Racial inequality in the United States has resulted in a sharp decline in graduation rates and, as a result, a worse standard of living. Racial inequality is described as a discrepancy in socioeconomic opportunities between races, with minorities always at a disadvantage. The broad inequality in resource availability owing to one’s race may be evident everywhere, from courts to schools to jobs. Hispanics, African Americans, and other non-whites face significant obstacles and are unlikely to succeed. College possibilities are not equal for all races and the quality of early-childhood education is not comparable for whites and non-whites. During job interviews or even when looking for a car insurance quote, many people are stereotyped based on their ethnicity or appearance and racism is the root of the problem. Racial inequality is a modern-day kind of segregation that oppresses all nonwhite people in the United States and prevents them from developing and achieving a higher level of living. Because racial inequality is a barrier to education, jobs, and the overall disengagement of minority groups in American society, my thesis will look at how racial inequality is contributing to a sharp reduction in graduation rates in the United States, and therefore to bad quality of life in the country.

       In the newspaper article published by the Washington Post, The Racial Inequality Embedded in One of Our Countries Liberal Cities, the author Brandon James Render sheds light on the racial inequity that our society was established on. He goes on to explain how racial prejudice and oppression have influenced how society lives throughout history, including who gets to live a decent life and who stays in poverty, all dependent on one’s racial features. Render is a history major from East Kentucky University who now lives and works in Austin, Texas, where he studies American society and culture, particularly race and social movements. This article explains how racial inequality has become a barrier to American society’s total disengagement. Although the article focuses on a small portion of the United States, the city of Austin, Texas, it provides a broad sample of what is experienced across the country. In this scenario, the poor nonwhite population of Austin was first placed on the East side of the city, where they were further from supplies, and housing and living conditions were terrible. Nonetheless, they were able to work with it over time and improve East Austin’s accessibility and livability. Gentrification, on the other hand, is now doing in a short amount of time what these disadvantaged minority populations did over decades. “Austin’s racial makeover reminds us how Austin’s – and the nation’s – history of racial oppression and access to political power has long shaped who has access to the American Dream” (James Render). The author is raising attention to the issue while also condemning and expressing a negative attitude toward how black people are treated and placed in repressive situations. Overall, this demonstrates how minority groups were technically isolated due to their financial disadvantage to the East side of the city, which was considered a “hoodlum,” but this did not deter them; they worked for decades to make this part of the city a better place to live and raise their children, and when they are finally moving forward a bit, this part of the city is gentrified and taken over, much like during colonial times. Minority groups are unable to advance in status because the unjust system penalizes them 10 steps for every stride forward, they take. All of this has an impact on the country’s general living standards since it creates a vicious cycle in which everyone is expected to remain in the same place at all times. The white, wealthy, and privileged population has remained at the top, controlling everything and everyone while providing minorities just enough to subsist. This has continued to enrich and empower the white, wealthy, and privileged people as they, the minorities, fall deeper and deeper into poverty. Living circumstances deteriorate as a result of this sequence of recurring occurrences because these individuals are sentenced to live in deplorable conditions and are not provided with the resources to advance in status and raise living standards with them. When minority groups prosper and advance in socioeconomic positions, living standards climb as well, but when the opposite occurs, living standards deteriorate.

      Similarly, the article NFL GMs On Racial Inequality, Colin Kaepernick and Football’s Path Forward: We can do better, discusses racial inequality in the NFL and how it impacts players’ lives both on and off the field. The article mentions Colin Kaepernick, an NFL player who did not stand for the National Anthem in 2016 as a form of protest against a country that has not maintained its promises, particularly when it comes to equality. But it wasn’t until the terrible shooting of George Floyd and the recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations during the preseason that many coaches paused to consider the NFL’s racial disparities, how they’ve affected players and future NFL staff, and how they’ve contributed to the problem. Author Klemko works for the Washington Post’s sports department since 2019. Klemko has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and specializes in writing on criminal justice in the United States. His elaborations in this paper show how racial inequity affects career possibilities and law enforcement for minorities, notably in the NFL. He has several interactions with quarterbacks, coaches, and other NFL players in which racial inequity is evident in their experiences, feelings, and, most crucially, their ideas. The Wonderlic exam, which is still used in the NFL today, is one of the most fascinating topics mentioned in this essay. This is a knowledge exam, as recounted by one of the participants, “The Wonderlic is really based on – if you went to a pretty good high school and then went to college and really applied yourself, I think you’d score high on it, Telesco said…” (Klemko). However, the test on its own is the most egregious example of racial inequity in the NFL and its career chances. This exam is strikingly similar to the knowledge tests used to prevent black males from voting during the post-slavery era. According to Telesco, graduating from a good high school ensured a decent mark on it, and passing this exam secured a probable player’s admittance into the NFL. This is incredibly unjust since to be a successful player, one does not need to be strong at arithmetic or English, and it almost eliminates the odds of a person from a low socioeconomic class getting into the NFL. People from minority groups with limited financial resources often do not have access to proper education, let alone a “good” education as defined by Telesco, putting minority groups at an unfair disadvantage when compared to people of higher social status. Furthermore, proving the consequences of racial inequality on career prospects, particularly in the NFL, demonstrates how this is contributing to decreased graduation rates for a variety of reasons. Many people grow pessimistic, believing that no matter what they accomplish or what degree of education they obtain, the racial disparities that exist would prevent them from progressing and force them to drop out. Furthermore, the chances denied to minorities because of their color drive them further into poverty by preventing parents from finding employment that will allow them to pay for their children’s education, leading to pupils dropping out of work. This lowers living standards in the United States since it does not allow for a balance in terms of success; only those with economic and racial advantages prevail, resulting in a lower standard of life for the general public.

