Social Disparity

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, was quoted saying "If I had a son he'd look like Trayvon." This sentiment echoes to me in reference to my nieces and nephews that are part African American. Research will allow me to address the concerns that my nieces and nephews will be discriminated against. Additionally, I have seen firsthand how law enforcement justify racial profiling. In the car with my African-American sister-in-law, we were pulled over. The officers did not ask for license and registration nor did they answer her inquiries as to why she was pulled over. Instead, they asked if she was carrying any drugs or weapons. They asked if she was gang affiliated, an alcoholic, or an addict. We were forced to get out so the officers could search the vehicle. Upon finding nothing the officers thanked us for our time and cooperation and left. There standing on the side of the road with my sister-in-law, I came to conclusion that when colored people are racially profiled they have no rights. To my sister-in-law, she said it was just another day being guilty of driving while black. I fear for my nieces and nephews that they too will experience this kind of demoralizing injustice, and inequality. I feel obligated to better inform myself on the issue with the hopes that I will provide them with facts on how to handle discrimination when and if they ever have the misfortune of experiencing it.The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the unsolved murder of Civil rights activists Medgar Evers, the beating of Rodney King, and the death of a 15 year old named Latasha Harlins represent just a few of the countless incidents throughout America's history of racial intolerance. Racial discrimination and disparity runs deep through the veins of American society. Racial prevails in every aspect of many individuals' lives. Muslim Americans are often profiled as terrorists, African and Latin Americans are viewed as gangsters and illegal immigrants, and Asians are often referred to as bad drivers. Through the process of racialization, individuals of color have been labeled and grouped into racial categories leaving them vulnerable to social strata and bias which further . These individuals suffer consequences behavior. to the concept of the labeling theory, Trayvon Martin and many other young minorities are often singled out not because of what they did, but because of how society has been taught color of the color of their skin, and the way they are perceived in society.

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