Essay Example on Black Discrimination: Persistence of Prejudice in the US

Despite being a land of diverse cultures and social values and norms, issues of race and gender discrimination are still prevalent in the United States. Particularly, the black community in the United States continues to feel the pressure of the race, gender, and sexual discrimination, the efforts of distinct social movements notwithstanding. The adversity of the discrimination is evident in the various scopes of the black community, including their consciousness and self-esteem, thus necessitating the urgent need to establish a common ground that acknowledges the diverse cultures, including their norms, values, and social affiliations (Simien 83). However, the issues affecting the black community in the United States have for decades been left unsolved, an aspect that has further exposed the ethnic group to feelings of self-loathing mental breakdown, and inferiority complex. Recognizing and experiencing the issues affecting the black community in the United States, Audre Lorde, a black poet and visionary, sought to fight for the rights and sovereignty of the blacks, especially in the social and economic scopes, through her vocal nature and writings.

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The choice of the research question is chiefly influenced by Lorde's drives and motive to explore and advocate for better solutions for issues affecting the black community as a minority ethnic group in the United States. In particular, the research question seeks to identify whether the issues of oppression especially against the black females are solely driven and exercised by the whites in the US or the blacks also diminish their women and whether they acknowledge the social, economic, and political equality of sexes. In other terms, the research question is tailored in a manner that seeks to identify the role of whites in promoting or diminishing black feminism while establishing the role of the black women in fighting for their rights and the support they get from their male counterparts.

Essentially, the research question is developed after a thorough and in-depth study of Lorde's biography and writings. In her biography, it is evident that despite growing up in an immigrant family, Lorde pursued her education and even graduated with bachelors of Arts from Hunters College and an MLS from Columbia University (Biography). Also, while most, if not all, blacks perceive whites as the primary discriminatory elements, Lorde got married to a white man and later divorced him for Frances Clayton. Form her childhood, education, and even married, this kind of research question was appropriate primarily because it offers an open reflection of the conflicting ends as experienced by Lorde (Biography). Through her lens, Lorde can offer detailed information and experiences that would then aid in answering the research question as posed at the start of this project. Lorde's writing also forms a crucial base for the research question, considering the fact that she used her poetry to express her emotions and more importantly, the pain and injustices of classism, sexism, racism, and homophobia.

The object of this study includes Lorde's poems, where she documented quite a lot of information regarding the black community and the issues that affected and continue to affect them first hand while in the United States. Lorde's poetry collection informs this study in the sense that it offers truthful and trustworthy information that reflects not only the disputed issues in the black community but also the trials, triumphs, and the good things that the black community is grateful for while in the United States. The objects of this project are critical, considering their documentation of first-hand info such as protests and killings of black people, including children, police brutality and the injustice of the judicial process. Also, Lorde's pieces of writing were passionate with an elaborate perception about society, not to mention their depth of feelings. Reading through her work, one understands the societal growth and advancements, including the society's tendency to group and categorize people based on their sexual, economic, political, gender, and religious affiliation. In other terms, the objects of these projects offer a detailed and comprehensive scope of issues as expressed by society and how they affect the distinct racial and ethnic groups and the black community in particular.

To understand Lorde's ideologies on black feminism, this project focuses on some of her major works where she reflects on the American society while offering her opinion about the lives of the black community. Some of her major poetic works include the Black Unicorn, Coal, New York Head Shop and Museum, and From a Land Where Other People Live, among other great poetic pieces. From the Black Unicorn, it is evident that the black community in the US continues to struggle even with the basic rights, an aspect that has exposed them to more oppression from the white. In the poem, Lorde points out that the black unicorn is mistaken for a shadow or symbol and taken through a country where mist painted mockeries.

Although Lorde uses symbols and metaphors in her poetic pieces, she simply means that the black community continues to be mistaken and treated like a lesser group and exposed to all sorts of troubles and humiliation. However, despite the struggles, Lorde states that the black unicorn is relentless and that it shall not tire until it is free. In simpler words, Lorde claims that unless the blacks are granted equal rights and freedom as the rest of the social and ethnic groups, they will continue to fight and protest the lousy leadership regardless of how long it takes.

In the Cable to Rage, Lorde expounds more on the black magic and how it should not be perceived or used for bad intentions in society. Instead, Lorde argues that the black community can use witches and other aspects of black magic to push their good agendas, such as promoting love and healings within relationships (Gibson). Witchcraft and black magic are used as a metaphor to represent the growing powers of the feminist groups and movements that protests and advocate for equal rights and freedom of the black women in society (Gibson). In the quest for equal rights, Lorde urges her audience and followers not to relent in the fight against the white supremacy and oppression of the black community.

After reading and understanding Lorde's work, it is clear that she intended to ensure that a black woman in society not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world enjoyed equal rights and freedom as their white counterparts. This means that every individual regardless of their sexual, racial, gender, and economic affiliations, should be denied a chance or discriminated for that matter (Simien 83). Lorde, through her work, states that the experiences of a black woman, especially in a society dominated by whites suffer pain and discrimination since she is not only discriminated for her race but also her gender. While such issues are more prevalent in a white-dominated society, issues of discriminating black women are also evident in black communities where the man is granted all the respect and better opportunities the women's qualification and suitability notwithstanding.

Therefore, while the black community should constantly fight and rebel against the white supremacy, it should also take it upon itself to establish a fairground that acknowledges and appreciates a black woman. The latter should be given an equal chance to thrive as a man and judged based on her qualifications and experiences and not sexual orientation, class, or gender. Also, a black woman should be allowed to make her choices and not subjected to the decisions and commands of a man, which in this case would be a profound way of promoting femininity and blackness. As a lesbian, Lorde also advocated for the homosexuality rights in the black community where it is disregarded and perceived as evil.

According to Lorde, every individual regardless of their gender has a choice about their sexuality and their decision should not be structured and build on societal expectations and connotations. In other terms, the black community should unite and acknowledge the importance of empowering and appreciating the roles and positions of women in society. By working as a unit and accepting the position of women and allowing her to make choices and decisions in society while thriving even in areas and opportunities that are male-dominated, the black community can eventually threaten the white supremacy by being more tolerant. In simpler terms, black feminism promotes the equality of sexes by creating more room for the black women who have for decades been subjects to choices and decisions of men not only in the United States but also in the black community.

Therefore, black feminism is an essential aspect in society, considering its influence and efforts to correcting the differences that promote discrimination and oppression of a black woman in society. By advocating for equal right and freedom, black women hope to be accepted in a white society and not judged based on their race but qualifications and suitability for the available opportunities. Also, a black woman hope to be accepted in her community regardless of her sexual orientation, amongst other critical aspects that are considered as evil in their culture. Overall, black feminism advocates for the recognition of a black woman in the diverse global community and granted equal social, economic, and political rights without favors or bias but for their competence and qualifications.

Works Cited

Gibson, Kailyn. "Cables To Rage By Audre Lorde | The Feminist Poetry Movement". Sites.Williams.Edu, 2018, https://sites.williams.edu/engl113-f18/gibson/cables-to-rage-by-audre-lorde/. Accessed 11 Apr 2020.

Biography. "Audre Lorde". Biography, 2019, https://www.biography.com/scholar/audre-lorde.

Simien, Evelyn M. "Black Feminist Theory". Women & Politics, vol 26, no. 2, 2004, pp. 81-93. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1300/j014v26n02_04. Accessed 11 Apr 2020.