Essay on the Unrewarded Labor of African Americans: A Trace of Economic History

Being black in America has not been easy. A trace of the economic history of African Americans depicts that they are past and current victims of economic mistreatment as the majority of whites seek to take advantage of the blacks' inferior status. As the United States laid its economic foundations, African Americans played an instrumental role as black slaves; they offered labor for economic growth that ended up unrewarded. According to Jackson (2011), many African Americans worked in cotton, tobacco, and rice plantations in the 17th and 18th centuries as the American businessmen made fortunes from their cheap or free labor. Fortunately, the situation has changed over time as equality is now a virtue and racial abuse highly condemned.

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Over time, African Americans have managed to transform their economic status. Much of this change is a direct impact of the Civil Rights Movement as well as the gradual expansion of the African-American middle-class populace in American society. According to Wilson (2011), the economic success that has significantly changed the history of African Americans has resulted from their increased access to higher education and chances of employment. If the trend remains unchanged, their influence and participation in economic affairs will change profoundly.

With the Civil Rights era paving the way for the economic rise of African Americans, substantial changes have been taking place in crucial areas of the economy. One of the segments is poverty where the racial disparity has significantly narrowed. As Wilson (2011) further adds, the black middle class occupies the highly influential category even though poverty is still a serious concern. Other problems hindering economic development at the same pace as the white majority include underrepresentation in the government and employment as well as unequal education attainment. These issues are the ones that American society should address over time to enhance African Americans economic development.

Regarding their political history, African Americans form the most politically abused category. According to Hall (2007), it was until the establishment of civil rights and Black Power movements started obtaining some rights; they were victims of the Jim Crow rules which made them live under the shadows of slavery. Through political activism led by the likes of Martin Luther King, African Americans challenged the status quo and pressurized the system to rise and give the black race the recognition it deserves. The guiding premise was and remains that all races are equal and none deserves discrimination.

The process of reaching the political situation experienced today has been profoundly challenging to African Americans. Just like in the case of economic struggle, the Civil Rights Movement paved the way for the necessary political changes marked by boycotts, court battles, and demonstrations as the blacks resisted political discrimination. Through the formation of political parties and alliances that championed the interests of the blacks, African Americans managed to redefine their interactions with the whites. Gradually, their involvement in political processes improved and they acquired the deserved rights in voter registration among other political participation activities.

Regarding social history, it is right affirming that African Americans have been victims of racial inferiority for long. A majority are descendants of slavery although their social status has gradually changed after managing to resist inequality and racial discrimination. Socially, the most significant hurdles that African Americans have faced include legacies of slavery and racism as well as overt discrimination which hamper equal access to resources and crucial social elements such as health and housing. Their history is also rich with problems of criminal injustices.

Today, life in America as a black has improved even though institutional racism is widespread. Although American society has done away with race-based segregation laws, the minority groups where African Americans belong continue to face discriminatory treatment. A perfect example as Brunson and Weitzer (2009) highlight is the unfair treatment of blacks by law enforcement officials such as evidenced in the use of excessive force and high police presence in areas where the blacks are the majority. In spite of these issues, significant development has taken place as far as access to essentials including health, education, and justice are concerned. It is a situation with a mixed state of affairs, but racism still looms large.

Education Information

In American society, the whites have been the most influential race when it comes to the determination of the type and extent of education that African Americans get. According to Strayhorn (2010), the policies that mainly look at the interests of the whites are a reflection of the minor role of the African Americans in society, which shows that relations and attitudes towards blacks are yet to change and reach the desired levels. In spite of these challenges, the current policies encourage black participation in education as opposed to prohibition.

Education attainment demographics show a gradual increase across ages with the acquisition of bachelors' degrees being almost the same among different age categories. Education's priority has changed, and African Americans' presence in higher learning institutions is higher than in the past. However, they are yet to match their white counterparts. The system is mainly formal where the ladder includes primary, secondary, and higher education levels. As it generally applies worldwide, education plays a vital role in uplifting standards; it is necessary for social empowerment, and people acquire it to improve socially and economically. Overall, it is a strategy of being more in control, and African Americans recognize elementary schools.

