Race and Social Class

In American society, issues of race and socialbillionaires. This article also made reference to the
class are entwined together like a chain of DNA.Oliver and Shapiro article, illustrating how
One cannot have an honest discussion about raceAfrican-Americans have little, if no net worth and
without looking at the equally important issue ofeven if differences in income, occupation, and
class since the two are closely linked. Althougheducation were removed, White income would still
discussions of race and class are often avoidedbe higher than Blacks due to the racial barriers
because these type of issues make peoplethat have kept them stagnated for centuries.
uncomfortable, Hurricane Katrina and the variousBartlett and Steele discuss that although the
television newscasts that followed stripped awayAmerican government slashed welfare benefits
the curtain to America's dirty little secret: therefor the needy, it subsidizes large corporations at
are many people in American society who havethe expense of the taxpayers on a regular basis.
been unable to escape the double jeopardy ofIt is okay for corporate America to be on
being born African American and poor.welfare but welfare for corporations is called
The four readings by Sklar, et. al., Oliver &"incentives." Corporate America can do this
Shapiro, Mantsios, and Bartlett & Steele inbecause they have good Public Relations, meaning
the text (Ore, pgs. 69-99) illustrate how race andthe media to help sell economic dreams to the
class was socially constructed for theunsuspecting American public, going back to
advancement of Whites and the making up of aMantsios article. All four of these articles are
social class of poverty-stricken African-Americansconnected because they reflect that although the
who could be blamed for everything wrong ineconomic system in America was built build on
society. Furthermore, all four articles reflect howthe backs of African-Americans, they cannot
these two systems of oppression are interlockedshare in its riches.
in a never-ending structure of domination (matrixAfter reading this material, one cannot help but
of domination), as stated in the text.think about the mostly African-American and
In the article entitled "Race, Wealth, and Equality,poverty stricken victims of Hurricane Katrina and
Oliver and Shapiro discusses how three historicalhow much American society is to blame for their
events in American society - the Reconstruction,economic situation. They were not only the
the suburbanization of America, andvictims of a horrible natural disaster but victims of
contemporary institutional racism has lead to aa system that has historically kept them on the
vast amount of income inequality between Blackslast rung of the economic ladder. The victims of
and Whites. Although American society hadthis tragedy for the first time had my face and
several opportunities to make amends toeconomic background. I am an African-American
African-Americans by giving them same economicsingle mother who was receiving welfare benefits
advantages Whites took for granted, it neverat the time Hurricane Katrina occured who could
happened because Blacks would be on the samenot and still can drive and my family would have
economic playing field as Whites. That is whybeen one of the many labeled "refugees" if I lived
there is such a large gap in wealth betweenin New Orleans. Although I was an active
Blacks and Whites in American society.participant in the creation of my past situation,
The Mantsios'article takes this discussion about thebeing told that I could not attend a four year
large wealth gap between Blacks and Whitescollege because it would take too long by a TANF
further by examining how the media, owned bycase worker tells me how much the system is
the ruling class, has played a major role inagainst people like me even when you are trying
distorting views about economics by pretendingto do the right thing.
the ruling class do not exist and poor Blacks areObserving a White supervisor stir up competition
the dregs of society. The media with its 'magic'between African-Americans and Hispanics on the
can make the sins and harshness towardsworkplace showed me how much corporate
African-Americans disappear by pretending it isAmerica is against the advancement of minorities.
their fault that they are poor.Living in a neighborhood that is forty minutes
By doing this, upper and middle-classed Americansfrom downtown Chicago but is surrounded by
learn to fear and loathe poor Blacks and refuse tovacant lots filled with trash tells me that America
make the connection between systematic racismhas forgotten about a certain segment of people
and high poverty levels amongstbased on their skin color and economic
African-Americans.background. Unless there is a fundamental change
In a similar vein, "The Growing Wealth Gap"in the redistributation of the wealth and racist
describes how crooked but legal dealings betweenattitudes in American society, the wealth gap
corporations and politicians has led to work wagesbetween Blacks and Whites will only get larger.
stagnating for decades and millionaires turning into