Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By
Danny Dixon
Introduction
the United States primarily affecting negatively Blacks, initially brought to the
aforementioned bodies because of the change of the world since September 11,
2008.
Early History
what she calls “the prevalence of prejudice and racism” in the United States
(Bennett, 77). Bennett does not avoid acknowledgment of the horrors of African
over 100 million Black Africans were either killed or transported to the
Americas between 1502 when the slave trade began and its actual end in
the 1860’s. [Therein] over 400,000 Africans had been forced into slavery
in North America and another 10 to 50 million were forcibly transported
to South America and the Caribbean. By 1860 the African American
population in the United States had grown . . . to more than 4 million, with
the majority being born into slavery. (Bennett, 135).
Development of Race and Ethnic Relations 3
This first of three phases of African American history in the United States
continues with a fair treatment to 1992 of their status of being their masters’
personal property, emancipated freemen with the right to vote after the
develop fair land distribution reform resulting in their status, mainly, as tenant
offices, and so on” ( Bennett, 139); and even after migration north to live in
art, music, and film during the 1920s; benefiting from the effects of social
Richard Wright in his 12 Million Black Voices, social advances through civil
rights consciousness initiated through civil disobedient acts led by men such as
Martin Luther King, the Black Panther organization, and Black Muslims (The
Nation of Islam) represented most significantly by the fiery Malcolm Little (who
adopted the name “Malcolm X”) primarily in the 1950s and carried out after
first to last, although she does, trace the above details. She does, however pick
following:
• The 1992 Rodney King beating by four white Los Angeles policemen.
The officers were acquitted resulting in outrage and riots in south-central
Los Angeles resulting in 50 deaths and $800 million of financial and
property losses.
• A 1995 Harvard study reporting of the dismantling of desegregation, one
of the pivotal decisions of the 1950s and meticulously carried out in the
1960s.
• The O. J. Simpson murder trial and divisive discussion within families,
communities, classrooms, workplaces after the not guilty decision in the
criminal case.
• Increases during the summer of 1994, for example, of ethno-violence.
• An increase of “hate sites” on the Internet increasing dramatically as late
as 1997.
• The James Byrd truck dragging, in which an African American was
dragged to his death by two white males in 1998.
• Benjamin Smith of the World Church killing African Americans and
Asian Americans on a three-day spree of racially motivated violence.
• Racial violence breaking out after Cincinnati, Ohio police shot and killed
an unarmed African American boy in 2001.
• In 2004 over 1500 harassment and anti-Muslim violence cases, an
increase of 50% over the previous year (Bennett, 78-79).
Bennet mentions a number of world events in which ethnic tensions can be seen
While any number of groups call for a continuing investigation of the events of
September 11 (Avery, 2007), it should not be forgotten that this Pearl Harbor
type event, in and of itself, has cast the United States into war in two theaters,
Afghanistan and Iraq with one more looming on the horizon (Iran).
Ongoing Challenges
people since September 11, 2001 are becoming increasingly evident. Jim Lobe
Even Senator John McCain, front runner in the final months bid for the
adviser an Ohio megachurch pastor [Rod Parsley] who has called upon
Christians to wage a ‘war’ against the ‘false religion’ of Islam with the aim of
destroying it.” Parsley reportedly wrote the following in his 2005 book Silent
No More:
I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature of
Islam, that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you this: I do
not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we
understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement
sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that
America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false
religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational
call to arms that we can no longer ignore. (Corn, 2008).
Such language does all but promote cool headedness in a social climate that is
already fertile soil for prejudice. Nor do such attitudes promote reciprocal
Islamist terrorist group, a medical doctor and Muslim reformer living in the
West writes:
Vision
the resolution of the problem of fear of their people. The following suggestions
We Muslims should publicly show our strong disapproval for the growing
number of attacks by Muslims against other faiths and against other
Muslims. (Hamid, 2007).
Progressive Muslims seem able to see that the core issues causing prejudice
toward their people are not those surrounding September 11. Rather basic
human rights and demonstrable respect for human rights and women’s rights go
Conclusion
true of even the last 16 years at the least, African Americans in the news has
hooked the attention of other Americans as well as the world. Other study will
Development of Race and Ethnic Relations 8
Even so, as research shows, still fresh on the minds of many Americans—
point is September 11 and assumptions about how Islam treats women. It is not
only non-Arab Americans who see the problem. Arab Islamists themselves see
Works Cited
Avery, Dylan, Bermas, Jason & Rowe, Corey (2007) Loose change: final cut. A
louder than
words production. Retrieved May 18, 2008 from: lc911finalcut.com.
Corn, David (March 12, 2008). “McCain’s spiritual guide: Destroy Islam.”
Washington
Dispatch, The Foundation for National Progress. Retrieved May 19, 2008
from: http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/john-
mccain-rod-parsley-spiritual-guide.html
Hamid, Tawfik (May 25, 2007). “How to end ‘Islamaphobia’: The latest survey
of American
Muslims won't reassure their fellow citizens.” The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved May 19, 2008 from:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010123
Hopwood v. State of Texas (March 18, 1996). United States Court of Appeals
for the 5th
Circuit. Retrieved March 18, 2008 from: http://www.cir-
usa.org/legal_docs/hopwood_v_texas_fifth.pdf
Lobe, Jim (September 19, 2006). Big jump found in US anti-Muslim incidents.
Inter Press
Service, News Center.Accessed May 19, 2008 from
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0919-02.htm