Self-Analysis

As I progressed with this blog project, I was able to see my knowledge and thought process on the issue grow and become more informed. Looking back to the first postings that I made, I am now able to realize that I had a certain ignorance on the topic. I was not aware of how prevalent the issue of racism was in schools and within the youth and young adult population. I had acknowledged the fact that the cases of the Jena Six and the torture of Megan Williams were obviously charged by racism, but I did not have an accurate knowledge base on how widespread the issue still was in the country today. With doing research on the cases of racism during the Civil Rights Movement I was able to see that although I had the opinion that America had progressed so much from the racism of the mid 1900s, many of the same issues still existed in different ways. I was also able to develop the idea that there is a strong need for education on the subject. Until those in authority are able to get over the fact that racism is a touchy subject, the youth population will not be able to be properly educated on the topics of racial equality and how to properly solve conflicts having to do with race. Education is the main thing that will help to stop racism in the future. The research that I have done in order to complete this blog project has allowed me to develop a more educated and less naive perspective on the specific issue of racism today and how it manifests itself in the youth population of today.

Implications

If the issue of racism within the youth and young adult population and in schools continues to go without being addressed, extreme cases like that of the Jena Six will continue to become more and more prevalent. Violence will continue to increase if the youth are not educated in issues such as conflict resolution and the need for racial equality. If the root of all the violence and the discrimination is not addressed, there is no way possible for manifestations of the issue to end. The cases will continue to become more serious and harder to control. Those in authority are currently taking issues and looking at them solely on their exterior. The reasons for why the conflicts and issues come up must be thoroughly addressed and discussed before a true solution can be planned out.

Class Links

The main purpose of this blog, in the beginning, was to fulfill a requirement for and English class. Because each student was instructed to create his or her own blog on a subject that he or she felt strongly about, I would like to take this post to recommend that you read the blogs of three of my classmates. These blogs do a particularly good job of addressing both sides of their argument and expressing their opinion with valid support.

Heatin' it Up- This blog addresses the many effects that global warming has on this country both politically and personally. The blog addresses how global warming will have an effect on the environment and the inhabitants of the environment while giving a clear analysis on the attempts that have been made to address the issue and how and why these attempts have failed.

The Abortion Debate- This blog does a thorough job of not only addressing the sides to the debate on abortion, but it also provides background information which allows the reader to gain knowledge on both sides of the argument. The blog gives information on the debate about when life begins and under what conditions abortion may be considered murder.

Alcohol 101- This blog shows its support for the lowering of the drinking age to 18. The blog does a thorough job of gathering support for why the drinking age should be lowered by using logical arguments. The blog also addresses the opposite side of the argument by giving the example of a MADD. The blog addresses that drunk driving is an issue and gives a solution to help eliminate it.

Helpful Links

Before one is able to accurately tackle the issue of modern racism as it effects our youth today, one must have an accurate and vast knowledge of how racism has played a large role in American history. The following links help to give an informational background on some aspects of racism that have affected our country.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAjimcrow.htm
http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/1997/mlk/links.html
http://www.africanaonline.com/civil_rights.htm
Along with a concrete understanding of the past, it is necessary to have a familiarity with the events of the present that involve racism. The following links give detailed information on two cases of racism that have recently been headlined in national news.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14533821
http://news.bigg.net/n84611-Rape_Torture_Victim_Megan_Williams_Gives_Exclusive_Interview.html
The following links give descriptions of how racism affects the youth of today, particularly in schools. These links help to support the argument that the extreme cases that have been showcased lately in the news are not the only manifestations of racism within today's youth population.
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9215/racism.htm
http://saxakali.com/edwatch/racism_in_schools.htm
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/pdfs/recognising.pdf
http://www.kimberlyswygert.com/archives/001786.html
http://reasonandradical.blogspot.com/2005/02/more-on-school-racism.html

My Theory

The issue of racism and how it affects America's youth is one whose severity can be argued. Many people hold the opinion that the issues of violence that have occurred against African American youth are isolated and that racism is not a huge problem in today's society. The few incidents that are made public through the media do not even begin to touch on all the cases of racism that have been present in schools. In order to begin to end the racism in schools, parents and their children must be educated on the topics of accepting others and racial equality. If the future generations are educated, racism can slowly begin to become less of a problem in schools and within youth and then later society as a whole.

