Your Civil Rights Case

As far as we like to think we have come—as free-thinking and racially diverse as America tries to portray itself in films and other media, racial discrimination is still a very real problem. Discrimination is often the only reason a person ends up struggling with a civil rights case.

As President Barack Obama has noted, civil rights are at the core of how our nation runs. If businesses don’t abide by civil rights laws when choosing whether to hire a black applicant, a white applicant, or a Latino applicant, it may seem like an isolated incident among individuals. It’s not. It’s affecting the way the entire country runs, and your civil rights case is, too.

Because discrimination and ignorance of civil rights is so far reaching, there are people you can go to just for this kind of case in court: civil attorneys. If you think a regular lawyer will do, think again — civil attorneys know the ins and outs of civil rights, and they can help you. If someone has discriminated against you and you’re not sure how to fight back, a civil attorney will help you form a strategy and get justice.

All Americans have equal civil rights—as an American citizen, and as a human being. Your skin color and ethnic background should play no part in how qualified you are for a certain job, or whether your salary matches that of your coworkers. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s astounding how many businesses will play favorites, coming up with insignificant “reasons” for why they didn’t hire a black applicant instead of a white one.

 

Filed Under: General, Racism Today Tagged With: , ,

Are Americans cured of Racism?

In 2008 when Baraq Obama, former senator in Illinois was elected President of the United States many applauded this monumental victory of an African American. For he is the first-ever African American President.

Considering all that has happened in the history of the United States with slavery, the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s and other national events, this historical election is greatly applauded.

One does have to wonder if racism still exists in the hearts of Americans. While it is definitely not politically-correct to make racist comments or display discrimination, is it possible that maybe Americans hearts have not entirely changed?

Now in 2011, a couple of years after the election, Obama is still identified as the first ever African American President of the United States. If race did not truly matter to Americans or if they viewed whites and blacks as equal as why is this huge deal?

It would seem that constantly pointing out Obama’s heritage and race is a sign that the national public still differs races and distinguishes heritages. It would seem that the amount of celebration and recognition focused on this one fact is an indicator that may be the country’s heart is not quite where it needs to be.

All Americans would agree both whites and African Americans that a President should be elected on the basis of skill and ability. The public votes a person in to this prestigious office because they feel that this person is the best one suited to the job.

It would be completely incorrect to vote someone in to the role of President of the United States based on skin color. If a white person were voted in on basis of skin color, it would be racism.

While President Obama campaigned on the chant of change and making Washington better, it is interesting to note that many media sources and critics emphasized his race. If racism and discrimination were truly obsolete in America, the media would not have made such a huge deal of this issue.

Filed Under: History, Racism Today Tagged With: , ,

Looking Back On The 2008 Presidential Election

With his family by his side, Barack Obama is s...
Image via Wikipedia

As Barack Obama begins his quest for re-election it’s important to look back on his journey. The truth is that the country isn’t sure about the effectiveness of his presidency and so, like any incumbent in this economy would be, his job security is in jeopardy. However, if he is a one and done president it might be easy to look forward and forget what he did to get where he was at, but if you do that you are missing out on a great moment for a man and the nation that believed in him.

When he started out he started out with a flurry of "will he, won’t he." He responded with the typical "i will, i might not." But once he got going he did something that very few politician know how to do effectively in this day and age. He was able to connect with the people. It’s a tremendous gift to be able to speak and no matter what anyone flung at him about his inexperience or his lack of stance on some issues, the truth was that no one could take away the fact that he was a brilliant orator.

Barack had captivated the attention of a nation. But he had to do something that no candidate had been able to do before him. He was able to mobilize a nation. They ran a campaign as organized as possible and geared toward the younger vote. A vote that is often incredibly difficult to get. But still they were able to get voters to come out in massive numbers. It was the biggest election for young voters in the history of the country. It won’t matter if Obama has another run at office because what he did to get an entire nation involved is already a permanent part of his legacy.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , ,

Great Ways to Increase Your Appreciation of Black Heritage

African Americans have endured many struggles through the years, but thanks to their perseverance and hard-fought struggle for equality, they are accepted into modern society and no longer have to deal with segregation obstacles as in years past.

November 2008 marked a major period in black heritage, and in overall American history as Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president was elected into the White House. His message of unity and an attitude of change resonated with the nation, but particularly with black voters, many of whom were overjoyed that such a day had come.

For people who are interested in learning about black heritage beyond what is taught in grade school classrooms, there are numerous museums and heritage celebrations throughout the country.

New Orleans, Louisiana plays host to an annual Black Heritage Festival. Held at the Lake Charles Civic Center, attendees can look forward to a celebration of all the cultural aspects that have defined African Americans. Past festivals have centered on music, art and cooking exhibitions.

Additionally, Arlington Virginia is home to a black heritage museum that was founded in remembrance of freedom journeys that took place near the area. The museum offers opportunities for the public to provide their support through volunteerism, and provides information about a walking tour. Although the museum does not currently have a physical location for exhibits, many of the geographic locations of the walking tour can be toured online in a virtual environment. This is an excellent learning exercise for educators who wish to teach their students to have a deeper understanding of black heritage and the events that gave momentum to the movement.

These are just a couple of the many options available to those who wish to explore black heritage. Many major cities pay tribute through exhibits and festivals, and there may even be one in your hometown.

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Filed Under: History Tagged With: , ,