      The Journal article Racial Inequality in New York City Since 1965, examines racial disparities in New York City across several decades. It goes into detail on racial disparities in government education, judicial systems, and, most crucially, what the government and top officials have failed to accomplish when it comes to tackling racial disparity. Benjamin Bowser, a professor at California State University with a Ph.D. in sociology, is the author of this piece. He specializes in community assessment or determining a community’s strengths and flaws. When it comes to the educational system, the book delves deeper into the disparities. Differences in educational quality and instructors. People of high social rank may afford to send their children to private school from an early age, but black and minorities do not have the same opportunity; they are obliged to send their children to public school since they can barely make ends meet. This is already a disadvantage for minority groups because professors paid at private institutions are usually more prestigious and provide higher-quality education, whereas many teachers at public schools are still not qualified to teach but are hired because more qualified teachers prefer to work for private schools because they can pay better. However, this piece is remarkable in that, in addition to highlighting the problem, it also proposes a potential solution. “The truth is that government is the only institution that can make any difference. Government alone has the power to influence business and shape the economy.” (Bowser Devadutt 356). The author hopes to alleviate racial disparity and contribute to a more fair future for everyone. And they believe that government officials are the only ones with the authority to initiate change. Because it reveals the multiple variations within the educational system when it comes to race and status, this demonstrates how racial inequality affects graduation rates. This lowers overall living standards because only a small portion of the population can afford a good education, where the youth are aware of their rights and resources and consider how to succeed as professionals, while the rest of the population, who are considered minorities due to their social status but make up the majority of the population, remain oblivious to success.

      Many may argue that racial inequality isn’t the only factor causing a drop in graduation rates and living standards in the United States; for example, “a college degree in this day and age isn’t necessarily required  to be successful, and a lot of people are realizing this, dropping out of college or not even enrolling at all.” While this is valid, racial disparity is one of, if not the most, crucial contributor to the United States’ general decrease in living standards. When considering inadequate living standards, we must pay special attention to disadvantaged minority groups with low socioeconomic positions, since they are the ones who bear the brunt of the effects. These people are mainly nonwhites who are forced to live in poverty due to their social rank, with lousy jobs, little to no education, and horrible living circumstances. One of the subjects explored in the readings was how white people persecute minorities out of fear of competition. That is, they deprive minorities of the resources they need to succeed while maintaining racial imbalance to ensure their place in society. However, several things may be done to rectify this. We must overturn the unjust system that has oppressed minorities. To eliminate racial inequality and prejudice, everything from the government to educational institutions must be changed. The only way to eradicate racial discrimination is to achieve equality. Providing equitable possibilities for education and employment in jobs and schools. Allowing money to not be a barrier to someone who wants to succeed in life. Provide free education to all people and establish an organization that ensures that no one is discriminated against when it comes to career and educational possibilities. However, the most crucial aspect is indoctrinating the kids, who are the future, so that race and prejudice are no longer considered.

      The writings on the impacts of racial inequality on American society are poignant yet fragile and affect mainly minority groups. This variety of sources compares the virtues and the burdens of race within the US and how something so subliminal can dictate one’s future. All four of the sources analyzed share a similar tone and purpose. The authors are all credible sources and have a similar optimistic stance, where they try to bring awareness to the issues derived from racial inequality and want to lead to a change in the way race affects people’s lives and futures. In the newspaper article, the author states, “Austin’s racial makeover reminds us how Austin’s – and the nation’s – history of racial oppression and access to political power has long shaped who has access to the American Dream.” (James Render). Similarly, the web article states, “Whether the change created by NFL leaders includes the signing of Kaepernick, who first raised these issues with his protests in 2016, remains to be seen.” (Klemko). The other journal articles also state, “Perhaps, it is time to look more carefully at the existing architecture of social inequality in the nation and New York City. However, the starting point for such an inquiry must be with racial stratification, the foundations on which inequality in the United States started and continues.” (Bowser Devadutt 29). The authors’ overall hopeful stance on the topic suggests that it is a very fragile topic that affects many in society and has will continue to shape the future of our society, demonstrating the correlation between education and the end of racial inequality education is the only thing that can end it, educate oneself and the youth that holds our future. 

Works Cited

Render, Brandon James. “The racial inequality embedded in one of the country’s liberal cities.” Washington Post, 27 Sept. 2021, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A676834015/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=6d6c1fa1. Accessed 28 Feb. 2022.

Klemko, Robert. “NFL GMs on racial inequality, Colin Kaepernick and football’s path forward: ‘We can do better’.” Washington Post, 22 June 2020. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A627286188/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=f8def73c. Accessed 28 Feb.2022.

Benjamin P. Bowser, Chelli Devadutt. Racial Inequality in New York City Since 1965. SUNY Press; 2019. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://search-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=2239326&site=ehost-live

Nancy DiTomaso. The American Non-Dilemma : Racial Inequality Without Racism. Russell Sage Foundation; 2013. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://search-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1a066592&site=ehost-live