Racism Starts at Home

In order to make steps towards ending racism against African American youth in our country, it is imperative that children are taught differently in their homes by their parents. Outdated views about race in America are still being taught to the children of today. Parents should understand the impressionability of today's youth and should be careful to teach them about other's without bias. This short article brings up a good point that racism is not something that a person is born with. The values that the person is taught and the experiences that a person has cause racism to be developed. A change in the ways that children are taught is a sure fire way to begin to end racism.

Effect of Authority Figures on Racism in Schools

In September of 1998, it was voted that the control of the New York City public schools security be transferred over to the New York Police Department. This new approach further made students feel separated from those who are in power over them. The fear of racist police officers abusing minorities now became an issue that spilled over from the streets. This new control by the police department divides the students and those in authority over them, making it obviously more difficult for them to feel comfortable going to them for conflict resolution, or just bringing up a concern. The article also states that there is no humongous threat of violent infractions in the New York City public school system. The average number of violent infractions is only 3.1 for every 100 students. One of the solutions to end racial violence among youth, especially in the school system, is to create a more open relationship between those in authority and the students. This will open up the doors for non-violent conflict resolution and the elimination of racial tensions.

Racism = Identification?

For as long as most people can remember, race has always been used as a way to distinguish one person from another. A post on this subject addresses how menial the distinctions that are made simply because of one's color can become problematic. The general stereotypes that become associated with the color of a person's skin have begun to determine the how far a person is able to get in life and the paths that they take. Racial distinctions do not only affect how others groups think of certain people, but it also affects the way certain people that belong to certain groups perceive themselves. Young African-American males may feel that they are supposed to become performers or athletes because of the stereotypes that have been placed on that race and gender. Many times, the desire to do something different is crushed because of the lack of means to pursue a certain dream, or because of the ridicule they may suffer for breaking the so-called "mold." This same type of racial stereotype can be found with youth who are of Asian decent. They are often expected to perform well academically, but often not perform as well with subjects that may involve more of a personal interpretation. A person who is Asian and may not be especially academically inclined may tend to feel as if they are not living up to a preset standard that has been set for him. One of the major problems of racism today is the labels that come along with a certain race. If we can begin to destroy these labels, we will be closer to eliminating racism in our society today.

Racism within the School

The case of the Jena Six had most definitely causes American citizens to realize that racism continues to be a problem with the youth of today's society. The extent to which this racial conflict has been taken is an extreme, but the root of the problem is something that can be found in many high schools all over the United States. An article that was featured in Santa Monica news in 2005 shows that the problem of youth racism within the school system did not just come about with the Jena Six. This article shows that the youth of these schools are crying out for help on the issue from those in power above them, but seem to get no response. The students seem to agree that the conflicts that have obvious racial roots tend to become glazed over and just looked at as general conflicts between students. The problem of racism in the school systems must be addressed by the teachers, administration, and superintendents. By reading the content of this article, it is obvious that the students of this Santa Monica high school realize that the issue of racism is a problem, but they cannot make a large and effective change within the school system until they have the backing of those who are in power. The problem of racism within today's youth does not only lie in the hands of the youth. The problem is just as much, if not more, the responsibility of the adults in power within the society.

Analysis

Although our country has moved past the days of civil rights marches in the streets, Jim Crow Laws, and separate public facilities for blacks and whites, racism is still a very prevalent issue in American society today. Racism as an issue has also become more widespread in America's youth and young adult population. In order to stop racist youth from turning into racist adults who have the ability to further discriminate against those who they have prejudices against, those who are in control of school systems and lawmakers must find ways in order to identify these crimes and have strict punishment. Along with the recognition of racism as a problem in today's youth and young adult population, programs should be established in order to educate on the dangers of racism, how to identify it, and how to prevent it. The argument on this subject lies in the fact that some people feel that racially charged hate crimes are simply harmless practical jokes and should be treated as such.

