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Women in the USA
The women are a group that faced inequalities and denied their right to opportunities. Women were meant to stay at home as housewives and wait for their husbands to provide. Women weren’t allowed to go to work or even make their own decisions. The Entrance of America into World War II saw these inequalities done away with as many women were encouraged to seek jobs meant for men. Many women managed to enter into the American workforce and also provide for their families (Mishel).
Despite the women entering the workforce, they still faced other challenges like the gender pay gap, where men were paid more than women. Women managed to defy the gender roles made by the cultures. Women have been increasing awareness of the need to be paid equally. Women managed to achieve equality in the workplaces by the 1980s as they earned about 62% of what men earned then. In 2010 a study established that women were now being paid 81% percent of what men earned, which means that the women in the US workforce have successfully reduced the inequalities in the gender gap wage (Mishel).
Feminists and activists in the US have been working tirelessly to create awareness on the importance of women in society. Many employers have reacted to this awareness by employing more women and ensuring the wage disparity is minimal only based on experience and education but not gender (“Gender discrimination”). Human rights activists have also been at the forefront of advocating for gender equality in workplaces; hence, the success can be attributed to different stakeholders’ actions.
Black race
The black society in the US has been facing a lot of inequality and lack of opportunity since the days of slavery. Many black people in the united states came about due to the slavery activities in the United States during the colonial period. The attainment of independence didn’t help the Black people as the declaration of independence was meant for the other groups as the blacks were not granted any rights. The black people were confined in one geographical location and denied their liberty of settling anywhere in the country (Inwood 407).
The black people have faced a lot of hate from the white counter) arts. The end of slavery didn’t guarantee the Black people’s liberty and equality as a new form of slavery came about (White supremacy). Black people have been discriminated against based on color more often. A recent study by Pew Research Centre established that 45% of the Americans believed the country had made progress in combating racism, but the researchers also found that more than half the Americans think the country is not done enough to tackle the discrimination against people of color(“King’s Dream”).
The rise of activists like the Black Lives Matter movement has not been able to combat the issue and ensure it is done away. Racism has been propagated by the institutions that were initially meant to protect all Americans. For instance, courts have been used as a tool to incarcerate many Black Americans as justice is not meted fairly to the Black people as it is given to the White people (Inwood 407). The employees and other social institutions have been against all Americans’ equality, as Black people are considered criminals and an inferior race.
Conclusion
The main reason women have been able to combat the inequalities in the US as compared to the Black people is that social Institutions support women. In contrast, Black people have been criticized by social institutions. Feminist and Human rights have played a significant role in creating awareness on the need to treat male and female employees equally and paying them equal remuneration. The white supremacists have been discriminating against the Black Lives Matter movements and even terming them terrorist groups. An example of this hate was seen when president Trump termed the Black Lives Matter as a terrorist group when the BLM protested the death of George Floyd. I think that the main reason for the failure of one group (Black) is the lack of support from the relevant institutions. The role of individuals in combating racism is by avoiding any activities that may tend to support racism and also speaking out against racism in society to have an equal and just society.
Works Cited
Inwood, Joshua FJ. “Neoliberal racism: the ‘Southern Strategy’and the expanding geographies of
white supremacy.” Social & Cultural Geography 16.4 (2015): 407-423.
Mishel, Emma. “Discrimination against queer women in the US workforce: a résumé audit
study.” Socius 2 (2016): 2378023115621316.
NW, 1615 L. St, et al. “King’s Dream Remains an Elusive Goal; Many Americans See Racial
Disparities.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, 22 Aug. 2013,
https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/22/kings-dream-remains-an-elusive-goal-many- americans-see-racial-disparities/.
NW, 1615 L. St, et al. “Roughly Four-in-Ten Working Women Say They’ve Experience Gender
Discrimination at Work.” Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/FT_19.03.22_GenderPayGap_Roughlyfourinten.png. Accessed
13 Aug. 2020.