The recent events in Charlottesville, VA remind us that America still hasn't fully recovered from its history of racism. Although slavery ended 150 years ago, it's legacy on the black population in the United States still remains. Many people even argue that racism is on the rise today, and the numbers actually show evidence of this trend.
According to the Pew Research Center, income inequality between black and white Americans has been increasing since 2007. This shows that the Great Recession has affected the African American population far worse than their white counterparts. Since 2007, household purchasing-power has declined and the number of stable full-time work continues to be scarce, especially in urban areas.
With the scarcity of good jobs such a prevalent issue in America's cities, some of the youth have reverted to illegal sources of income.
Think about it: Why spend so much time working several part-time jobs that pay next to nothing, if you can simply sell a few bags of dope and possibly earn $1,000 a day? The decision to go into the lucrative business of crime is actually an economic decision, and it helps explain why gang-related violence continues to be a major issue in America.
With the overall decline in manufacturing, which used to dominate the economy of American cities, the Great Recession hit America's urban centers the hardest. This decline continues to perpetuate a cycle of poverty. The lack of legitimate work experience leads to a perceived lack of marketable workplace skills and perpetual unemployment. Additionally, illegal goods and services drive gang-related activities and violence that creates the need for greater law enforcement. This in turn, leads to the unintended consequence of racial profiling.
Non-violent offenders are often treated the same as violent criminals. After serving time in prison, most cannot get jobs and are denied social services. Nobody wants to trust someone with a record of crime and the cycle starts all over again. Many are forced to once again seek illegal sources of income to survive. The disproportionate rise in poverty and crime from America's urban centers, gives minorities an undeserved reputation. It's unfortunate, but that is exactly what has happened.
really good