Family and Religion

Every culture has a defining element when it comes to family and religion, and African Americans have shown great reverence of these crucial social aspects. In the majority of African Americans, religion and spirituality are of central importance where they are the most likely among other races to belong to a formal religious affiliation; about 90% rate religion as a crucial factor in their lives (Gutierrez, Goodwin, Kirkinis, & Mattis, 2014). All age groups are likely to attend religious services more compared to other races.

It is the families that help to teach and transmit social values with the older parents helping to influence the younger generations to follow their social ways of life. According to Gutierrez, Goodwin, Kirkinis, and Mattis (2014), families help in religious socialization, and they are integral in teaching values, beliefs, and behaviors. Through families, the younger generations are embedded in relationships, social contexts, and moral communities where they learn about the cultural and social values of the community as they develop spiritual capital. African American families have more children compared to white ones.

Popular Culture

The blacks' influence in pop culture cannot be overlooked in any instance. African Americans are among the highly influential groups when it comes to art, music, and fashion with many earning awards in national and international events. In music, the blacks are top performers in rap and have acclaimed many albums over the years. According to Morgan and Bennett (2011), such music including hip hop gives them an identity and helps them to air their social grievances as they address their day to day concerns.

African Americans are also highly present in fashion and dance. The current increase in their participation in these critical cultural elements stems from the fact that the white community is currently more welcoming to the blacks' talent unlike in the past. However, most trends including dance, music, and art are white-dominated. This point implies that as in the case with other social elements, white dominance is evident and chances of inequality are there as well. Fortunately, since mainstream society has gradually dealt with the problem of racial mistreatment, African Americans are getting the required grip in the popular culture and entertainment industry as well. Many have also become influential members of society through their work that express what is happening among the American people and where society needs to address to move forward.

In American society today, African Americans comprise a significant portion of the populace which is highly influential in the political, economic, and social sectors. In the past, the position of African Americans was low in every aspect due to increased racism and overt segregation. Many could not succeed since society overlooked their capacity. However, with time, their influence has grown, and they play a vital role in national development. Also, they have played an essential role in the promotion of equality among other significant contributions. Toward understanding them better, the examination of their economic, social, and political history, education information, family and religion interconnectedness, and their role in popular culture provides a definite illustration of the position of African Americans in the American mainstream culture.

References

Brunson, R. K., & Weitzer, R. (2009). Police relations with black and white youths in different urban neighborhoods. Urban Affairs Review, 44(6), 858-885. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1078087408326973

Gutierrez, I. A., Goodwin, L. J., Kirkinis, K., & Mattis, J. S. (2014). Religious socialization in African American families: The relative influence of parents, grandparents, and siblings. Journal of Family Psychology, 28(6), 779-789. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0035732

Hall, J. D. (2007). The long civil rights movement and the political uses of the past. In The Best American History Essays 2007 (pp. 235-271). Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-137-06439-4_11

Jackson, A. T. (2011). Shattering slave life portrayals: uncovering subjugated knowledge in US plantation sites in South Carolina and Florida. American Anthropologist, 113(3), 448-462. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0035732

Strayhorn, T. L. (2010). When race and gender collide: Social and cultural capital's influence on the academic achievement of African American and Latino males. The Review of Higher Education, 33(3), 307-332. Retrieved from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/372485/summary

Morgan, M., & Bennett, D. (2011). Hip-hop & the global imprint of a black cultural form. Daedalus, 140(2), 176-196. Retrieved from https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/DAED_a_00086

Wilson, W. J. (2011). Being Poor, Black, and American: The Impact of Political, Economic, and Cultural Forces. American Educator, 35(1), 10-26. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ920512