Racism in U.S. Institutions   Term Paper ID:38109 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: This paper provides a discussion of how historically U S institutions have reinforced notions ...... More...

7 Pages / 1575 Words 3 sources, 10 Citations, MLA Format $28.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: This paper provides a discussion of how historically U.S. institutions have reinforced notions of “superiority” to whiteness and notions of “inferiority” to blackness and how this has created the racial predicament in U.S. society. Included are the works of Richard Wright, Lillian Smith, and Pem Davidson Buck to support this contention. Paper Introduction: The Racial Predicament in the U S Introduction Quite often to reinforce prejudice racism or bias through socialinstitutions the creation of an other by powerful groups that controlsocial institutions occurs In the case of the U S primarily wealthy white Anglo-Saxon males reinforce values beliefs and practices of whiteculture through social institutions in ways that make them superior tothose of the other in society This often marginalizes those considerthe other in ways that provide advantages for whites while marginalizingminority groups like African Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. As Buck (34) describes it, thisprocess has existed basically since the founding of American society, "Theinitial construction of whiteness had been based on a material benefit forWhites: land, or the apparently realistic hope of land." To this day,constructions of whiteness and of the "other" are often based on a desireby powerful controlling groups in society to reinforce their ability tocontrol resources. At one point Smith (83-84), describes heryouthful learning that fairly amounts to brainwashing in her the notionthat white is superior and black is inferior; "By the time we were fiveyears old we had learned, without hearing the words, that masturbation waswrong and segregation is right, and each had become a dread taboo that mustnever be broken, for we believed God...made the rules concerning not onlyHim and our parents, but our bodies and Negroes." Such earlyindoctrination often leads to rigid attitudes and beliefs that are invalidbut are held onto tightly by those who began to believe them at an immatureage of development and never had such misperceptions or outrightfabrications corrected. In orderto keep some measure of self-respect and to avoid violence in an era ofofficially sanction racism, we see that Wright must often sublimate histrue feelings and pretend he feels some other way. Contentions relationsbetween President Bush and the NAACP over the past six years clearlyillustrate that racial tensions still permeate race relations in Americansociety. "The Lessons." In Killers of the Dream. (Ed.). As Buck discusses, this occurs at all levels of societyand even determines which resources those deemed the "other" have access towhich, in turn, controls the degree to which they can experience socialprogress or economic advance. Politics,practice, and philosophy that posited superiority to whiteness andinferiority to blackness, reinforced through various social institutions,created a racial predicament in American society that still negativelycolors race relations in contemporary society. In terms of practices, in "The Lessons" Lillian Smith demonstrateshow social institutions other than government are used in society to helpcreate superior notions of "whiteness" at the cost of reinforcing inferiornotions of the "other" or "blacks" in the case at hand. In the U.S.this primarily relates to a handful of white, wealthy Anglo-Saxon maleswhose beliefs, values, and practices are reinforced by social institutionsfrom government and religion to education and economy. We see this when Wright witnesses a black woman being beaten byhis employers who, in the same instance, offer him a smoke and act likenothing has happened. As such, these groups are mostoften able to control social institutions in ways that shade the beliefs,values and practices of a society toward those that most reinforce thepower and benefits of the ruling classes. In the case of the U.S., primarily wealthy,white Anglo-Saxon males reinforce values, beliefs, and practices of whiteculture through social institutions in ways that make them "superior" tothose of the "other" in society. In many similar instances, we see how politically sanctionedlaws that reinforce racism often subject individuals to violence andstifled expression and advance. One of thesesocial institutions is religion. "Constructing Race, Creating White Privilege." In Rothenberg, Paula S. As Smith (89) writes in a tone ofmockery, "The racists 'proved' the white man's superiority, especially thewhite Christian's, just as Ptolemy long before them had proved that theearth was the center of the universe." All things black became associatedwith dark and evil things, while all things white represented a "Bade ofInnocence" which could be lorded over Blacks because God bestowed thissuperior quality to whiteness which lent whites "priorities over coloredpeople everywhere in the world" (Smith 89). Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, (6th Edit.). In terms of philosophy, Pem Davidson Buck describes in "ConstructingRace, Creating White Privilege" the philosophy behind the formation ofracist and prejudiced notions of superiority that most often exploit and/oroppress those deemed "inferior." Buck (34) describes that way that ournotions of race and qualities associated with it are primarily socialconstructions that reinforce power and control of the elite classes ofsociety while undermining power and control of other subgroups. