Essay Example on Racial and Cultural Division in America: George Floyd and Beyond

Race and cultural division have been awash in many parts of the world, especially Europe. From colonialism and slavery, the most racially and culturally discriminated people have been people of color. Despite strides made in recent years, the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer highlighted the extent of discrimination of black people. Discrimination has not only been based on color but also culture. In this paper, the focus is on the extend of racial cultural dived in America.

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Race from time immemorial has been a sensitive topic for American people. America was founded on the work of slaves and other minority groups in America. The racial-cultural division is much pronounced in Europe and many minority groups, especially people of color. Industrialization further field discrimination and racism because of a growth in the need for labor due to an increase in industrial production resulting from industrialization. Cultural racism also referred to as a neo-racism, has been of little impact in the united states and other countries in Europe. However, there are social beliefs that view products from the white majority as superior. Racism and cultural dived is deep-rooted in many institutions such as school and even government institutions.

Schools in the neighborhoods of minority groups have little infrastructure and receive little funding from the government compared to schools in white neighborhoods. The government particularly is supposed to put into an account and tackle the issue of racial discrimination and not be a proponent of the vice. It is difficult for students belonging to minority groups to get into prestigious universities and colleges because of their race. White neighborhoods have excellent amenities with roads, schools, and hospitals built to standard. However, in neighborhoods occupied by minority groups, facilities are run down, and most receive minimal funding from the government, and most of the projects initiated in such neighborhoods are not completed.

"A letter from jail," an open letter from Martin Luther King, better expounds and gives scope to the phenomenon of racism and discrimination. In the letter, Martin Luther King Jnr says, “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere” (King Jr, 1992). The statement labels injustice, otherwise known as discrimination, as a vice that should not be practiced by anyone anywhere because it goes against the rights of all people. Racism and discrimination have also taken root in the entertainment industry and was so from early days dating back to the actual discovery of film. Many films rarely cast black people in films, and when they are cast, the roles are demeaning. Oscars until recently a preserve for white people and to receive such awards, minority groups, especially black people, have to work harder. The founding father of America practiced slave trade, and importantly, amerce was built on the labor of slaves who were brought in droves from Africa. Such people have been glorified through monuments and in various parks around the united states confirm them heroism status.

Black heroes and heroines have less or no monuments conferring them heroes’ status for the roles they played in liberating black people from the burden of oppression and segregation. Female heroines like Harriet Tubman have been recognized just recently through documentaries. It clearly shows the disparity that has existed between the white majority and the black minority in the United States. There is discrimination in governmental institutions and that is more sickening because the formation of the government is for the people and by the people and thus fairness and equality should be practiced across the board. There is little representation of colored people in congress and if there is, their voices are ignored and contributions disregarded. There is a lot of cultural divide among people of color and the white majority.

There has been a mixing across groups and division has been on religion, origin family influence, and country of origin. Muslims who live in America have seen much discrimination with drills being done targeting Muslim students. Their countries of origin play a role in their discrimination due to the stereotypic thoughts held by people based on the Muslim faith. Black Americans considered having African roots are the most discriminated again in most Europe and Asia. As recent as April this year, some black people were thrown out of their apartments in china because they would infect people. It gives a broad picture of how culture plays a role in the discrimination n of minority groups across Asia and Europe. Culture is diversified and shared all people should embrace each other and work towards fostering togetherness. The diversity of culture and its uniqueness makes each culture special in its way and not better than another in any way. People have become more aware and have started to recognize the uniqueness of each individual. The recent protests in the United States of America on the killing of black people b white policemen are a manifest of awareness. The protests were recognized worldwide and many across the world held protests in solidarity. Racial cultural divide should be a thing of the past and all people should work towards building a world that recognizes the uniqueness of each individual person.

Works Cited

King Jr, M. L. (1992). Letter from Birmingham jail. UC Davis L. Rev., 26, 835.