The Sociological Impact of Inequitable Wealth for African Americans - Research Paper Example

The Sociological Impact of Inequitable Wealth for African Americans Introduction The history of the United States of America and the African American community are inextricably linked; one cannot discuss the history of the United States without mention the African American community. This relationship mostly revolves around slavery, the American Revolution, the American Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Antebellum Period, Emancipation, and racial terrorism among others (Wilson 7). African American local community based organizations have been playing very critical role in moving forward the “African American Agenda.” These organizations have been involved greatly in fighting for the rights and freedom of the African Americans and have yielded remarkable results. One of the main contributions of African American local community has been the fights towards racial equality in the United States (Plummer 222). In order to discover how African American local community based organization impacts on the African community, this paper will focus on the African American local community based organization, “the People’s Organization for Progress in Newark, New Jersey”. Specifically, the paper will discuss on the organization’s purpose which is focusing on the inequality of wealth for African Americans versus White Americans. In order to obtain the clear understanding of the subject, the paper will examine and review scholarly journal articles relating to the subject. In addition, it will examine what international scholars think about the topic and the macro sociological issues being addressed, as well as looking at the major theory used and the impacts that the article had. Description of the People’s Organization for Progress in Newark, New Jersey The People’s Organization for Progress in Newark, New Jersey is a local community based organization whose main motto is “Power to the People”. The organization was founded in August 1983. It was as a product of the African- American community struggles for justice in the late sixties and seventies. In its website, the organization states that it is grassroots, independent, and community based, as well as being politically progressive association of citizens who are working for economic, social, and racial justice geared towards greater unity of the community. The main purpose of the organization is to work for the immediate and notable improvement of the conditions of the community in Newark with the view of bringing fundamental transformation geared towards more just community and country as well. The People’s Organization for Progress stipulates its goals as including the following: elimination of inequality, unjust economic exploitation, sexism, poverty, racism, all forms of social oppression, injustice, suffering, human misery, and degradation. Since its inception, the organization has been involved in a number of activities that aim at achieving the organization’s goals. Some of these activities include organizing of vigils, marches, petition drives, public meetings, demonstrations, rallies, in addition to holding several press conferences, and writing campaigns letters. Besides, the organization has conducted educational forums, held conferences, and conducted voter registration. Since the organization derives its inspiration from the persons who held similar views and had same objectives as its own, it usually sponsors cultural activities that include observances of the Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X’s birthdays. What is more, the organization has designed itself as that which undertakes its activities based on the United States Constitution and State law; as such, its representatives have been making presentations before legislative bodies and several agencies of government. Over the years, the People’s Organization for Progress has been engaging actively in the fight against police brutality. For example, the organization has waged a rigorous fight for justice prompted by the death of Earl Faison who died within 45 minutes after he was wrongfully taken into the police custody in Orange, New Jersey. Since the death of Faison, the organization has conducted police performance surveys in the New Jersey community, as well as campaigning for police review boards to be controlled by independent citizen with subpoena powers for police forces at the local and state levels. Apart from the fight against police brutality, the organization has been involved in other important issues. It has been supporting the struggle for equal public schools funding in urban areas. The organization also supports the struggle for affordable day care, increase in the minimum wage, affirmative action, quality education, universal health care, affordable housing, human rights, clean neighborhoods, a fair and equitable taxation system, and lower energy prices. Also, it raised the reparations issue for the African Americans whose ancestors were slavery victims, and expressed the need for a national slavery memorial. More notably, it campaigned against the Confederate flag being flied. Additionally, it has been active in addressing issues even beyond the United States such as being actively involved in the fight against apartheid rule in South Africa. Along with that, it has supported democracy struggles in Haiti and called for embargo against Cuba to be lifted. Review of Literature Kirk, John. "The Long Road to Equality” Despite the efforts that various individuals and organizations have put in to bring racial equality in the United States, most of the African Americans still feel like second- class citizens (Kirk 52). The reformist initiatives to bring equality to the African Americans have been calling for rededication of Americans to the racial justice ideals. The economic progress and national unity should be prioritized along with racial justice especially that which is geared towards economic equality (Kirk 53). It seems that some white Americans are of the view that economic equality should not be attained; an assertion that has been proved in the American history through existence of groups such as Ku Klux Klan that aim at entrenching the white supremacy at the expense of the other communities such as the African American (McCormack 79). Kirk argues that beneath the velvet glove of constitutional subtleties there is an iron fist of intimidation and violence that seeks to sideline the African American from the America’s economic mainstream (Kirk 54). As demonstrated by Booker T. Washington, regardless of individual race, any individual can benefit from his or her hard work and thrift. That notwithstanding, organizations such as the People’s Organization for Progress should be at the forefront of uplifting individuals regardless of their race (Kirk 56). Kirk’s perspective is leaned towards showing how African American local based organizations are critical in helping bridge the inequality gap of wealth for African Americans and the White Americans. The macro sociological issues he addresses include racial inequality and liberation. Kirk uses conflict theory in his analysis of the subject; he points out to the fact that there has been constant struggle by the African Americans to gain equality particularly economic equality. Besides, he highlights that the conservative whites have been reluctant and often unwilling to address the equality issues raised