Racism And Slavery Essay, Research Paper

The Never-ending Battle

Slavery has been a controversial issue in the United States for hundreds of

years. Since the rise of slavery in the America, there have been numerous

accounts of resistance and opposition. Some of the more famous accounts of

resistance against slavery and racism are Harriet Tubman, the mastermind behind

the Underground Railroad, Rosa Parks, who refused to relinquish her seat on a

public bus to a White man, and Martin Luther King Jr.?s movement and most

famous speech I Have A Dream. Although slavery is illegal in the United States

today, I believe that the fight against slavery will never end. Slavery in the

United States is about more than taking Black?s freedom; it is about equal

rights for all races and ethnicities. Sadly, there is too much hatred and greed

in the world to abolish slavery and racism forever.

Frederick Douglass? Independence Day Speech at Rochester in 1852, is one of

the most profound speeches of American history. It is unthinkable that a Black

man would speak out so strongly against slavery and Whites during a time when

there was so much tension between the Blacks and Whites. Douglass was the ideal

person to give such a speech due to his experiences as a slave. With his

personal life experiences, combined with his education achieved in England, he

was able to present himself with dignity and authority. Through his speech,

Douglass reveals the hypocrisy of America. The best example of this is the last

line of the speech, which states, ??for the revolting barbarity and

shameless hypocrisy, America reins without a rival? (Douglass 5)

Douglass plainly explains how phony the white leaders of that time were. This

is my favorite quote from this article because he points out the hypocrisy of

the laws written by the white male property owners. ?What is this but the

acknowledgment that the slave is a moral, intellectual, and responsible being?

(Douglass 3). Douglass is explaining that a Black man can be put to death for

seventy-two crimes in the state of Virginia when a White man can be put to death

for only two. If a being, such as a Black man, committed any of these crimes,

then doesn?t that classify that being as intellectual and responsible? And if

by law, that the White man wrote, Blacks are considered to be intellectual and

responsible beings, then how can Blacks be considered by White men to be the ?beasts

of the field? (Douglass 3)? Therefore, law defines Blacks not only as men

equal to whites, but as human beings too.

Because the confederate flag has long been a part of southern heritage, it is

still hung over many businesses and government agencies. There has been a

dispute about this for many years, but was not heavily covered by the media

until the beginning of 2000. There are many mixed opinions about the Confederate

flag. Numerous White southerners believe that the flag should fly over the state

Capital because, to them, it represents the freedom that was just out of reach

during the Civil War. For many others including myself, the Confederate flag

symbolizes more than the Confederate States of America. It stands for the

persecution of the Black race as well as other minority groups, in every way,

shape, and form. Joe Neal, Black Caucus vice-chairman, has similar thoughts in

Lisa Goddard?s article entitled South Carolina Governor Signs Confederate Flag

Compromise of WIS-TV in Columbia South. In it Neal states ??The flag

represents the Confederacy that enslaved, exploited, murdered, raped and killed

our people for over three hundred years, but somehow it seems okay to ask us to

fly it in front of our building?? (Neal). Nevertheless, there are many who

are in favor of keeping the flag flying over the Capitol building.

Throughout the entire Fourth of July speech, Douglass sarcastically compares

the Negroes to the lowest forms on earth. The most blatant example of this is on

the third page where Douglass says that ?When the dogs in your streets, when

the fowls of the air, when the cattle on your hills, when the fish of the sea

and the reptiles that crawl shall be unable to distinguish the slave from a

brute, then will I argue with you that slave is a man? (Douglass 3). Douglass

illustrates to his fellow Americans, White and Black, that the slave has fewer

rights than most animals. It helps the listeners to see how inhumane the slaves

were being treated. In addition, how they were imprisoned in there own country.

If they were considered by law to be human beings, how then could they have

fewer rights and less freedom than ?the dogs in your streets? and ?the

fish of the sea? (Douglass 3)? With this speech, Douglass revealed the truth

to all – the truth that Blacks were considered and treated like the most

insignificant life forms on earth.

Douglass continues by speaking in depth about the hypocrisy of America for

celebrating Independence Day. ?The Fourth of July for the American slave is a

day that reveals to him the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the

constant victim? (Douglass 4) In my point of view, this is the strongest quote

made by Douglass because it supports his fact that most slave owners think that

their slaves, are worth less than the ground of which they stand on. Once again,

it shows the hypocrisy of the Fourth of July at that time. The Fourth of July

symbolizes the freedom of the United States and all those who reside there, yet

the blacks have the least freedom of all. They are stuck in their own living

hell.

One would assume that after decades of education about slavery and racism,

racial conflicts would be rare. Unfortunately it is just the opposite. Only a

decade ago was the highly publicized beating of Rodney King by four Los Angeles

police officers. Two of the officers were found guilty 1993, in federal court of

violating King’s civil rights and served 30 months in federal prison. At the

moment King is on probation until 2003, for being convicted of hit-and-run

involving his wife and spousal abuse in a separate incident? (Associated

Press).

Slavery has been a part of social dynamics for thousands of years starting

with the Pharos who forced the Egyptians into building the pyramids. And it was

not until the Europeans brought Blacks from Africa that slavery became present

in America. To stop a problem like racism and slavery, on must find the source

of the problem. I believe that slavery began as a result of man?s greed and

selfishness. From that, hatred between races grew until today when people are

charged as suspects of horrific crimes based on the color of their skin. It is a

very sad reality. Although I believe that the fight against racism will never be

won, I do think that much progress will be made.

Associated Press (2001). Rodney King reluctant symbol of police brutality.

Retrieved March 5, 2001 from http://www.cnn.com/2001/LAW/03/02/beating.anniversity.king.02/index.html

Goddard, Lisa (2000). Stateline.org. South Carolina Gov Signs Confederate

Flag Compromise. Retrieved March 5, 2001 from http://www.stateline.org/story.cfm?StoryID=78845