening in the United States and is

unjust, despite what has been said to cover up this cruel and harsh act.