African Americans

Our society is built on the basis of social groups, we all belong to at least one. African Americans are a major group in our society associated with both good and bad connotations. Whether we’re talking about the election of our country’s first black president Barack Obama, or the wrongful shooting of a black man by the police they are a very relevant part of our society. I want to dive into, and explore the role African Americans social group share in our society.

TIME

As time moves on, and society evolves, African Americans position in our society evolves too. Things are definitely better than they were 50 years ago but it seems like certain stereotypes and connotations associated with their social groups still stand. In the article “Opinion: Black girls in America live life in a hazardous intersection” we see this take place as the article explains how many African American girls in schools are constantly treated unfairly and discriminated because of the stereotypes associated with them. Many black women are commonly misinterpreted and labeled as “having attitude,” and for this reason in schools are often given far worse punishment in comparison to their other classmates.

ADL

One very common mistake made is the assumption that all black people in America are African Americans. It can’t be forgotten that African American is an ethnicity not a race, every black person in our country does not originate from the same hearth, and it seems like many people lose sight of this. Many immigrate from Caribbean Islands, Dominican Republic, and yes, even Africa. It’s true though, many were forcefully brought here generations ago to be slaves because the founding fathers of our country believed it was the right thing to do, but once again, not every black person in our country share this ancestry. Black people are a diverse race consisting of many different cultures, histories, and ethnicities and African Americans are an ethnic group part of that race.

Although we have come a long way in our society, prejudice towards African Americans still exists. Their have been many movements and positive changes in our society that have pushed us closer to equality, like the integration of schools, the election of Barack Obama, etc. Although, it does not mean we are perfect, things are still tense, and it is clear that there is still a major gap. We still have incidents like the unrightful shooting of Philando Castile where he was pulled over then moments later shot and killed by a police officer in front of his girlfriend and daughter because he wanted to make the officer aware that he kept a registered gun in the car. People like to add the stereotype that African Americans are “thugs” or “violent people” because of the large population of gang affiliated African Americans, but if they understood the history of gangs and why they formed it would become clear that gangs are a direct outcome of the racism and prejudice African Americans had to undergo in our country. During the mid 1900’s as integration was just barely starting to take place in our country, many young African American boys tried to take part in their right to join clubs and of course they were turned away, so instead they decided to form their own clubs where they would hang out and at the same time protest the prejudice they were facing, but over the years things escalated into what gangs are today.

Vibe

In conclusion African Americans are a major part of our society with unique identities, diversities, and and long history of justice. African Americans have strong identities which can often be misjudged because of connotations placed on their social group in the past. African Americans are also a very diverse culture and are often confused with other cultures and ethnicities in our society. Justice has definitely been a long lasting fight for African Americans through civil rights movements, discrimination, and constant push for equality in America and all over the world, but it definitely is progressing. In the end, we all have a major part to play if we want to come anywhere near an equal society, it of course is going to take some time, but if people can learn to be more open minded and try to come to an understanding, we have a fighting chance.