Racism Is Not Yet History in the US

A black man could potentially become a millionaire in the U.S., but not really a member of the middle class. The riots surrounding Michael Brown’s death have rekindled the debate around discrimination.

Once, when she followed an invitation to a business dinner, she was led by the receptionist to a room in the back and was asked about her servant uniform, Mellody Hobson relates. “I wasn’t surprised.” The African-American chair of an investment bank held a speech back in May at a TED conference about racism in the U.S. Her friends had tried to discourage her [from discussing the topic at the conference]. “The numbers don’t lie,” Hobson emphasized, and we need to talk about that.

The death of 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown and the riots that ensued have led this American taboo to resurface: Racism in the U.S., even half a century after Martin Luther King’s speech and despite having an African-American president, is not yet history.

Economic Downturn Hit African-Americans Especially Hard

“I would even claim that it has gotten worse,” says Christian Hacke, former professor of political science at the Institute for Political Science and Sociology at the University of Bonn. On the one hand, the economic crisis and the associated decline of American society apparently hit the African-American population especially hard. But above all, President Obama failed to pursue some real post-race political [measures].

In his five years as an African-American president, he never brought himself to take some clear initiatives to support the rights of African-Americans. “Obama only pursues adapted politics. He is an opportunist who doesn’t want to scare off the whites,” Hacke sums up.

Whether the issue is income, access to education or the housing situation, the African-American population usually comes off badly. During a survey the Pew Research Institute undertook last year, 88 percent of African-Americans in the U.S. admitted to having been discriminated against, and half of them “to a high degree.”

Significant Differences in Income

According to the charity United for a Fair Economy, white families saved an average of $109,000 in their retirement accounts, while African-Americans and Hispanics only saved about $17,000. “The situation is explosive,” says Hacke.

The case of Michael Brown recalls the death of 17-year-old African-American Trayvon Martin, who was killed in 2012 in Florida by George Zimmerman, a member of the neighborhood watch team, allegedly out of self-defense. When Zimmerman was acquitted, the protests ignited again.

The policemen who badly abused the African-American Rodney King in front of cameras in 1991 were also acquitted. The verdict was followed by days of riots in Los Angeles. By the end, 53 people had died and several thousand were injured. One spark was enough to ignite the powder keg.

“Racist White Police Caste”

A third aspect driving the level of drama in the U.S. is the “incredible insensitivity of the police,” reckons Hacke. A “racist white police caste” has its say everywhere African-Americans live. Based on the Stop and Frisk program, the police are allowed to systematically seek out minorities stuck in traffic, [for instance,] and search them on suspicion.

“A lot of white Americans, especially, think that Obama is proof that racism has been overcome,” says Wulf D. Hund, professor emeritus of sociology, who had focused on racism studies at Hamburg University. “At the same time, the fundamental structure of racism has not changed much during the last few decades.” This is also the reason that Mellody Hobson’s message — that personal attitude and efforts could help overcome racism — falls short, and leads us in the wrong direction.