by the African Americans. Instead, they have been undertaking activities that undermine economic equality as demonstrated by the activities of Ku Klux Klan (Kirk 53). The article suggests active African American local based organizations and actual and genuine implementation of the Constitution as the solution to inequitable wealth for African Americans. Polgar, Paul. "To Raise Them to an Equal Participation" Throughout the history of post- independence America, there have been efforts to abolish all forms of racial injustice and inequalities and give the African Americans full capacity for freedom (Polgar 229). There have evident efforts to gradually integrate African Americans and to make them fully independent and virtuous citizens of the Republic of the United States of America who are entirely capable of exercising productively their rights freedom and rights within the larger white society (Polgar 230). However, the efforts to integrate the African Americans and overturn the white prejudice, seems to have failed although to a lesser extent, but which cannot be ignored. As a result, wealth inequality between the whites and the African American continued to persist. The whites still hold quite incomparable amount of wealth while the African Americans hold nearly negligible quantity of wealth (Polgar 233-4). This argument is supported by Katz who states that the African Americans are far from achieving wealth equality (Katz, Mark, and Jamie 78). Therefore, it is important that the entire nation and the African American local based organizations be on the forefront of ensuring that wealth equality is achieved not only by the African Americans but also by other minority communities. Wealth inequality should be confronted by this generation with the same intensity as the generation before us, if not more (Polgar 252). Polgar’s arguments show that he is very much concerned with all forms racial injustices especially the wealth inequality where the whites seem to dominate the other races. He is alive to the efforts that have put to gradually integrate African Americans and to make them fully independent and virtuous citizens of the Republic of the United States of America who are entirely capable of exercising productively their rights freedom and rights within the larger white society. His perspective indicates that he is worried that despite considerable efforts, wealth inequality between the whites and the African American continued to persist. The macro sociological issues that are addressed in his article include the issue of racial injustice and racial dominance (the whites dominating the United States economic system at the expense of the African Americans). He uses conflict theory to explain his perspective; the conflict emanates from the whites desire to dominate the United States economy. He suggests that the challenge of wealth inequality can be resolved if the present generation confronts it with similar intensity that the previous generations confronted it with. Collins, Carol. "The American Civil Rights Movement: The African-American Struggle for Equality." Borrowing from W.E.B. Dubois classic statement that the main problem facing the United States of America is the problem of color line, Collins argues that wealth inequality for the African Americans versus the white Americans is the America’s main challenge, presently (Collins 132). Such inequality disadvantages the African Americans and poses a serious dilemma for a country that is founded on the principles of democracy. This assertion is supported by Mathew who observes that the wealth inequality for the African Americans emanate is evidenced by persistent African American problems in areas such as health, assets, income, education, and employment (Matthew 390). Recent studies have shown that there are clear wealth disparities between the African Americans and the white Americans; a situation that can be attributed to public policies that are designed in ways that ameliorate such inequalities (Collins 136-7). It is argued that the African American economic disadvantage in the American society is linked to the policy preferences and the white’s racial attitudes. They hold the belief that the African Americans are in some way inclined to poverty because of their behaviors and intellectual abilities. As such, they continue to create policies and take actions in ways that continue to disadvantage the African Americans hence causing wealth inequalities (Collins 140). Collins has the perspective that wealth inequality is against the America’s Constitution principles. He argues that the inequalities can be attributed to the policies in areas such as employment and education that the whites create that seek to ameliorate the inequalities. He also argues that the whites have negative and misplaced attitudes towards the African American such as being inclined towards poverty. The macro sociological issues he addresses are prejudice, public policy, and inequality. Collins uses conflict theory to explain his perspective- he brings out the reality regarding inequality and injustice which conflicts with the ideals of the American constitution, as well as whites’ attempts to entrench wealth inequality for African Americans through public policies on issues such as education and employment. He suggests that the wealth inequality can only be resolved through change of attitudes by the whites to the African Americans and proper policies that offers equal opportunities and does not discriminate on basis of race. Conclusion It is evident from the discussion that wealth inequality exists in the American society. The African Americans have been ‘hardly hit by the inequality as they are disadvantaged in areas such as education, income, and employment. All the authors of articles related to this topic agree that wealth inequality exists and give nearly the same reasons for existence of such inequalities. Besides, they provide suggestions on how to overcome the inequalities such as sticking to ideals of constitution that seeks to promote equality, as well as the need for proper public policies that seek to reduce the wealth inequality gap between the African Americans and the white Americans. Works Cited Collins, Carol. "The American Civil Rights Movement: The African-American Struggle for Equality." School Library Journal 50.8 (2004): 132-148 Kirk, John. "The Long Road to Equality." History Today 59.2 (2009): 52-58 Katz, Michael B., Mark J. Stern, and Jamie J. Fader. "The New African American Inequality." Journal of American History 92.1 (2005): 75-108. Matthew, Hunt. “African American, Hispanic, and White Beliefs about Black/White Inequality, 1977-2004.” American Sociological Review 72. 3 (2007): 390- 415. McCormack, Edward G. "The Coming Free: The Struggle for African-American Equality." Library Journal 130.15 (2005): 75- 80 Plummer, Brenda Gayle. "African Americans in the International Imaginary: Gerald Horne's Progressive Vision." Journal of African American History 96.2 (2011): 221-230. Polgar, Paul J. "To Raise Them to an Equal Participation": Early National Abolitionism, Gradual Emancipation, and the Promise of African American Citizenship." Journal of the Early Republic 31.2 (2011): 229-258. Wilson, William Julius. "Toward a Framework for Understanding Forces that Contribute to or Reinforce Racial Inequality." Race and Social Problems 1.1 (2009): 3-11 The People’s Organization for Progress (POP). 2012. Web. 04 Mar, 2012. www.njpop.org Read More