History, Current Issues With Proposed Changes

African American Equality Issues in the U.S.

During the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson said, “all men are created
equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (O’Connell, 2012). This statement was referring to
equality issues in the country at the time. It was made at a time when wealthy landowners had
many slaves whom they held in their homes as their own property. The statement was, therefore,
far from true. Americans were not equal even though they had been created equal. African
Americans, the majority of whom served as slaves, did not have access to equal opportunities
compared to their free white counterparts. Many years later, equality still remains an issue in the
United States. Equality issues are prevalent in the justice system, healthcare system, and even in
wealth ownership. There has been systemic inequality in the U.S as wealthy white people have
continued to pass on their wealth to their generations while disadvantaged and poor African
Americans continue to inherit poverty.
African Americans have historically been exposed to institutional racism in a
disproportionate manner. Institutional racism through practices, policies, and institutions that
perpetuate disparities and barriers to equal opportunities have been prevalent (Bleich et al.,
2019). This has been through educational as well as residential segregation. Microaggressions
against African American has affected the attainment of equality in the country. Over the years,
this has had real consequences and resulted in not only a wealth gap but also a health gap. The
extent to which discrimination against African Americans is reported shows a broad pattern of
inequality issues that disproportionately affect this population.
Historical Factors

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African American equality issues in the U.S can be traced to the country’s history.
Accumulation of wealth among Black communities was stunted by Jim Crow laws, slavery, and
overt economic discrimination against African American communities (O’Connell, 2012). Slave
labor provided an easy means for white landowners to accumulate wealth. White people owned
slaves who worked in the plantations for free in most cases. Enslaved black men and women
worked in fields for six and a half days a week (O’Connell, 2012). Women were not only
subjected to physical labor, but they were also sexually assaulted, leading to the production of
enslaved children. Slavery shaped the economy of the North as well as the South. While black
people facilitated wealth creation for their white masters, they were left to languish in abject
poverty. Slavery continued for about two centuries, during which the whites accumulated
massive wealth. Today, while children of the whites inherit generational wealth created during
slavery, those of African Americans lack such an opportunity as their parents did not have
historical advantages that allowed them to accumulate a lot of wealth.
After the end of slavery, America went through a phase of reconstruction. The former
slaves had a hard time fighting for equal rights post-slavery. Segregation affected their access to
equal services and their enjoyment of equal rights. For instance, former slaves could not inherit
property. Thus, even though they were no longer slaves, they continued to work as laborers in
order to earn a living. In 1865, the 13 th amendment was ratified (Hammond et al., 2020).
However, almost immediately, the Southern states passed Black Codes, which were aimed at
restricting the economic and civil rights of African American communities. The codes subjected
black people to punished vagrancy and labor contracts, and they denied them voting rights
(Hammond et al., 2020). Those found in violation would be arrested and even subjected to forced
labor. Such economic restrictions have impacts that continue to affect African American

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communities to date. For instance, since they could not own or inherit the land, vast land was
still owned by white people. Their economic mobility has been stunted since, and the effects still
disadvantage them even today.
Further, between 1896 and 1964, the Jim Crow laws further exacerbated inequality
(Hammond et al., 2020). The laws reversed all the gains made during the era of reconstruction.
The laws enforced racial segregation. Restaurants, schools, and even transportation were
segregated on the basis of race. Facilities constructed for use by African Americans were inferior
and underfunded compared to those meant for use by white Americans. Even areas set aside for
residential purposes were segregated (Hammond et al., 2020). Today, many white Americans
occupy suburbs while a disproportionately high number of African Americans reside in ghettos.
The situation can be traced back to the era of the Jim crow laws. Public schools attended by
white children were well-endowed with resources, while those attended by black Americans
were impoverished.
Major Current Issues
Today, health inequality is still an issue in the U.S. in 1985; a report released showed that
the health status of African Americans was significantly low compared to that of white
Americans. By 1990, another report showed that a black man living in Harlem had a lesser
chance of attaining the age of 65 compared to a black man in Bangladesh, which is one of the
poorest countries (Mays et al., 2007). Today, African Americans are still disproportionately
disadvantaged in terms of the disease burden. The disability, mortality, morbidity, and even
injury rates remain high.

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The high health burden is related to the poverty rates. African Americans continue to be
economically disadvantaged. The community is affected by high unemployment rates, exposure
to drugs, substandard housing, and access to schooling. These challenges affect their social
mobility and their access to quality healthcare. Besides, most of these people live in
impoverished neighborhoods. Research shows that some neighborhoods are less fostering than
others (Mays et al., 2007). Considering their history with racial segregation, most of them still
live in impoverished neighborhoods occupied by their ancestors. This affects their ability to
accumulate health and is also evident n their health status.
Further, inequality has exposed African Americans to systemic racism and
discrimination, especially through the justice system. The policing profession struggles with
diversity as the police forces are dominated by white men. This seems to perpetuate an
unempathetic, “us versus them” view towards certain communities not represented in the forces
(DeAngelis, 2021). The recent killings against black people, such as the death of George Floyd,
show that the system still discriminates against African communities, and their safety in the
hands of police officers is not guaranteed. One of the affected groups is black men. These men
become victims of police violence and are blamed for being unnaturally strong or suspicious of
criminal activities (Ellis & Branch-Ellis, 2020). Some are accused of being hyper-aggressive.
Changes Needed
One of the changes necessary is to ensure systemic equality. Since systemic inequality is
prevalent, change is necessary to eradicate it and ensure that, as Thomas Jefferson said, everyone
is created equal, and thus, everyone is treated equally. It is not possible to undo history, but the
current can be made better by ensuring that African Americans have equal access to
opportunities and facilities. For instance, the domination of white men in the police force could

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affect the equal treatment of people from minority communities. Thus, more people from
minority communities and women should be included in the police force. Diversity will help
ensure that everyone is treated empathetically and that systemic racism is dealt with. It will also
increase employment opportunities for disadvantaged communities. A higher employment rate
will imply increased social mobility, access to healthcare services, and thus better health. It is
possible to address inequality issues by making equality in the country a priority.
Another change is the implementation of policies that will enhance equality. Policies
such as universal healthcare will ensure that everyone has access to healthcare when they need it
and where they need them. People will no longer be constrained by financial hardships and thus
be barred from accessing quality healthcare. Such policies will help ensure that the health burden
experienced by African Americans is addressed. Equality issues can be addressed by ensuring
that policies are made not to correct history but to address the challenges that people experience
today as a result of their history.

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References

Bleich, S. N., Findling, M. G., Casey, L. S., Blendon, R. J., Benson, J. M., SteelFisher, G. K., …
& Miller, C. (2019). Discrimination in the United States: experiences of black
Americans. Health services research, 54, 1399-1408.
DeAngelis, R. T. (2021). Systemic Racism in Police Killings: New Evidence From the Mapping
Police Violence Database, 2013–2021. Race and Justice, 21533687211047943.
Ellis, B. R., & Branch-Ellis, N. (2020). Living in an Age of Colorblind Racism and Police
Impunity. Phylon (1960-), 57(2), 105-125.
Hammond, J. H., Massey, A. K., & Garza, M. A. (2020). African American Inequality in the
United States. Harvard Business School.
Mays, V. M., Cochran, S. D., & Barnes, N. W. (2007). Race, race-based discrimination, and
health outcomes among African Americans. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 58, 201-225.
O’Connell, H. A. (2012). The impact of slavery on racial inequality in poverty in the
contemporary U.S. South. Social Forces, 90(3), 713-734.