Essay Sample on The Systematic Injustice of African Americans

Longstanding inequalities of the African Americans rooted from slavery, segregation and systematic injustice have deep historical roots in the United States. The United States of America began as a slave society, as "a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" (Lincoln). Slavery, which might justifiably be dubbed the "original sin," has left an indelible mark on the soul of the country (Pitner). Before this new democracy could be free of that most undemocratic institution, a terrible price had to be paid in a tragic, and disastrous civil war. For African Americans, however, the end of slavery was only the beginning of the struggle for democratic equality; it would take another century for the country to completely accept that objective. Even now, millions of African Americans in the United States live in sociological backwaters (Horowitz). The lingering effect of segregation still affects the black communities today in the form of police brutality, access to education, and incarceration rates.  

On May 25, 2020, an African American man named George Floyd was brutally killed in custody of the police (Deliso). This sparked major outrage not just in the US, but in the whole world. The uprisings, and the ensuing rage did not appear out of nowhere. It is a scream of anguish from a raw nerve that has always affected the United States, one that has been disregarded far too often. Even before this African Americans had far less trust in the police, and for a good reason: police brutality is the leading cause of death for young men in the US (Esposito, Lee, Edwards). Black people are still three times as likely to be killed by police than white people, and 1.3 times more likely to be unarmed when they are (Fernandez). Durante Wright, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile and George Floyd are just a few of the African Americans killed by police in the last decade (Chughtai). This shows that police brutality continues to be a big problem, and as Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his memorable "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, "There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, 'When will you be satisfied?" After a long history of violent encounters between African American civilians and the police, his comments continue to be true today. "We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality." 

When George Floyd died, he was described as a loving father of two girls who wanted to better his life and become a better father (Ebrahimji). His wish represents millions of other American parents: get out of poverty and provide a better education for the children. However, statistics from NCES still show a very unsettling picture of the state of education for black students in the US: 64% have parents whose parents' education level is less than in high school, 45% live in mother-only households, 35% live in father-only households. It is easy to forget that as late as in the 1960s, the majority of African American, Latino, and Native American students were educated in completely segregated schools with funding that was many times lower than that of white students, and that they were completely excluded from many higher education institutions. It is the reality that we see today, and for black students simply accessing higher education remains difficult (St. Amour). Emma García, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute claims that the opportunity gaps, and inequality that we see in the US education system today are driven by poverty (St. Amour). 32% of black students live in poverty compared with 10% of white students' families living in poverty shows statistics from NCES. So, before a black child is even born, the odds are stacked against them. 

Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, putting the worst racist aspects of the US criminal justice system on full display (Levenson). The protests that erupted in the aftermath of Floyd's killing outlined a vision for changing public safety policies and investments. Chauvin was convicted for Floyd's death almost a year later, a rare outcome among law enforcement officers who kill unarmed individuals (Fiegel, Cooper). However, the fight for racial fairness in the criminal justice system continues. Going to prison is a huge-life-changing event that makes employment and building a stable life very difficult. In addition, incarceration lowers lifetime wages and has a negative impact on the children of incarcerated parents. According to a new report by The Sentencing Project, black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of White Americans (Carrega). Also, statistics from NAACP shows that 32% of the US population is represented by African Americans and Hispanics, compared to 56% of the US incarcerated population being represented by African Americans and Hispanics. In addition, the imprisonment rate for African American women is 2x that of white women. Recent protests asking for fundamental changes in the American incarceration policy have brought much-needed attention to the US criminal justice system's systematic racism. Of course, this goes beyond policing: From policing through prosecution decisions, pretrial release processes, sentencing, correctional discipline, and even reintegration, systemic racism is visible at every stage of the system (Sawyer).  

It is clear that the lingering effect of segregation still affects the black communities today in the form of police brutality, access to education, and incarceration rates. Black Americans are still seeking racial justice, and for decades after decades they have found themselves, despite momentous effort, being several steps behind. Systemic racism requires a systematic solution, and it must be fought for systematic equality in a system created for white men.