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Aanya Zahid
Mr. Miller
Rhetoric
14 March 2016
Race; What holds us Together or What Divides Us?
Race is a condition of belonging to a racial division or group; In the U.S., this condition
has influenced the lives of many, from historical events to even present day. This nation allows
or promotes a variety of cultures and ethnicities to reside here, however looking from the outside
in it may seem as though this melting pot of diversity has brought the nation together, but in
reality it has not. The U.S.s stance on racial relations is relatively weak, because they choose to
identify that problems exist, but never really act upon this. What this results in is that many of
the minorities within this nation are still treated unjustly and this is perpetuated by the ignorance
of the majority, including the notions of white privilege, white silence and even just simply
discrimination within facilities i.e. the workplace, school, social settings etc.
In the U.S the majority of the nation would be classified as the Caucasians or whites, and
because of this they have a privilege that is given to them since birth. This privilege allows
Caucasian Americans to receive automatic benefits, while the minorities silently suffer many
injustices. This privilege exists in many situations including the educational system. Alex
Mikulich author of Breathing Space describes this discrepancy with how educational
accustoms are dispersed, specifically between different ethnic identities. Mikulich dictates,
White students who are just as unprepared for college as their African-American and Hispanic
peers get more and better postsecondary opportunities. Conversely, African-American and Latino

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students who are prepared for college "are disproportionately tracked into crowded and
underfunded two-year and open-access four-year colleges (Mikulich 2). What this
demonstrates is that white people are seen as superior and thus granted better opportunities due
to an overarching characteristic; the color of their skin. When Caucasians live up to standards
that are created by this white privilege it ultimately dismantles the hope for social change,
because they are accepting and promoting the unequal treatment of humans. Inaction is similar if
not equal to the physical act of promoting injustices. It was sought that this type of unequal
treatment was left in the past, but apparently it is still relevant today which emphasizes the
importance of why this privilege should be distinguished. Hillary Clinton approaches this topic
through the notion of social media as she states, Today, our public schools are more segregated
than they were in 1968. Thats unacceptable for our kids and for our country (Clinton, Hillary).
The first step in change is identifying that a problem exists and if a person who is credible
enough to speak on such notions acknowledges that a problem exists, then there is greater issue
at hand. Mrs. Clinton speaks about segregation within schools, and since unlawful treatment is
illegal in the U.S., it is safe to assume that she is solely speaking about the discrepancy between
the treatments of students, including white privilege. When white people are granted benefits it
demonstrates to them that they are more capable and deserve more than minorities do, allowing
this self-fulfilling prophecy to continue on. Although there is no way to abruptly diminish this
privilege, the overall acknowledgement and awareness of its existence will pave way for equal
treatment of all humans.
The ignorance of the majority is not the sole defining factor of social injustices but it is
even heavily affected by inaction or White Silence. There have been countless instances of
these injustices seen within social media, such as police brutality, racial profiling etc. the

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awareness of these instances in many cases is not enough. Often many Caucasians take the easier
solution to the problem, which is acting as a bystander. Similar to how in bullying, bystanders
are also seen as equivalent to the problem, the same logic applies in this case scenario. A prime
example of silence originates from the story of Emmett Till in which he was unjustly murdered
and never received justice for it. The documentary titled The Murder of Emmett Till describes
just this, and the way in which the African Americans who were supposed to be supporters of
Emmetts case, stepped aside and watched in silence in order to protect themselves. (The
Murder of Emmett Till). Silence has no color, whereas if one is Asian, African American or even
White this notion of solely listening and adhering to others accusations is unjust. In the U.S.
however, white silence dominates all. This ignorance was identified many times throughout
history, but more recently was, within the Ferguson trials. The Ferguson trials revolved around a
case about an unarmed teenage named Michael brown who was shot and killed by police office
Darren Wilson, who was then set free. An article titled White Ignorance at the Core of Racial
Tensions describes this situation and the way in which the majorities perceived the situation
through the quote, There is perhaps no bigger disconnect in the mind of these conservative
pundits than suggesting that the biggest problem in these cases is a victim mentality while
simultaneously asserting the murders are the victims (Hansen 3). Ignorance and silence to
injustices is probably the worst form of racism. This case metaphorically represents how the
silence of the majority is not solely inaction, but can also be turning a blind eye in allowing
justice for the minorities. One should stand up for what is right, or not stand at all, and this
mindset is what will truly allow these racial barriers to dissipate.
Racial discrimination is still a prominent cause in todays society. Although racism has
been deemed illegal, we still see countless occurrences of unjust treatment of minorities due to

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the color of their skin. What was thought to have been left in the 1900s is somewhat still being
carried on into the 21st century. This is perpetuated due to prior stereotypes and generalizations
one has learned to adhere to. Instead of changing the mindsets of the people causing the problem,
we force the victims to reside with these accustoms. Rich Jones author of Racism at Work. Is it
all in your Head? provides a checklist for dealing with racial prejudice in the workplace by
stating that people should deal with the problem outside of the work area, remember their values,
and keeping calm (Jones 1). The solution to this problem apparently is to just ignore that it even
exists or solely coexist with the unjust treatment. Its the same logic used in stating that in order
to prevent rape, women should just fight back or not wear revealing clothing; its not solving the
root cause of this corruption. Additionally, it is often argued that this discrimination only exists,
because the diversity of the nation causes more bad than good. If this was the case, then why is
the U.S. so much more advanced than it was in the prior years, even in comparison to other
nations? The reason is diversity, and it is what has allowed us to progress thus far. Patrick
Buchanan author of Deconstructing America discusses this notion through the quote Is
diversity a strength? In the ideology of modernity, yes. But history teaches otherwise (Buchanan
469). Although racial differences is what caused separation in the past, there is a reason why we
have progressed from it. History is history and modernity and progress is what the nation is
striving for. Setting aside these racial differences, and forms of discrimination will only allow the
nation to thrive, instead of tearing each other apart.
It is often argued that racism works both ways whereas there exists a reverse racism
that deems the Caucasians to be just as much as victims as the minorities are. Although it may be
true that even white people can experience prejudice from colored people it is invalid to state that
they experience racism. In the article titled 4 reverse racism myths that need to stop by the

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Huffington post the author addresses this notion by alluding to a reference from Dear White
People. The author describes, Racism describes a system of disadvantage based on race. Black
people cant be racists since we dont stand to benefit from such a system (Blay 1). Reverse
racism is a concept that is falsified and is solely created to make white people feel as though they
are victims as well, and to underestimate the severity of the injustices occurring upon the
minorities. As a society it is crucial to understand the situation at hand and the awareness of these
issues will pave the way for positive repercussions.
In essence, White privilege, white silence/ignorance and racial inequalities perpetuate the
injustices towards the minorities within the nation, as well as weakening the nations stance. The
U.S. needs to start directly addressing these causes, and acknowledging their existence if this
diverse society hopes to continue progressing. Educating ourselves will only allow us to
dismantle these barriers and allow this society to progress forward from these injustices. By
allowing racism to persist within the nation, we are only provoking progress and ultimately
taking away from the modernity of the nation. By understanding and putting a stop to these
injustices we will be paving way for brighter and better opportunities for generations to come. A
nation with equality for all, will be a nation worth living in but theres a long way to go before
this can become a reality. However, a small step in right direction will make a lifetime of
difference for the minorities, and that is all that truly matters.