Education, Poverty, Incarceration, And The Pursuit Of...

Education, Poverty, Incarceration, and the Racial Wealth Gap in America Our constitution states that â€Å"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.† Are the words of our founding fathers being upheld? If this is truly the essence of our society, why is it so difficult for African Americans to thrive economically, and why is there a prominent, growing wealth gap between white and black Americans? Studies show that there are three fundamental issues contributing to systemic racism and creating the disparity: poor education, workplace discrimination, and judicial inequality. Poor education in high poverty neighborhoods leads to low college attendance and graduation rates, which in turn reduces job prospects and the potential to build wealth. Discrimination during the hiring process and in the workplace is another significant factor; evidence exists demonstrating that resumes with white sounding names receive many more callbacks as those with typically black names, and once a job is secured, there is a notable wage gap between white and black workers. Civil issues such as unequal sentencing and high incarceration rates round out this trifecta. Law enforcement officers tend to arrest, and judges lean towards convicting, African Americans more often than any other racial group. Additionally, once convicted, the sentences are frequently much more harsh.Show MoreRelatedThe Incarcera tion System Of The United States1025 Words   |  5 PagesIndeed, once upon a time the incarceration system was set in place with two firm duties: retribution and rehabilitation. When did these institutions, once considered virtuous and just, become the hallmark of inequality? On September 27th, 2015, Pope Francis remarked on a visit to a Philadelphia jail â€Å"It is painful when we see prison systems, which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain, to offer new possibilities,† a moving sentiment that would soon resonate with the American populationRead MoreThe Incarceration System During The United States1252 Words   |  6 PagesOur incarceration system once pursued two firm yet opposing goals: retribution and rehabilitation. The Age of Enlightenment spurred an influx of imprisonment ideologies that soon congealed into a justifiable approach towards criminals. Jails, workhouses, and prisons aimed to reintegrate lawbreakers back into society but not before the y were punished. The precarious balance between such contradictory motives unfortunately proved impossible. When did this system, once considered virtuous and just,Read MoreThe New Jim Crow Laws1667 Words   |  7 Pagesthat from when Kill a Mocking bird took place. Michelle Alexander describes â€Å"caste† as a â€Å"stigmatized racial group locked into an Inferior position by law and custom. Jim Crow and slavery were caste systems. So is our current System of mass incarceration† (Alexander 12). As we believe today in our society that we are equal and that racism is gone but guess again. This is not even true at all. This still exist but in different forms than the Jim Crow laws. Today as the author points out theRead MoreThe Role Of Institutional Racism During Bridging The Racial Divide1731 Words   |  7 Pagesnegative repercussions on the country as a whole, whether it be economically, socially, or politically. The Bill of Rights states that â€Å"all men are created equal...with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness†(1). Disgraceful acts of racism portrays America as being a country against complete acceptance and assimilation. Should new laws be passed in the area of civil rights so that America will emerge as a country of inspiration and a role-modelRead More Inequality for all2700 Words   |  11 Pagesas evident in the harsher punishments for crim e and lack of rights. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence; this document declared our nation’s founding principle: â€Å"all people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness† (Public Broadcast Service, 2011). If this is what America holds to be true, how could slavery be justifiable? Although Thomas Jefferson viewed African American’s as equally human with the same inalienable rights as others, he planted theRead MoreShould The Us Maintain The Death Penalty?1615 Words   |  7 Pagesa system in which not everyone can afford to pay for a lawyer who can adequately represent him or her or defend him or her in court. This can put sense as to why those who are sitting in jail are the ones who were and still are living below the poverty line and could not afford to pay for a lawyer to defend them in the case during court. On the other hand, we see that those who are capable, are able to pay for a skilled lawyer who can assist them during their case in court. According to Helen PrejeanRead MoreThe Dream Act2876 Words   |  12 PagesThe Public Policy of Illegal Immigration? Introduction Is higher education an entitlement? As a daughter of immigrants, this question can not be answered by a simple yes or no. Every area of policy is multifaceted. Every idea about policy draws certain boundaries in the realm of politics and in the debate of social and economic legislation. â€Å"Ideas tell what or who is included or excluded in a category.†(Stone). The rationale of public policy is taking a complex agenda, situation or idea and attemptingRead MoreBusiness Ethics - Philosophy of Human Rights6492 Words   |  26 Pagesassembling, protesting, voting, and serving in public office; equality rights that guarantee equal citizenship, equality before the law, and nondiscrimination; and social (or â€Å"welfare†) rights that require provision of education to all children and protections against severe poverty and starvation. Another family that might be included is group rights. The Universal Declaration does not include group rights, but subsequent treaties do. Gr oup rights include protections of ethnic groups against genocideRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesliving, and never had so many been so impoverished or died of malnutrition and disease. If the period from the 1870s is included in a long twentieth century (and perhaps even if it is not), migration served as a mode of escape from oppression and poverty and, in many instances, as an avenue toward advancement for an unprecedented number of people that soared well into the hundreds of millions by century’s end. But for a clear majority of these migrants, movement was coerced by flight from war and