Group Project: Discrimination against African Americans

Question 1

African Americans comprise roughly 13.5 percent of the overall population of the United States, which translates to 41.1 million people (Bell, 2012). Demographics show that approximately 80 percent of them are below 50 years old with another 30 percent averaging eighteen or younger (Bell, 2012). These data are a representation of the short lifespan and above average birthrate experienced among African Americans. It also implies that more blacks will join the labor force in the future as compared to the whites.

According to 2008 statistics on educational achievements, approximately 83 percent of the members of the group under analysis completed high school in comparison with the 87.1 percent of the whites (Bell, 2012). The demographics reflect a considerable improvement in educational achievement when placed against the data of a prior period. The educational attainment gap explains the difference in earnings and employment between African Americans and the white citizens.

Similarly, participation rates of white men in the workforce remain relatively higher when compared to those of the blacks. However, black women demonstrate higher participation rates when placed against the white ones (Bell, 2012). Even so, white women show higher participation rates than black men. Unemployment levels among African Americans remain higher when compared to their white counterparts. In fact, the likelihood that African Americans with high school diplomas will remain unemployed is double that of whites with the same education qualifications (Bell, 2012). Moreover, black men have lower earnings level than Non-Hispanic white men, Asian men, and Asian women. As for the women, their salary is lower than the one of all other racial and gender groups with the exception of Hispanic women (Bell, 2012).

Black men who have college degrees earn nearly 32 percent less than white men with the same education qualifications. However, they are paid approximately 60 percent more in comparison with those black men who have high school diplomas (Bell, 2012). On the other hand, African-American women who have college degrees earn 80 percent more than their counterparts with only high school qualifications. In an entire work life, blacks who have high school qualifications earn approximately one million dollars. However, the income of those with a bachelor’s degree and advanced degree is about 1.7 million and 2.7 million dollars respectively (Bell, 2012). Currently, African Americans make up about 17 percent of the U.S military. In addition, they comprise nearly 9 percent of all the officers in the U.S. with approximately 2.3 million veterans. In general, it is the biggest of all the minorities (Bell, 2012). Despite having secured a minority status in the US, the group would be considered a majority on the African continent. The blacks have an African descent considering that they originated from Africa but were taken to the US as slaves during slave trade.

In the preceding years, African Americans received completely different legal and collective treatment because their ancestors entered into the USA as slaves. Consequently, the blacks have received a more persistent, violent, and long-lived discrimination compared to other immigrants given the original status of their forefathers (Bell, 2012). As a result, assimilating this group into the mainstream society has presented numerous barriers, thus affecting the share of opportunities and other social benefits. Even so, they have reached some legislation milestones over the years through civil rights movement improving the condition of all the minorities in the US. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is among the most significant legislation documents that have enhanced the lives of African Americans because it prohibits discrimination and racial harassment (Bell, 2012). Similarly, the affirmative action executive orders have also considerable influenced employment experiences of the blacks. Nevertheless, their employment and income rates remain relatively low compared to those of the whites with the same qualifications. Even though Title VII and other important executive orders have not achieved equal employment and income status, they have been instrumental in combating the persistent discriminatory practices experienced earlier in hiring, promotion, employee placement, and growth (Bell, 2012). However, as more people in the mainstream American society embrace diversity and inclusion, discrimination will most likely reduce. Therefore, ending discrimination does not depend solely on legislation, which implies that diversity and inclusion have to come into play for progress to occur in this area.

Question 2

A stereotype refers to a conventional, oversimplified, and negative portrayal of a group. They are often inaccurate generalizations which are applied indiscriminately to all members of a specific group regardless of their actual individual attributes (Coleman, 1998). Over time, the white American society has advanced racial discrimination through stereotyping. It has persistently occurred in the media and real life where the African Americans are presented as lazy, unreliable, and unruly (Ramasubramanian, 2010). Most employers utilized these beliefs as a basis for excluding blacks from the labor force prior to the introduction of the affirmative action executive order and Title VII legislation. They also claim that African Americans have an inferior mentality and primitive morality (Coleman, 1998). As a result, it brings out whites as the exact opposite and associates them with dominant and advanced civilization.

Social constructs also describe blacks as aggressive and dangerous, which explains the treatment of African Americans as criminals. As a result, law enforcement officers utilize excessive force on black suspects and offenders. Moreover, they are believed to be ignorant, irresponsible, carefree, mean, and superstitious (Ramasubramanian, 2010). Additionally, the media and the society in general portray African Americans as law-breakers, which explains overrepresentation of this group in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. For this reason, they are targets in drug cases, stops and searches, violent robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides.

The whites also stereotype blacks as less intelligent and insinuate that this group cannot perform managerial and supervisory roles because they are less energetic (Ramasubramanian, 2010). The other belief that advances this notion is the perception that African Americans are unreliable but loyal slaves. In addition, they are viewed as simple-minded and docile, which implies that they need directions from a master or a person at a higher rank (Green, 1998). In some way, it articulates that African Americans enjoy serving. The whites also stereotype African American women as overweight, loud, mean, and motherly figures (Ramasubramanian, 2010). Additionally, they have an image of sporty considering the numbers engaged in athletics and games.

President Barrack Obama is among the various African American figures who do not fit the stereotypes associated with this group. He possesses great leadership and managerial capabilities sufficient to rule the entire nation. The other famous African American is Martin Luther King whose intelligent words continue to inspire people worldwide. As a charismatic leader, King contributed significantly towards the end of segregation and other human rights violations (Kirk, 2013). Maya Angelou is another prominent African American who does not fit the stereotypes having excelled in the authoring, publishing and production of books, plays, and poetry.

Booker T. Washington is one more example of a distinguished African American who triumphed over the mentioned beliefs. He created and led Tuskegee Institute into becoming an outstanding university in the US (Kirk, 2013). Doctor Patricia Bath also became prominent as an ophthalmologist and the first female African American to file a patent for a medical invention. The named persons rose above common stereotypes and assumed leadership in various fields despite the long-held perception that African Americans cannot hold positions of power. They have demonstrated that some blacks are intelligent, energetic, responsible, informed, civilized, reliable, and well-behaved.