English Summary - Relevant content for the last exam
Material: Could A text state about soviet the development of American in the course of U.S. history
an interview, a factual text or what always will be ...
background knowledge : A survey of the history of black Americans from the days of slavery, the Jim Crow Era (Griffin's report), to today, 40 years after the civil rights movement (read: only superficial knowledge, no detailed questions)
learn what you should:
Griffin's report showed
- That the black population was heavily surpressed by the whites and split amongst each other, although segregation was stated as equal
- That black people definetely had some bright heads and successful man, who were simply not able to achieve anything due to the unjust segregation
- That the awareness for black surpression was pretty low among white people
- That not all white people were hardcore racists, but almost all of them had prejudices due to low education and knowledge
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- About Slavery: Civil War North vs.. The Confederate Southern States - War because of the different point of views about slavery. The North condemned slavery, while the southern people was dominated by the racists. Abolishment of slavery afterwards, but after the reconstruction era the racist got their power back and surpressed the black people (although there was no slavery anymore, see page 24 in the purple book box)
- About segregation: “Segregated but equal” was the hypocratic slogan of the white racists in the south and their way to surpress the black population even after the age of slavery. Segregated facilities (Einrichtungen) e.g. restaurants, busses, toilets etc. etc. and the subtle or sometimes even direct racism of the white people every day made the life for the blacks pretty hard, even though later on segregation was made forbidden by law, it still continued till the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr. and many other activists achieved a change.
- About the situation today: Barack Obama, who is at least partly black as a president – does that mean Americans all love black people know?
Obama is a good president for ALL Americans, not only the black as his family consists of people from all nations. Furthermore, he does not represent the black community or wants to fight for the rights of the black mainly but rather for a united America (s. Text “ A more perfect Union).
Even regions with many racists have voted with a surprising majority for Obama, though the racism has not vanished completely (“Yeah man I’m gonna vota for that Nigger. FO REAL!”) the real aggressive and intolerant type of racists have become an absolute minority even in the South. The racism is rather subtle, plain idiotic or surficial, still there are many people who are racially prejudiced though they don’t say that in public (but on the Internet A LOT ).
Racism does not occur any longer because some whites think that they are superior, but because of the ghettos and the regions with a high black criminality and problems with black criminals whites have to face. This also shows, that economically, the black people didn’t catch up with the whites yet. Although there are many rich and successful black people, the black middle class is endangered and on a downward mobility trend (s. entsprechenden Text), having problems with education, money and one-parent-families.
Therefore, in many urban regions there are still racial tensions between blacks and whites which is something you can not ignore. This tension is created by the whites as well as by the blacks, as some black people still have a very bad view about the “white” America (s. Reverend Wright) and thinks of it as dominated by a widespread white racism among the population.
Central Question : Has the unity of the nation been achieved? Has racism come to an end? (compare the last two texts IN THE LILA HEFT , and the blogs from Jan 2010)
As stated aboved, racism has not come to an end, but has definitely changed his shape. The former radical racists are rather in a minority now, even in the South, but on the other hand there are many white people who have prejudices against black people , e.g. because of the crime rate or because they think they’re lazy or even stupid and brainless though this is rarely based on genes or the superiority of the white race but rather by own experiences and political reasons – affirmative action for example – or the feeling that the blacks get too many advantages from the government (s. “A more perfect union 131 – 145).
On the other hand, America as a whole has become much more liberal and open, which shows in the election of president Barack obama. The goal which is necessary to be achieved is now the unity of all Americans, no matter which race they are to overcome the tensions created by both whites and blacks.
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