User:Ayanna99/Oppression

Article Draft
Systemic Inequality

Systemic inequality may include exclusion, segregation, and displacement. American housing systems have shown bias by reducing barriers and implementing affordable rental housing, which have mainly benefited white households. African Americans have been removed from their home and denied access to gain wealth within real estate across the country due to this. Historically, displacement and exclusion will continue to impact the lives of people of color in regards to obtaining and owning homes that are both affordable and safe for their families. Wealth in the United States has been proven to be unequally distributed by race. African American families are shown to own a fraction of the wealth of white families. This leads to African American families being less fortunate and have lower access and opportunities than their white counterparts. Less wealth results in fewer opportunities for upward mobility. African Americans are systematically placed in a challenging position. Many are born into low-income households with low access to imperative resources like education, clean water and food, and healthcare. The American system has created barriers for African Americans to thrive and it is rooted from the very beginning. Restrictive laws like the Jim Crow laws have an impact on the status of African Americans today.

Forced Displacement vs. Refugee

Force displacement involves involuntarily moving a person or family from their place of residence. The displacement of these people is also known as forced migrants. Since the beginning of slavery, there have been thousands of forced migrants throughout the United States as well as other countries including Europe and Asia. An example of forced displacement is the slave trade. Between the 1500s and 1860’s more than 13 million Africans were taken to the Americans. They were chained around their ankles and necks and were forcibly taken to the Americas for enslavement. The slave trade is known as the biggest forced migration in human history. Africans were loaded onto ships and forced to take the journey to the americas in horrible conditions, lying in their feces. This resulted in the death of an estimated 2 million women, men, and children on their route to the americas. In the late 1900’s, African Americans were denied the same opportunity for quality housing as whites. There are various areas of housing that did not accept the applications of African Americans. For those who could afford housing, many were put out of their homes and replaced with white families. This injustice is a result of socioeconomic statuses and privilege of whites in the United States. On the other hand, a refugee is a migrant who left their home due to economic hardship, political persecution, and/or violence. Refugees avoid armed conflicts and general violence. This may include but is not limited to domestic violence. There are many refugees who migrate from other countries to the United States in the hope to seek freedom. These people are not forced, which differentiates them from those who’ve suffered from forced displacement.

Equal Rights

Alice Paul was a women’s rights activist who was a leader and strategist for the 19th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. She also aided in the women’s suffrage movement and other social movements of that era. The national women's political party proposed the equal rights amendment in 1923. Without much emotion for a few decades, feminism revived in the late 1960s. This social movement finally gained the eyes of congress. The Equal Rights amendment was passed by Congress on March 22, 1972. It was added to the constitution after receiving approval by 38 of the 50 states. This amendment ensures legal gender equality and rights for both women and men. Women involved in this movement were adamant about equal rights regardless have sex. The equal rights amendment seeks to end distinctions between both male and females in matters of employment, property, and many other matters. The push for equal social opportunities and protection stemmed from women and other minorities not granted the right to vote, to govern services, or to a fair trial. The amendment failed to gain support by 38 of the 50 states because fewer women wanted to work by the 1970’s. It only gained support from 35 states. In recent years, there has been a revivalism in the equal rights movement such as the “Me Too” movement. This movement is a social movement against sexual harrassment and sexual abuse. There are thousands of women who suffer from these acts and the “Me Too” movement served as a platform to let their voices be heard. The movement spread virally and attracted the attention of many, including celebrities with bigger platforms. The movement was utilized to provide a community for women battling abuse. It also provides women with reconstructive programs and resources to help them transition out of their trauma. Sexual harassment and sexual assault has been a hot topic in the past years and women are beginning to have more of a voice than ever before. Social media has been utilized as an instrument to bring women together from various parts of the world with similar relatable stories. The “Me Too” movement has created a healthy platform for women wanting to take a stance against their abusers. It includes a sisterhood of women from around the world who strive to uplift and relate to hardships many may face behind closed doors.

Police Brutality

Police Brutality is the use of extreme or unnecessary force on an unarmed individual. The misuse of power by police officers have cost the lives of many African Americans in the United States for decades. Police brutality was very heavy in the 1960’s during the civil rights movement. Police used an abundance of aggressive force during this time. This force included the use of vicious dogs, rubber hoses, and tear gas. Police also beat many individuals with batons who were participating in nonviolent protests. Many unlawful arrests took place and many Americans lost their lives in this era. One of many historical events highlighting police brutality is the Selma to Montgomery march held in 1965. This date is commonly known as “Bloody Sunday ''. 600 civil rights marchers were peacefully marching to the capital city of Montgomery to bring awareness to their constitutional right to vote. They were marching on the U.S. Route 80 when they were attacked by law enforcement armed with billy clubs and tear gas. Innocent people were brutally beaten and injured by those who were employed to protect them. This unfortunate event caused national rage, but also changed history. The march’s significance was so profound that Congress in Washington, D.C. passed the Voting Rights Act. Selma subsequently turned into a turning point for equality as it ensured millions now were granted the right to vote. Social movements and protests against these actions have not been successful in halting the behavior. Officers have a history of using excessive force because they may feel their lives are in danger. However, many of the victims of police brutality are unarmed (without a weapon). There was a 17-year-old unarmed African American high school student by the name of Trayvon Martin who was murdered by a neighborhood watchmen. He was equipped with an Arizona Ice Tea and Skittles. He was an unarmed black male walking from the store. He was murdered after the watchmen approached him and the case was later acquitted. This viral injustice sparked the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement strives to eradicate white supremacy and instead create local bodies and legislation to protect against police brutality violence. This organization works to protect all black lives against all acts of violence. Black Lives Matter and other activists have continued to strive for equality.