Black people’s plight
Human beings are born with the innate desire to fit in and belong in a functioning community. The communities that people live in greatly affect their beliefs, perceptions, and attitude towards life and each other. Although people also try to build their identities, the community has a major impact on the decisions that people make and how they interact with one another. Although most people try to lead ethical lives and observe good morals, some vices exist in society and negatively affect how people interact with one another. Issues such as racism, gender discrimination, and political bias for example have caused major problems in society. The issue of racism for example has greatly disadvantaged African Americans and is a major contributor to the infringement of black people’s rights and freedoms.
The challenges that African Americans face can be traced back to years when slavery was legal and whites regarded themselves superior to people of color. During this time, black people were denied most of their rights and freedoms by whites and were forced to work in unsafe conditions without any payment (Mayberry, 2008). Although slavery was abolished, the perceptions that people had of black people did not change and this brought rise to issues like racism. This is especially because dominant races like whites still consider themselves superior and use their influence to oppress and discriminate against people of color.
Various developments have been made in an attempt to promote equality and prevent the rights and freedoms of black people from being infringed. A good example is the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which sought to promote equality by recognizing and protecting the rights and freedoms of all human beings (Mayberry, 2008). The declaration tried to present African Americans and other indigenous people as equals to whites and in so doing promote justice and equality. Since the whites infringe on black people’s rights because they consider themselves superior, promoting equality is likely to discourage racism as it would help to eliminate any feelings of being superior.
Despite the existence of policies and laws that seek to end racism and discrimination against black people, cases of African Americans being oppressed are common in society. There exist different stereotypes in society that contribute to the unfair treatment that black people are subjected to (Jackson & King, 2007). An example is the misconceived idea that African Americans are susceptible to crime and not as hard-working as whites. The stereotype is greatly responsible for the various cases of police harassment, especially when apprehending black suspects. The infringement of black people’s rights and freedoms is further extended to the courtroom where African Americans receive longer sentences for petty crimes compared to whites. The negative stereotypes present a negative image of black people and it raises the likelihood that black people will be harassed or oppressed.
Different organizations and individuals have made attempts to try and end vices such as racism in society. A good example is the Black Lives Matter Movement that seeks to protect the rights and freedoms of African Americans, create awareness of the plight they face, and also seek justice for those whose rights are violated (Ojo, 2020). The activities they engage in helping to break down stereotypes that contribute to the challenges that black people face and also garner support for policies that are designed to help promote equality and protect the rights and freedoms of African Americans. Although there is still a need for more work, the milestones reached have helped to ease racial discrimination in society and this has greatly benefited black people and other indigenous groups.
References
Jackson, T. F., & King, M. L. (2007). From civil rights to human rights: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the struggle for economic justice. Philadelphia, Pa: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Mayberry, D. (2008). Black deaths in police custody and human rights: The failure of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. London: Hansib.
Ojo E, (2020) “Why #BlackLivesMatter is about the right to life” retrieved from, https://www.openglobalrights.org/black-lives-matter-right-to-life/
