It is unfortunate that even today the United States, with all of its progress in the civil rights movement, cannot boast of expunging the crippling effects of racism that threaten its domestic harmony. From stereotypes that have been engrained in individuals’ minds from media and domestic sources to institutions that indeed bring segregation back to the society, racism exists. The extent of the brutality and cruelty involved with racism has lessened substantially since the days of slavery and the cross-burning days of post-emancipation that existed sporadically until well-past the civil rights movement of the 1960s.Indeed, today’s society abhors even the slightest forms of racism, but in the knee-jerk rush to prove racism is dead, our society has almost become ridiculous in the way it works toward ‘equality’. One of society’s goals currently is to have all races working together as equals in racial harmony.
Institutions like Historically Black Colleges, however, serve to take a step backward in the civil rights movement. For years, courageous men like Martin Luther King Jr. fought for the rights of blacks to attend the same schools and receive the same privileges as white students. Now HBCs have actually reinstituted the practice of segregation.There is a difference between the forced segregation of Dr. King’s time and the willful attendance at one of these schools, but there are also inherent problems in the notorious academic reputations of HBCs.
The fight for integrated school was promoted by the vast disparities in the education of black and white students. The differences between traditional schools and HBCs are evident in the standardized test scores of the students. HBC test scores are exceptionally low because serious black students apply to traditional schools and compete at the highest levels like everyone else.Society should beware the subtle racism of lowered expectations. Beyond the perpetuation of segregation by these colleges, there are unfair double standards in the rush to show acceptance.
These are the ‘silly’ degrees to which society will go in order to show its ‘acceptance’. On the Carleton College campus, the conservative newspaper asked for students’ thoughts on whether racially-exclusive clubs should exist on campus. These groups include the Black Student Alliance, the Asian Student Alliance, etc..One student had the temerity to submit an article that said segregation is perpetuated by these groups; by creating all-black groups, there is an underlying idea that this group is a safe haven, that there are connections and bonds that unite them and keep them from forming solid relationships with students of different skin colors.
The reaction to his article was chaotic. The student was denounced as racist and bigoted, and suffered cold ostracization, just for expressing his thoughts on an unpopular controversy. This demonstrates an unfair double standard that has recently occurred with knee-jerk, desperate attempts to seem ‘accepting’.Designating a club for blacks is considered acceptable, but if another club set out in a conscious effort to create a group of white academics, the riots would spark like wild fire.
This has become common in today’s society. Recently, Rush Limbaugh was fired from his short-lived career on ESPN. He made a comment about an athlete only being praised in response to his skin-color, and was fired the next day. On that same network, a sports anchor by the name of Randy Jackson made a comment about black athletes being superior in their abilities to move.
I’m sorry. But you don’t see a white boy move like that. ” For some reason, this blatantly racist comment was never acknowledged again. This is absolutely one of the most ridiculous aspects of our fight for racial acceptance today.
Another example of this double standard comes from the practices of the aforementioned Historically Black Colleges. It isn’t fair that while predominantly-white colleges are setting out to try to diversify their student bodies through affirmative action recruitment, HBCs do no such thing.Instead, they recruit only blacks and a very small number of other ethnic minorities. This is appallingly unjust. Affirmative Action plays an enormous role in the attempts to create equality.
Affirmative action was first established to aid the nation in its quest for equality. Since its inception, this admirable goal has seemingly been tainted and murky; instead of balancing the scales and ‘leveling the playing field’, the scale has been tipped unfairly in favor of men and women of color.While the policy’s supporters speak passionately about equality for everyone, they demand rights that have them treated much more favorably. Affirmative Action, under the guise of fairness, is simply a complete contradiction of our nation’s fundamental belief that ‘All Men Are Created Equal’.
Affirmative Action originally set out to level the playing field; where African American individuals had been denied privileges as well as common necessities, new laws would be established so that everyone had an equal chance.The system today has somewhat tapered from this noble cause, and now demands that students of color be given more than white individuals. With the establishment of quotas, colleges now ignore merit and look at the placement of checkmarks made under the column of race. The original goal was to ignore race, to disregard skin color as it should have no bearing on how the student fares. Now, however, instead of being the great equalizer, it indeed tips the scales in favor of students of color.Now, the tables have been turned, and white individuals are now seemingly punished for their skin colors.
As mentioned before, these examples stand out in my mind among many others, and that, perhaps, is the saddest part of all. Because, as I look over the progress of the civil rights movement in the US, it is wonderful to see society evolve so drastically. Now, it seems, the quest has become less focused and more ridiculous. The scales have continued to tip equally far beyond equality, and a new racism against the majority is as prevalent today as it was yesterday and might be tomorrow.
