Issue Of The Week IV: What Will It Take To Close The Racial Divide?

America is the perfect place to talk about so many different races because it is such a diverse country. however it being so diverse puts a strain on things as well. i think it boost up the racial divide because races stick together. you go through certain areas and neighborhoods and you see the black with black, spanish with spanish, chinese with chinese, and so on that people divide themselves thats how bad it became. the racial divide is something that will always be there and be a problem.

It will take time to close the racial divide. But in addition to more time we need to gain an understanding of each other. Frequent communication such as our very own National Dialogue can stir up the raw feelings and begin the road to solutions. We have differences from each other in numerous ways, from hair color to musical preferences to favorite sports teams. We are different from our own brothers and sisters. Are these differences a bad thing? Should the color of skin provoke such divide? Think about it for a moment. The color of skin. It is a few weeks away from 2011. I didn't say 1862 or 1953, I said 2011. Yes it will take time but without some bright minds sitting down together it may be 2111 or even 2162 before we as a nation close the racial divide. Maya Angelou broke it down very nicely, in the article, for us. We are just one thread of a colorful tapestry with each thread being equal to the next.

America isn't the only country with racism problems but we definitely still around. We have come a long way from the way things used to be but we still have a long way to go before race is no longer an issue. Racism has tainted our history and has showed the ugly side of many human beings. In order to work towards getting rid of racism today we must remember the past and educate ourselves and those around us. For example, the Dalai Lama said we need to learn from our enemies and realize the negative. In my life i really never saw racism as a major issue. I have been surrounded by some diversity and appreciated it greatly. I was taught and raised by my parents to look at a human being for who they are and not the way they look. I came out of my comfort zone when i realized haw much racism still exists today. I never wanted to think that people could have so much hatred and ignorance in them. Prejudices are formed so easily in our society which breeds racism. Putting an end to the racial divide starts with each one of us. We have to take a stand in our lives and speak out against racism. When people make racial jokes or use derogatory language don't just laugh and turn away. We have to stand up for what is right and appreciate every human life. We need to view each other as a human race and not define other by their appearance.

One of the biggest issues in this country is the one of race. We are all American citizens, with the same entitled rights, but yet this has kept out country divided. We are equal citizens and we continuously have to deal with issues of race. Some races have been denied their rights that they were given by the constitution. A big example of this is the blacks when they were slaves. When they gained their freedom, they were supposed to be given equal rights but yet they were still treated as dirt. They didn’t gain their rights until 1965, but still they are discriminated. Our country has all sorts of races that have come over in past years and some were discriminated when they came too. They all just want to live in peace and have their freedom. I believe that they should have that and everyone should be treated equally.

Its true this is a major issue we have on our hands and Americas as well. People in this country have to open their minds up to other races and not just enclose your self to your own. Forget about the bad stereotyping and things that you have heard about other people get to know that person and we will be able to step forward as one nation into a better era in this country. We need to move forward let go of the tension and the wrongs and move on from them and think what can we or I do to move surpassed the boundaries of race to better my country. This is what needs to be done to make moves forward instead of standing still, we need respect each others cultures and learn them so we do not offend others only then can we move to a better age of a nation.

The topic of race and race relations is a very big one here in America. That is mainly a result of what our country is, a melting pot. America is one of the most diverse countries in the world and that is truly one of our greatest strengths, as Melissa Ethridge put it. It is very true that our country’s races are separated by a great divide. We always seem to lose track of the idea that we are all American citizens, and we should be united together, but racial tensions remain high. I don't believe I am the only one when I say that the racial divide is not going to close any time soon. Who knows, it might not even close anytime in the recent future. But people in America really need to start realizing that we are all one, we are Americans.

Race is a huge thing we have to deal with here in America. We have to get over the fact that some people think they are better than someone because the color of their skin. The main point is that no one chose what color their skin is. Here in America we have every race and mixture of races you can imagine. Most people in America understand that everyone is equal, but we have to get that percentage as close to 100 percent as we can. African Americans have gone through a lot from slavery and all the stereotypes they have towards them. I wish everyone would be open minded and never judge someone by the color of their skin. But judge them when you get to know them, at least give them a chance. If you don’t like them after you know them that’s fine but at least give them a chance.

The strongest message i got out of this article was that this society needs to talk about our racial and ethnic issues by communicating to each other, specifically to identify and become close to other cultures and ways of living life. The majority of people are insecure about bring up racial conversation do to fear of hostility and feeling awkward. If we don't share our views with others and don't try to change perspectives of those who are wrong in discriminating then we will always have these problems in the United States.

