Race Issues Essays - Politics, Black Power, Identity Politics

Race Issues Race and class are increasingly important in the world today; yet, few sources focus on the similarities of these issues at a regional or global level. Ideologies of race were used to justify colonialism, conquest and annihilation of non-European peoples, slavery, indentured labor, fascism and Nazism. Yet, a common impression among men and women of color is that race and class issues are unique to their own particular community. Still, it is only through awareness of how these issues affect different communities that a common bond and understanding can be developed across racial, ethnic, cultural and class barriers. Both governments and media present the image of an integrated, egalitarian society, which in reality contradicts racial discrimination, and class oppression that is exercised against various minority groups. In each `integrated' and `equal' society, racial and ethnic discrimination is directly related to economic and class issues. Since the period of merchant bankers and the British east India Company, modern capitalist forces have penetrated `developed' and `developing' societies by division and conquest. Capitalist countries and companies pursue profit motives by providing arms, money, patronage and privilege to leaders of some groups, on the one hand, while denying the vast majority of their land and resources, on the other. Each year new reports are published concerning individuals and their levels of income. If one was to look at a list of people ranked solely by yearly earnings in the entertainment industry, the list would surely be topped with such names as Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Jackson, as well as such sports figures as Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. On the other hand, if one were to consult Forbes magazine's list of the 600 highest compensated CEOs and chairmen, one would find very few black Americans represented. The Forbes list goes a few steps further and not only supplies information about yearly earnings, but goes into detail regarding individuals assets and their command over monetary resources. African Americans are very well represented in the first list, which generates an optimistic view of how black Americans have progressed economically in the United States. Conversely, the near absence of blacks on the Forbes list paints a much more pessimistic outlook. Economists argue that racial differences in wealth are a consequence of disparate class and human capital credentials such as age, education, experience and skills, as well as one's propensity to save and consume. Sociology of wealth seeks to properly situate the social context in which wealth generation occurs. It attempts to account for the racial differences in wealth holdings by demonstrating the diverse social circumstances that blacks and whites face. Both race and class tremendously affect the different investment opportunities that are available to whites and blacks, resulting in a wealth gap. Certain individuals have commented on the impact of race and class in the United States and the public policy implications. The individuals chosen for this analysis are Quincey Jones and Kathleen Cleaver. Quincey Jones is an award winning composer, arranger and publisher. He derives his viewpoints from first hand experience as a result of his childhood and his involvement in the music industry. Kathleen Cleaver is a visiting professor at Cardoza School of Law. She derives her knowledge from her involvement with the Black Panther Party. These two individuals discuss issues relating to race and class and its impact on society and public interest. Jones describes his familiarity with the gangster culture from his childhood in Chicago that he described as, a breeding ground for gangsters of all colors. The gang culture itself has not changed merely the underlying elements. These underlying elements being money, fast money that is usually earned by dealing so-called designer drugs. Jones feels that drugs should be legalized because in his opinion no matter what the economic level, drug abuse still exists and the government is still enabling it. The media, (the news, movies, MTV raps, etc.) attempt to glorify the mere 2 or 3 percent of the population that are considered gangsters and they make it the norm, which only feeds racism. Jones uses a Dickens clich? to describe the sixties and today, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, but goes on to say how