Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Media - Essay Example t racism has filtered into our sociological order and has become an insidious form of institutionalized and subtle bias that is more threatening than in the past. When we speak of racism in America our attention is necessarily directed towards the African-American population. Claims of black racism against whites based on affirmative action, or bias against Euro-ethnic groups and religions are simply unfounded. According to Pettigrew, â€Å"Two centuries of slavery, another century of legalized segregation, and the evolution of these structures into today’s unique and entrenched system of racial discrimination deny any validity to this politically convenient perspective† (320). While many ethnic groups have assimilated into the American culture, Blacks have been disassociated due to skin color. Catholics, Jews, and the Irish are more able to meld into mainstream institutions than African-Americans. Blacks are the most heavily differentiated racial group in America and this has heightened their own sense of cultural differences as well as desensitizing whites to their sense of racial bias. The desensitization of white bias against African-Americans can be seen in the educational disparity that exists in America today. When America’s educational system moved away from the concept of separate but equal, and into a more integrated school model, the tendency was to make the black educational system more white rather than more right. There has been little effort at real improvement in the predominately black public schools in America. These misguided efforts have â€Å"denigrated Black teachers and administrators, and the institutions themselves. Many Black schools were closed, traditions lost, and culture ignored. The Black parents feared that the children would be forced to adopt White culture and lose their own rich culture and identity† (Jackson 143). While there has been an increase in Black studies and racial historical sensitivity, the move towards separate