Racial Inequality In America
Racial inequality has been a big problem in the United States for hundreds of years, and it is still a problem today. We need to fix it. People are being treated differently, unfairly, and are being discriminated against because of the color of their skin, something they can’t even control. It is extremely unfair to those people because they were born that way, you can’t change something like that. Examples of racial inequality include things like the racial wealth gap, education, and police brutality.
The first example of racial inequality in the United States is the racial wealth gap. There is a huge wealth gap in America between white families and families of color. Studies show that, “White households in the U.S. on average have 10 times more than Black households and 8 times more wealth than Latinx households.” (TCCT). It is insane how differently and how poorly people are being treated because of the color of their skin, and it’s not just a coincidence. “The racial wealth gap is perpetuated through laws and policies that disadvantage Black and Latinx communities.” (TCCT). The U.S. government is keeping communities of color from building wealth. They are being kept down because of the color of their skin and they aren’t given the same opportunity to grow in wealth as the white communities. That seems like a case of racial inequality, is it not?
Another example of racial inequality in the U.S. is in education. Students of color are being treated differently by teachers and school administrators, and it’s not in a good way. Research shows that, “Compared with white students, black students are more likely to be suspended or expelled, less likely to be placed in gifted programs and subject to lower expectations from their teachers.” (Weir). Being treated this way affects the student’s ability to succeed, ultimately giving them less and unequal opportunity than those of other races. It is not okay to treat people poorly and give them unequal opportunities just because of their race, they are still human like all the other races. This is why racial inequality is such a big problem in America.
The last example of racial inequality in America is police brutality. Police, the people hired by the government to make the community safe, are beating and killing people because they are colored. “Police in the U.S. killed 164 Black people in the first 8 months of 2020.” (Cohen). People of color often fear for their life when they see or are pulled over by a police officer. That is something white people don’t have to worry about. They are given an unequal chance at life and protection. No person should fear the people who are meant to help them. It’s extremely unfair that people of color, throughout their whole life, have to pray that they don’t get pulled over by a racist cop. They should not have to live like that.
All in all, racial inequality is still a big problem in America today, and something must be done about it. It is not fair that people of color are being treated differently, poorly, and are given less opportunity than those of other races. America is supposed to be the land of the free, but it doesn’t look like that’s the case.
Works Cited
Cohen, Li. “Police in the U.S. Killed 164 Black People in the First 8 Months of 2020. These Are Their Names. (Part I: January-April).” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 10 Sept. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/pictures/black-people-killed-by-police-in-the-u-s-in-2020/.
McCarthy, Niall, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: U.S. Police Shootings: Blacks Disproportionately Affected.” Statista Infographics, 15 July 2020, www.statista.com/chart/21857/people-killed-in-police-shootings-in-the-us/.
TCCT. “About the Racial Wealth Gap.” The Chicago Community Trust, 24 Jan. 2020, www.cct.org/about/about-the-racial-wealth-gap/.
Weir, Kirsten. “Inequality at School.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, Nov. 2016, www.apa.org/monitor/2016/11/cover-inequality-school.
