Maysha Foster

Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, continue to promote racism in America. Trump has been in the spotlight ever since he assumed office as the president due to his tweets. The majority of the people in the country consider most of his tweets as racist. One such tweet in 2019 targeted four Congresswomen of color, who Trump tells they should “go back to the broken and crime-infested places from which they came.” Trump’s other tweets also continues to make the issue of racism in the country. The depth of racism in the country is seen in the many protests that occur in different parts of the country. Most of these protests result from police brutality towards people of color. If racism goes on unabated, it will eventually destroy America, unless it is addressed as a serious crime by the people in authority. 

Racism is still a big challenge in the country many years after the civil war. Many people hoped that civil war would end the vice, but it  still troubles many people of color. Inequality in access to education, employment, the criminal justice system, and health care, are the key sectors perceived to promote racism in the country. These sectors form the fundamental pillars of the country. If they are corrupt and promote racism, then, the country will perish. 

Racism is already ruining America’s image of liberal internationalism. America is in the spotlight especially for failing to protect its people. Over 500,000 people have lost their lives to coronavirus pandemic. Many others, especially people of color, have died at the hands of the criminal justice system, an aspect that angers many people and ruins the reputation of the country. 

James Schneider, a white column writer based in Chicago, argues that blacks are the ones to blame for racism in the country. He says that “it is the blacks who are by far the most racist of all people as they can’t seem to forget about their damn color and move on with life.” Schneider further argues that blacks have failed to get better education and skills to enable them to progress in life. They, therefore, use racism as an excuse to cover their problem. However, the fact is people of color have been a target for racism since the makings of the country. Blacks have struggled in the country since their days as slaves on farms owned by the whites. Statistics from the criminal justice system also show that blacks constitute the majority of the people in prisons. Discrimination in school admission further shows the extent to which blacks suffer in the quest to better their life. 

Moreover, discrimination in the employment sector makes life worse for blacks. These problems contribute significantly to the high crime rates and delinquency among black people. It is the system that has failed to help the blacks, it is not that they are lazy or do not want to advance in life. Many blacks indeed engage in criminal behavior such as drug trafficking, organized crime, and armed robbery in the country. This, however, does not mean that they deserved to be treated as lesser humans in the country. Many other whites engage in similar crimes, but they get less sentence in prison or even dodge the law according to (West, Cornel, Sonia Sanchez, and Alice 57). Also, many black people have climbed the economic ladder in the country and enjoy similar privileges as the whites. A big number of blacks are however struggling with racism in the country. 

The American government under President Trump has made race relations worse. Data show that 56% of interviewed Americans believe Trump has made race relations worse in the country. A big number of democrats, 84%, believe Trump made race relationships worse compared to 20% of Republicans who say he has made it worse. A small number of both Democrats and Republicans believe that Trump tried to improve race relations but failed. These statistics show that a large number of people in the country acknowledge racism is prevalent in the country. Regular protests against police brutality also prove that racism is destroying the country’s criminal justice system. 

Racism is America’s worst poison as pointed out by Eduardo Porter in his book American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise. Porter explores how race divides individuals in different institutions in the country. He focuses on how minority groups such as blacks and immigrants encounter discrimination in all sectors of the country. Porter also compares racism during Obama’s and Trump’s times in office. The main issue is that racism has been part of the country since independence. He acknowledges that the issue affects the lives of Blacks and Hispanics every day. He, therefore, calls upon Blacks and Hispanics to unite and fight the vice. He says that “what America has done so far is wrong, and it’s time to change it” (Porter 34). It is, therefore, time for all people in the country led by the leaders to fight racism before it ruins America completely. The criminal justice system in particular should ensure that justice is served for both blacks and whites involved in crime without discrimination. Also, all people in the country have the right to protection and access to government institutions regardless of their race, ethnicity, or religion. 

Many Angelou once said that “prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.” Angelou experienced racism in every stage of her life and therefore understood how it felt. America, therefore, needs to address racism as a serious issue otherwise it threatens its future. Racism is already making the present inaccessible for people of color in the country and it will not be long before the whole country suffers the consequences of the vice.