Power Dimensions in the Racial Wealth Gap Documentary

It is important for every human being to understand the cause that resulted in what they are
and what they have become since everything has a noble cause. What cause resulted in the
foundation and progress of this great nation? Arguably, this is one of the questions that never
cross the minds of millions of American citizens. As the Racial Wealth Gap video manifests, this
nation is built on the hard work of the enslaved people; this is even demonstrated in the images
contained in the money we use in the contemporary world. The enslaved people were the wealth
of America and did not only represent America. However, regardless of the fact that this nation’s
success and wealth are entirely from the hard work of these enslaved people, America has
progressively transformed into a country where racial discrimination is evident daily. Black
Americans’ racial discrimination has resulted in huge social and economic gaps since the civil
war era. Arguably, these racial discriminations can all be attributed to power. The power people
possess is what a country will turn out to be. The racial wealth gap has been influenced by
different concepts of power that have been recurrent since this nation’s foundation.
The documentary explores the racial wealth gap and how it has evolved since the foundation
of the United States of America. The racial wealth in the United States, as the documentary
patently suggests, has been due to recurrent incidents of racial discrimination. Housing is one of
the key elements that define an individual’s wealth, and the documentary shows the
discrimination toward the black community in terms of housing. The black people were not
allowed to move into some neighborhoods since it was seen as a threat to the house prices.
Wealth progressively appreciates over time, and the restriction on investing in some
neighborhoods has resulted in the racial wealth gap. According to Locke, the following paper
will review the documentary connecting its theme to different dimensions of power.

POLITICAL SCIENCE 3
Wealth is a result of the past injustices conceiving the present suffering; injustices toward
black American has resulted in the current wealth gap between white and black Americans. John
Locke establishes that political power can be understood through the general state of nature and
state of equality where no one has any power or authority over another individual since all the
creatures are born to the same advantage of nature and to use the same ability; so they have to be
equal (Locke, 2015). The documentary, however, shows many incidents of inequality between
black and white Americans where the black man is repeatedly discriminated against. The
celebrated black American leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for equality between
the two races since the black man also contributed to the development of America, and all men
are created equal. Malcolm X claims that if the black Americans can’t have equal rights in the
house, they will burn it down” (Netflix, 2020). The lack of the state of nature results in impartial
justice with the authority to settle societal differences.
When the civil war ended in 1865, union general William Sherman and Secretary Edwin
Stanton called upon the black American leaders to state what the black community needed to
build lives in freedom; the black leaders requested land. Sherman issued a directive that set aside
hundreds of thousands of acres of land that assured every family had a plot of land (Netflix,
2020). This directive from Mr. Sherman best serves Locke’s political power example of
legislative power that has the right to direct how the commonwealth force should be employed to
preserve a community and its members. Furthermore, Franklin Delano Roosevelt displayed both
legislative and political power by taking a deal during the great depression that aimed to achieve
equality in America through housing mortgages that gave credit to all the population.
Roosevelt’s political power made the American dream of having a home tantamount for all
Americans (Netflix, 2020).

POLITICAL SCIENCE 4
Nevertheless, the new Housing Federal Administration did not insure mortgages in all areas;
the lack of equality in mortgage insurance resulted from racial discrimination. Racial
discrimination is evident in the documentary where the Housing Federal Administration
calculates the risk by race (Netflix, 2020). The risk was that settlement of a black family in the
neighborhood substantially threatened the house prices. Racial discrimination violates Locke’s
definition of political power since it does not abide to the state of nature that insists on general
equality in the community (Locke, 2015). The effects of racism in America have given
justification and room for more racism, and the political power attributed to each human is
breached. Furthermore, federally enforced segregation influenced every aspect of the black
man’s life. There were more limitations not only to the places they would settle and live but also
the jobs they could access, the schools their children would attend, their safety, and value
appreciation of their wealth and properties. However, in 1968, housing discrimination was
eliminated by Lyndon B. Johnson and declared fair housing for all Americans, and in 1995, the
government opened up the Mortgage market to help people who were selectively excluded from
home ownership in the United States of America. The opening of the mortgage market facilitated
the growth of black home ownership (Netflix, 2020).
Political power can only be given away voluntarily. Therefore, deceiving people to obtain
individual gains breaches political power. Wells Fargo targeted the black churches through
“wealth-building seminars” aimed at purchasing homes (Netflix, 2020). Wells Fargo used the
church ministers to reach their parishioners, and the church would get a donation for every
mortgage purchased by the parishioners. Locke’s political power definition is breached when the
loan officers deceive the parishioners into buying their loans only to sell them subprime loans.
Arguably, breach of political power is an ethical issue that can lead to the downfall of a nation’s

POLITICAL SCIENCE 5
economy. These subprime loans caused the 2008 financial crisis in the United States of America,
and more than fifty percent of the black communities’ wealth was lost (Netflix, 2020). Arguably,
these subprime loans targeted the black community, showing black people’s discrimination. The
documentary patently shows the effects of racial discrimination and how it has caused a huge
wealth gap between black and white Americans. The racial discrimination in the documentary is
a result of the abuse of political power by not granting equality to all races in the United States of
America. In his second government treatise, Locke says that an individual cannot be put out of
their state of nature to the political power of another individual without their consent; therefore,
the opposite means abuse of political power (Locke, 2015).
Equally important, according to Locke, coercive power is the use of force regardless of
whether it’s the responder or initiator who holds power. After the death of Lincoln, his successor
Andrew Johnson disregarded his initial endorsement that gave thousands of land to the black
community, who created the wealth of this country as enslaved people. Thousands of the
formerly enslaved people were forced out of their land by legislation by Johnson (Netflix, 2020).
This step by Johnson to evict the blacks from their proclaimed land is a patent illustration of
coercive power. The documentary on the racial wealth gap correlates with Locke’s illustration of
power; arguably, if Locke’s definition and illustration of power were held by the leaders and
organizations described, there would be no racial wealth gap. “Men are naturally free and equal,
according to Locke, who used this argument to support his theory of the social contract, which
holds that for people to enjoy their lives, liberties, and property stably and comfortably, they
must conditionally cede some of their rights to the state.” (Locke, 2015).

POLITICAL SCIENCE 6

References

Locke, J. (2015). The second treatise of civil government. Broadview Press.
Netflix. (2020). Explained | Racial Wealth Gap [Video]. Retrieved 28 July