Improving modern race relations
Jack Rigo
Slavery's impact on America
The North, or the Union, on the other hand, fought diligently to abolish slavery. They knew it was morally wrong, and that the slaves needed to be free. The President at the time, Abraham Lincoln, didn't exactly want to get rid of slavery, but he wanted to bring the Union back together, and restore the nation to what it formerly was. The Union army had more supplies, more factories, soldiers that had better training, more money, better military, and support from the president, and all of this shows how the Union won the civil war.
At the end of the civil war when all of the slaves were freed, the southern states passed what is called the Black Codes. These Black Codes were designed to limit the rights of colored people. These meant that, although the African-American people were free from any and all slavery because of the Emancipation Proclamation, they still did not have all of the rights that white or Caucasian men had. A black man that had no home or job could be thrown in prison, some states blocked colored people from having certain jobs, interracial marriage was prohibited, and some states could limit the amount of property an African-American citizen could own at one time.
Race relations in modern America
Now one may ask, why is it so difficult to forget about our nation's faults in the past, especially after 150 years? I personally believe that it is so hard to remove from our culture because it is such a major event in our nations history that has left an imprint in a lot of people's memory. People know that, at one point, African-American and Caucasian people were not treated equally, and it has left a lasting impression on their minds. Because of this, we now have racist humor, racist people, racist media, and, to some extent, a racist criminal justice system.
Racial profiling and racist bias in modern America needs to stop, and it needs to stop soon. My plan designed to rid America of the racism and bias that is, unfortunately, very prevalent throughout our culture and society is a simple one. I plan on making a website designed to inform people on how frequently subliminal racism can pass through our daily lives, and how you should react to it in order to help end racism in the United States. This website would be called racismandyou.com and it would cover how to detect subtle racism in their everyday lives, and how to help stop it. For example, the website could talk about how African-American people are frequently ridiculed because of racist jokes and humor, and how you should react appropriately when met with these harmful actions. It would also discuss the fact that by reacting appropriately in these types of situations, not only are you helping to end racism in the United States, but you are also setting a good example for future generations.