On August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, MO an unarmed black teenager
Michael Brown was shot and killed which gain national media coverage. What goes beyond this horrific event is that
economic justice has not serve minorities which furthers widen the gap of
income inequality among white Americans.
Colin Gordon did a fantastic blog titled “Segregation’s Long Shadow” in
which he explained, “In 2012, median black family income ($40,517) was 61.5
percent of white median income ($53,706).”
I would argue that historically that the U.S. Constitution and the legal
system allowed whites to acquire wealth and power off the back of black slave
labor. Back then, the foundation was
laid for whites to have better educated resources and slave laws to suppress
black revolts. I feel even the legal
system back then was a major player to further enhance income inequality to
blacks and later on in time to all minorities.
A good example would be the famous 1857 Dred Scott case which stated
that blacks had no rights and economic aid to blacks was against the Constitution. Fast forward to 2015 and it seems like a
modern day slave plantation. According
to the Pew Research Center George Gao stated, “In 2010, all black men were six
times as likely as all white men to be incarcerated in federal, state and local
jails, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center Study.” Yes we do have affirmation action but I do
not feel it is not enough to balance income equality towards everyone. When black males are mostly criminalized like
Michael Brown this destroys the black family unit. A household that is raised by a single black
mother is more difficult to sustain a financial cushion. This does not excuse blacks and other minorities
from engaging in petty criminal activities and they should be held
accountable. However, the system should
provide MORE financial opportunities across the board in urban cities. More financial opportunities lead to less
criminal activities, leads to more co-parenting leads to better educated
resource.
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