Racial Inequality

Black Americans have a history rooted in the struggle for equality and recognition as members of the American society. Over time, since the creation of the Constitution, blacks have continued to search for their role in America and have gained some formal standards for the black race. Although at the framing of the Constitution, blacks were not given the regard as citizens or even whole people, time progressed and gave way to opportunities to acquire legal aid in the crusade for racial equality. With the ability to utilize the court system, its formalities, and ultimately its power to enact national laws, blacks were able to win civil rights litigations, thus making advancements as a race.

Black American's allegiance to the court system represents their lack of economic and political power and influence (Bell, p.59). From the perspective of Durkheim, the court represents a ritualistic institution that blacks, as well as the American population regard with a since of sacredness(p.63). The court has an underlying function which is to maintain the structure of society thus creating solidarity. And though the major court decisions regarding the treatment of blacks were not the collective sentiment during those times, when the world view is reviewed, with the rise of communism, the idea of a free nation would be impossible with a nation partially practicing human enslavement (Bell, p. 69).

The legacy of slavery and the Constitutional Contradiction are still adversities for black Americans today. With regards to exceptions given to blacks, the need for or the existence of affirmative action constitute justifiable reason to believe that the legacy still exists. In keeping with this sentiment, the lack of property ownership by black Americans uphold the Constitutional Contradiction. With laws made to protect for property owners and their rights, blacks, at the time of the Constitution's inception were not regarded in the makings of this document. Blacks were not property owners but were in fact property. The use of affirmative action depicts a country still not capable of granting opportunities to individuals on the basis of clear capability.

Bell's most compelling argument regarding the attainment of racial equality actually came from Geneva and highlighted allowing schools to remain segregated. Although I personally feel that this is not a realistic picture of American society or what makes up the work force, Geneva's argument held valid points. The fact that the court would even allow ten years to pass before the enforcement of desegregation showed the lack of will to comply (Bell, p.112). Black students were met with violence and other psychological factors that could have played on their performance in schools. However, if more regard was given to really making the schools equal in regards to funding and facilities, black students could have received top-notch education that was geared towards their particular learning styles and aimed at ensuring their future success. Bell contended that her position failed to recognize that whites would continue to allocate themselves the best resources regardless of segregation or desegregation (Bell, p.118). His argument stated that it would be hard to attain much more than what was already being allotted to black schools.

Improved education is one avenue that I feel could lead to racial equality in the United States. From personal experience, I have observed that in inner cities trades as oppose to careers are highlighted as the way to survive as an adult. Students are not reinforced with the belief in attaining the highest standard of living. The careers that gross the most amount of finances are those that are outside of the trade arena. These are the positions that require ample science and math skills. However, a sizeable proportion of blacks reside in areas in which the schools available to their children are lacking the adequate materials and even qualified teachers that want to teach in these areas of low academic performance and standards. Thus the level of education attained by black children is not sufficient enough to compete with their white counterparts that have