Two cases that jump out in the news today that show youth/young adult racism are the cases of the Jena Six and the case of the rape and torture of the young African American women, Megan Williams. These cases of blatant racism have obviously shocked the American public and have been continually featured in the news over the past month. The case of the the Jena Six is one where something that was supposed to be and offensive racial joke ended up leading to violence and a significant community uproar. The differences between what is defined as a hate crime and what is considered a practical joke must be clearly defined and those that fall under the category of hate crime should be dealt with seriously. An argument that was presented against the case of the Jena Six was the fact that there were only two nooses hung on the tree, as opposed to three, which represents the KKK. Some argue that although there is history in America of the lynching of African Americans, the nooses should only be taken as a practical joke. In the case of Megan Williams, some argue that because Williams supposedly dated one of her attackers, the crime was not fueled by racism, but by something having to do with the past that they shared.
The lines of what should and should not be considered racism are not clear and there exists a strong need for clarification. Once the government is able to clarify, students and young adults can begin to be educated on the subject. One reason this hate that youth may have against other races is a sort of ingrained ethnocentrism for their own particular race. This certain ethnocentrism is probably more prevalent in the town of Jena, Louisiana where the case of the Jena Six took place. The population of the town where this incident took place is 85% white and the tree was known as one that only white students were allowed to sit under.
There are still cases from the Civil Rights Movement that exist that have never been solved. The American government must first address the issues that have not been addressed yet in the past in order to make way for a change in the future. The next step to addressing the problem is educating the youth of America in order to hope for a future that is free of racism. Once the youth are educated on how all races should be respected and treated equally. There are some groups present that address issues of racism in youth, and the numbers of these should be increased.
In conclusion, the issue of racism and crimes against those of a certain race are still very present in today's society. People tend to have a range of opinions on what should be defined as a hate crime and what should not, and it is imperative that these lines be defined in order to put an end to the violence. Harvard University has created a test that can determine if one has a preference for a certain race, try it out and see where you stand according to the test.

To Be More Specific...

The issue of racism and how it affects our country today is a huge one. There are so many different, and smaller pieces of the great puzzle that can be discussed and there is no way possible for me to even begin to touch on all of the aspects. In order to be as specific as possible, I would like to focus specifically on the effect that racism is having on today's American youth and how it manifests itself in negative ways such as violence. I would like to focus more one what goes on in the school systems when certain acts that are fueled by racism take place. Because racism is such a hard issue to pinpoint in certain cases, I would like to further research what some school systems and even the judicial system use as standards to judge what crimes could have been potentially fueled by racism. I feel that racism in the youth and young adults of today had to come from some aspects of what they were taught as children. I would like to further explore what experiences shape someone to hate another race so deeply.

Another Case of Racism Today

In addition to the story about the Jena 6, the ordeal that went on with Megan Williams from West Virginia is one has made news headlines within the past month. This situation involves a twenty year old African American woman who was kidnapped and tortured for a week by six white people. She was repeatedly raped, beaten, stabbed, made to eat dog feces, and forced to drink out of a toilet. She was only rescued after the police were called to the residence and the officer saw her. This awful ordeal that Megan Williams had to experience continues to highlight the fact that racism is still very prevalent in today's society. It is up to America as a whole to first accept the fact that racism still exists in this country. It is only after the issue is accepted that steps can be taken in order to crack down on the issue. There is no real way to totally eliminate racism because the issue starts within the individual. The feelings of hatred or prejudice toward another race come from the way the the person was raised, the beliefs and morals that they have developed, and the experiences that they have had throughout their lifetime. Every person of every race has certain prejudices towards one or more race, whether one chooses to admit it or not. The job of the government should not be to try to erase these individual feelings, but to reinforce that all people were created equally and that the manifestation of racial prejudices will not be tolerated.

In Response to the Comments

From reading the comments that were posted to the first blog, it is obvious that others agree that racism is still very present in today's society, although it may not be as obvious as it was in the past. Racism can be noticed in everyday conversation and jokes and may be very easy to look over. The case of the Jena 6 shows how a racial joke can be taken seriously, causing a situation to out of hand. The situation that is at hand with the Jena 6 is a perfect example of this type of racism. In order to get many of the details of the situation I have provided the link to a CNN article (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/04/bell.jena.six/index.html?iref=newssearch) that does a good job of explaining the specifics.

Racism In the News: Jena 6

With the controversy that has ensued about the Jena 6, racism has been brought into the light by the media as an issue that still exists in our country very heavily today. Although the actions of the boys who fought may not have been the best that they could have chosen, it is important to note the circumstances that they were faced with. It is unfortunate that the white teen had to suffer any physical injury and the actions of these boys should be in no way excused, but the source for the extreme action that these boys took should be thoroughly investigated also. There must be a definite line drawn between what is considered to be a harmless prank and what is considered to be a racially influenced hate crime. Whether or not the boys who hung the nooses on the tree though that their stunt would be taken seriously, they should be taught the lesson of how all actions have consequences and should suffer as much punishment as the boys who are being charged with assault and attempted murder. The BBC refers to racism today as a sort of "stealth" racism. This type of racism is harder to pinpoint, and much easier to overlook. The boys who hung these nooses should be used as examples to show others that racism, not matter how subtle one may feel that it is, will not be tolerated by the community.