The main objective in our class was to focus on the fact that race is socially constructed. Some may believe it, some may have other opinions. That is the whole point of the class. To here different sides, different point of views, and different theories. That way when you do stand your ground and make up a logical explanation of race, and ethnic relations, you will be able to feed off of everything you ahve learned and experienced. Leaving the class I learned that color is not an issue. We all are so close to being simliar gentically that its almost a mirror image of genetic representation. I advise all out there, if you have the chance, sign up for a race and ethnic relations course at your local college, sit back, listen and soak up everything. I was not the most vocal in my class, but I did have respect for all of my classmates thoughts and opinions. I left with a great understanding of how others think about the topic of race and ethnic relations. Now from everything I have learned I will take into my daily life and everday respect all of those that walk into my life, and give everyone out there the time and respect we all deserve.

The article talks about the biggest and obstacle of our nation, United States which is racism that we all need to make a difference regarding this inequality. I liked one of the points in the article when the author says “As America moves through the 21st century, one of our greatest challenges is right here at home; closing the racial divide”. I believe as I mentioned previously this is one of the biggest challenges of our nation, and it will take long and hard work to try to erase this issue but we definitely need to get rid of it because it is not acceptable for people to make fun of our own President because of his race, that by itself shows the ignorance level of the people in our nation. The nation has a division line between all the races and for some sad reason one race thinks they are superior than the other when in reality as mentioned in one of the previous articles it should be that “there’s one race—the human race” in which people are all entirely created equal and should be treated equal as well. One of the other points that I liked in this article is when the author says “……issues of racial and ethnic equality have always been difficult matters to deal with and they won’t get any easier…long way to go” I personally agree with this comment due to the fact that it has taken so many centuries for us to “openly” talk about the issue of race and even in some areas such as professional jobs, people are still not allowed to talk about racial or ethnicity issues because it is not as “openly accepted”; therefore, I feel like we have a long way to go before we make a change in such negative thinking and inequality.

I believe that racism is a big part of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of what is to come, and fear of what is different than ourselves. People are so afraid to live outside of the box, so to say, and welcome change, welcome new cultures and beliefs.
I feel it has a great deal in part to who we are raised under. Sometimes we often blame the person standing right in front of us instead of looking at their background and what they were taught growing up. From a personal experience, my mother always taught my brothers and I that you will never know a person until you speak and listen to them. Now- a- days children are educated by the media and the one- sided stories that they hear around them. It is hard to teach someone the right knowledge when they are already so negatively influenced.
Racism for me is a cyclical idea. It began with the hatred toward African Americans, the Native Americans and so on, and again today you begin to see that cycle turning. With the immigration laws and the skepticism of having a president of a different race, for example, nothing really has changed. I believe that nothing will change, for that matter, until it starts with the education of our children. Yes, they are our future but we are doing nothing to change that future if we continually let them become corrupted by the media with their "humor" towards stereotypes and constantly setting the bar lower of the difference between what is right and wrong.
Like I stated before, many people are afraid, and unless we break down that barrior of stereotypes and differences that people think we have amongst ourselves that isn't really there we will never break that circle. Skin color does not define who we are, and if people actually started with talking to others instead of just looking, they would understand that.

I believe closing the racial divide is very simple and we are just complicating the matter, which dwelling on the topic for too long. Here is the answer in my opinion we need to start mingling with other cultures and stop being so afraid of the unknown for there is nothing to be afraid of. Yes we may have different skin colors and we may have different customs, gods, foods, etc but in the end God created us equally and in the image of himself.Whether we know it or not we are the reason for the racial divide even to this day, i can’t count the amount of times i still see races segregating themselves because that’s where they feel the most comfortable. We need to break out of our "ethnic comfort shell" and embrace other cultures not shun them like they are some type of plague or treat them as inferior. For if we keep up this type of behavior then we are only widening the gap of cultural segregation.

Diversity is to be upheld. We are all different and have different values, but we are all the same as human beings created to live our lives to the best of our abilities. I wish we could all try to understand each difference and accept them. Just because a person is different or has different beliefs or values doesn't make them better or worse than any one else.

We often associate a racial division as coming from one racial or majority group to segregate another racial or minority group; yet, we often create these divisions among us in the way we react towards others. We are content to live with these divisions. Too often we see campuses, workplaces and other public places where we set ourselves apart. We have grown accustom to seeing these racial divisions and thus, do not see a need to close the divided gap between one group to another. Unless we can truly see what it does to America as a whole society, we will go on living with what we consider to be "atypical interactual behavior" for us. We have grown accustom to the “Divided States of America” in theory of the “United States of America.”

I agree mostly with the Dalai Lama's perspective on race. I think he is correct in saying that we are all simply human being who all want to be the best we can be. I believe that we need to focus on all the positive factors that go along with each race and embrace the fact that we are all culturally diverse. Without recognition of different races and ethnic groups, we wouldn't have a society filled with all the different types of food and traditions we have today. I also agree with Dalai Lama's view on reducing the negative side. For example, we know that Blacks disproportionately suffer in the healthcare system. Because of this knowledge, we should continue to fight for equality for minorities. Overall, I do not believe we need to close the racial divide. We need to embrace everything every race, ethnicity, and culture contributes to society and fight for inequalities that remain.