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, (6th Edit.). In this way, we see howpolitically reinforced notions of superiority for whites and ones ofinferiority for blacks often changes black identity and behavior. society from a reading of "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow" by RichardWright, "The Lessons" by Lillian Smith, and "Constructing Race, CreatingWhite Privilege" by Pem Davidson Buck. Even Martin Luther King Jr.wrote his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" to make local clergy inBirmingham realize protest was the only means of achieving justice andequality. Even when African Americanslike Richard Wright had an expectation of learning and education, we seethat during the era of Jim Crow laws such expectations were thwarted bywhites. Likewise, Lillian Smith's account of how religion influenced herperceptions of skin color and various associations with it demonstrates howsocial institutions help reinforce notions of superiority or inferiority inspecific groups in society. Wright understands this merely means nothing willhappen to him if he keeps his mouth shut. Body In terms of politics, Richard Wright's "The Ethics of Living JimCrow" illustrates the way that government policy in the form of "Jim Crow"laws or Black Codes as they were known can reinforce inferior notions ofthe "other" for the benefit of the ruling "whites." By prohibiting Blacksfrom interacting with whites, notions of superiority in whites weremanifested and ones of inferiority in Blacks. "would support the legal and illegal mechanisms controllingNative Americans, Africans, and poor Whites, becoming a buffer classbetween the elite and those they most exploited, disguising the elite'scontinuing grip on power and wealth." The analysis provided by Pem Davidson Buck offers insight into howphilosophy often arises because of social constructions that aim atreinforcing power and control of the groups that run society. The Racial Predicament in the U.S. Racial philosophy written by European andAmerica philosophers proved the superiority of the white races, neverminding such men were white and racist. When Wright (24) asks Morrie questions to learn about grinding,Morrie's reply shows this only too clearly "Whut yuh tryin' t'do, nigger,get smart?" When Wright (24) reminds him that his boss promised him achance to learn about the work, Morrie says "Say, are yuh crazy, you blackbastard?...Nigger, you think you're white don't you?" We see in this exchange the superiority felt via "whiteness" byindividuals like Morrie in an era when official government policyreinforced racial bias and separatism. Its impact on African Americans is to make them unable to expressthemselves for fear of being beaten or punished merely for being black orfor daring to challenge white's in their notions of superiority andprivilege. However,in his analysis he demonstrates how powerful classes of whites are oftenable to exploit other groups to assist them in their own empowerment. New York: Worth Publishers, 2 4.Wright, Richard. As Buck (35) writes of how this worked inlabor, "Employers cooperated in confining Blacks and immigrants to manuallabor and domestic work, making a clear definition of the work suitable forwhite men." This practice continues today as most immigrants are viewed aswilling to work in manual labor or domestic jobs compared to whiteAmericans. New York: Norton, 1994, 31-37.Smith, Lillian. In this manner, we see thepernicious nature of racism when it is embedded in official governmentpolicy. In many instances Malcolm X used to railagainst Christianity for teaching the Black individual he or she wasinferior compared to the white individual. New York: Norton, 1994, 22-3 . The struggle for these resources is oftenwon by the most powerful groups in society. (Ed.). One can readily see how suchattitudes and ideas created social institutions that reinforced racism andprejudice for most of American history before the Civil Rights Movement.It is such falsified notions of superiority, reinforced through socialinstitutions controlled by powerful whites, which have been the cause ofthe racial predicament in American history. Conclusion In conclusion, the writings of Richard Wright, Lillian Smith, andPem Davidson Buck clearly demonstrate how, in U.S. This process is highly evident inU.S. Introduction Quite often to reinforce prejudice, racism, or bias through socialinstitutions, the creation of an "other" by powerful groups that controlsocial institutions occurs. What this analysis demonstrates is that until ingrained notionsof superiority linked to whiteness do not shade social institutions,politics, practice and beliefs in the U.S., then leaders will still beconfronted by a racial predicament fostered by prejudice and racism.Works CitedBuck, Pem Davidson. AsBuck (34) describes it, yeoman farming class that arose during the foundingof the U.S. society, a multi-tieredsystem of politics, practice, and philosophy that privileges whiteness asthe sign of normalcy, natural, average, standard, and, above all, supremehave led to the racial predicament throughout American history. "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch." In Rothenberg, Paula S. It has been through such a processthat African Americans have been systematically discriminated against inAmerican society, in a multi-tiered system of politics, practices, andphilosophy that privileges whiteness as a sign of normalcy, natural,average, standard, and, above all, superior! In society, limitedresources are available to be distributed among various groups with diverseinterests and levels of power. We see this clearlywhen he must adopt a false behavior when two white men in an elevator aregiving him harsh looks for not taking his hat off, though his hands arefilled with packages: "I immediately...pretended that my packages wereabout to spill, and appeared deeply distressed with keeping them in myarms. In this fashion I evaded having to acknowledge his service, and, inspite of adverse circumstances, salvaged a slender shred of personal pride"(Wright 3 ). Smith provides an account of how such attitudes and beliefs werereinforced in the minds of whites not only through religion but also from,allegedly, scientific proof. This often marginalizes those considerthe "other," in ways that provide advantages for whites while marginalizingminority groups like African Americans. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.