Government Reviews

Racial Segregation In Politics

Racial Segregation in Politics

It was not so many years ago that there was a deeply seated notion that black people were incapable of the thoughts needed to handle a political office. Not so many years ago, black people were still considered slaves. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan or KKK were all the rage in the south, and the segregation issues were widespread across the nation.

While the north has always been more accepting, it has turned that the south, while deeply rooted in the traditions of the past, are starting to notice that black people are truly real human beings. They are capable of thoughts, ideas, and ideals about how to improve the areas in which they live, as far as a white person is similarly capable of these traits. People have shown a sway towards understanding the equality of people as human beings, rather than being blinded by the mere irrelevancy of skin color.

While society overall still has much work to do in regards to racism and segregation of any kind, there have been major strides in the political arena, and this year even sees a black presidential cadidate with a strong chance of success. No longer are black people considered property, no longer are they forced to walk behind the white people in a neighborhood, they are no longer forced to ride on the back of a bus, nor drink from a separate fountain. Black people are treated largely as equal to white people, in what is becoming an increasingly more culturally diverse nation we live in.

It stands to note that many black people today are becoming the heads of major corporations; many black people are now earning salaries the same if not higher than their white counterparts, rising to the top of their game at an equally fast rate. This is a major step in the right direction to reduce racism. Other notable facts include the fact that now; there are black people in offices of power across the country.

Blacks are starting to take their place as politicians, with offices in the Senate, as well as Mayor's offices around the country. This is a major step forward, and a sure sign that with time the racial differences of the country can be overcome. While a solution to the racial problems of this nation will not be overcome overnight, they are solvable.

The solutions come many times in the form of open minds. There are still sects of such groups as the Ku Klux Klan operating in the deep southern states such as Georgia and Alabama, although they are significantly weaker than was the case 100, 50, or even 20 years ago. These groups and organizations help hold back progress in those areas, but despite their attempts the blacks are making a name for themselves, and proving they are as capable of political jobs as anyone else in the country.

With the improvements that have occurred in the last few years, it is even possible that in this generation we can even look forward to seeing a black presidential candidate. While we have had several candidates attempt at running, none have made it past the primary elections, and onto the November elections. In the future, there will be a presidential election in which there is a black person running on a party ticket. Will that be this year, will it be in the next decade?

Only time will tell, yet we as a society are much more accepting than we have ever been in the past, which can only be a good thing. We are allowing ourselves to be dictated by reasons of good, instead of living by the outdated ideas that skin color determines how effective our nation's leaders are. We have a long way to go, but progress is evident from the Senators and other political figures coming from more diverse ethnic backgrounds and proving their capabilities alongside other ethnicities.