Is the Significance of
of Race Declining?
By: Kolin Sanders
So We Are All On The Same
Page, Race Is…
•
As defined by The Inequality Reader: race is a
concept which signifies and symbolizes social
conflicts and interests by referring to different
types of human bodies.
•
To answer the question, yes, the significance of
race is declining.
•
One reason for the decline in the significance
of race is the laws in place which prohibit
discrimination.
Laws Promoting Race
Equality
•
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
•
Executive Order 11246 of 1965
•
The Civil Rights Act of 1991
Civil Rights Act of 1964
•
Which didn’t allow any discrimination based on
race, color, religion, sex and national origin in all
federally assisted programs. Which includes
employment discrimination from advertising for
open job position to firing or retirement.
Executive Order 11246 of
1965
•
Promotes and insures equal opportunities for all
persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or
national origin of employees or persons seeking
employment with government contractors.
Civil Rights Act of 1991
•
When an employee sues their employer for
discrimination; this law provides the right to trial
by jury on discrimination claims and the
possibility of emotional distress damages to the
employee.
•
All the trends are the same, which I interpret as
indicating low inequality. This graph does show
how economic class does influence life chances.
•
Once, life chance was determined mostly by race,
but that has changed and now class is the best
indicator of life chance.
•
“Race relations in America have undergone
fundamental changes in recent years, so much so
that now the life chances of individual black have
more to do with their economic class position than
with their day-to-day encounters with whites.
•
“In the economic sphere, class has become more
important than race in determining black access to
privilege and power.”
Three Stages of American
Race Relations
•
Stage 1: plantation economy and racial-caste
oppression
•
Stage 2: industrial expansion, class conflict, and
racial oppression
•
Stage 3: progressive transition from racial
inequalities to class inequalities
Another Reason for the Decline
in the Significance of Race is…
•
America’s culture has shifted a lot in the past 60
years. With each generation I believe we as a
society are getting more accepting and less
prejudice. I see this as being a trend that will
continue. Racism isn’t inherent, it is taught.
Hopefully the discrimination and injustices that
accompany racism will also continue to diminish.
Questions…