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MA, YONGQUAN
ESL 33B
Professor: Dr. KAREN CARLISI
December 2nd 2015

Segregation Law in L.A

Introduction
Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the
hating. It's just plain wrong. said from the world the greatest boxer Muhammad Ali. This is
clearly representing that Ali is appealing to all people that we should treat everyone the same,
despite their races. According to the research about demographer on the Internet, it indicates
there are around 6.5%; roughly 2.7 million African American are living in Los Angeles area, and
compare it with the populations in 2000 with around 9% population living in Los Angeles area, it
dramatically dropped around 3%. (Figure.1)

(Figure 1)
Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html

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There are several reasons caused this situation, and mainly it is due to the reason of the aftermath
of segregation law. Look back to the history, the path of discrimination journey on African
American has changed. The time before the 1960s could be described as the hardest time for
African American in the US; almost everyone has been discriminated except white people. Even
though, people always mention everyone is born equally, however, there is no such scenario
shows fairness between different races, especially back to that era. The society were extremely
separated back then, white people's social statuses were being classified as middle classes or
even higher. On the other hand, African American or other races people apart from whites would
be classified as lower classes, people. People were being treated unfairly back then, African
American could not find any decent jobs due to the reason most companies were refused to hire
any other races rather than whites. In addition, even the laws were against African Americans,
white people used violence on African Americans would not be sought as crimes. From the
research, there seems to be a trend in segregation about African American is decreasing and
themselves are trying to find social justice and treat other people equally. The school and
government should appeal and educated people not to discriminate other people based on their
ethnicities.
African Americans Social Status Before and After Desegregation law
Early in Los Angeles, crimes always involved with racial violence, due to the segregation laws
and racial issues, black people were not only discriminated by white people, but they have also
bearded an enormous pressure under the laws that against them. For instances: White people had
the policy before that African American were forbidden to travel to their area, otherwise they will
get beaten up, and police would not even care about African Americans lives. Peoples moral
values were mournful until 1964, The Civil Rights was approved by the court of justice in the

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USA. This law protects individuals from discrimination on races, colors, nationalities and
genders. By passing this law, it indicates African Americans have been paid more attention than
before and their society status has changed. This was the first step of the society made an action
to compensate for what it did to black people earlier in Americans history. According to the
research, there is a dramatic decrease on African Americans employments rate. (Figure 2)

(figure.2)
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/08/28
This graph shows at the 80s from the 20th century, African Americans unemployment rate was
around 20%, and Caucasians unemployment rate was 8.4%. However, in 2013, the
unemployment of African Americans was 13.4% and the rate for Caucasians was 6.7%. As we
can see from the figure.2, the white people's unemployment rate did not change that much, on the
other hand, African Americans unemployment had been decreased a lot since the 80s from last
century. It clearly represents that after the desegregation approved, the society was trying to
make up for what they had done to African American, more and more African American were
employed by that time. However, the rate of African Americans been unemployed is still twice

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higher than whites. Because segregation has detrimental damaging impacts on African
American's social status and lives and it hasnt been faded away yet. After the desegregation law
was approved, the society, government, and people are looking for the equalities from daily lives,
people should have accepted all kinds of races without any discrimination, but racism is still
happening over the world, the government should appeal and educated people not to discriminate
other people based on their ethnicities.
There was an era in LA which peoples social status depends on their races and genders. Earlier
in Los Angeles- before the 1950s- suburbs fighting integration often became sites of significant
racial violence. White gangs not only bombed and threw fires into black familys houses, they
also threatened black people that dared to travel to their area. This level violence specific to
African American happened across the whole nation at that time (Simpson 2012). There are
several reasons that caused these havoc, the most direct one is by that time, black people did not
have the same social status as the Caucasian citizens. The law does not extend the same
protections for race and gender discrimination to black men (Tonya, 446) Before the civil
rights approved, persons from minority groups were excluded from, or segregated in, restaurants,
hotels, theaters, and other places of public accommodations (Findlaw, 2013). All the evidence
are able to support African American had been treated differently than whites by-laws. However,
people can not blame about what happened all on whites. It is undoubted that African American
were having a rough time, yet they still had gang activities. Despite the fact that their social
status was low, they could not find any decent jobs because they got isolated from white people,
they got stuck in their own neighborhood and they were not protected by laws, it doesnt mean
that African American should have gang activities. Indeed, gang activities have a unseparated
relationship with discrimination.

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However, racism did not disappear completely; even after the civil rights law approved, the
maltreat from discrimination still occurred. Not as expected, people still are treated unfairly and
it happens in different classes from the society. For instance, about the schools: Whites were
occasionally offered extra information on programs for the gifted. On the other side, African
American sometimes found difficulties to even getting into the building, and they were mostly
referred as regular classes (Ellis, 137). The research shows Compared to the African
Americans youngster who is currently going to normal colleges rather than HBI (historically
black institutions), they will more likely have a positive ego satisfaction and have emotional
experiences which included comfort, fun, friendships and possibly finding a mate (Paul E, 421)
Even Though It has been a long time after the court of justice approved the civil rights, it is not
long enough to cure the African Americans wounds of discrimination. However, the whole
society is attempting to create a justice-filled environment just like African American want to
have the same right just like white people. It can be proved from the education system that the
situation is getting better, the research shows African Americans see whites have the same
struggles as they do when they all learning new knowledge, African American realized race
doesn't any anything to do with intellectual accomplishment. This article shows that the
discrimination to African Americans that happened in learning knowledge from schools is no
longer exist in this young generation. It is a representation that school and professors are trying
to create a fair environment of learning. Even from the slightly older generation, there are
evidence support that African American will earn respect from others if they work hard.
Nowadays, races and genders do not have influences about how people will be treated by each
other, instead of that, hard-working and the dedication will affect peoples social status and how
successful they will do in their career. According to the article from author Tonya, Im a black

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man and I am doing this job very well, it demonstrates that different attitudes will lead people to
different futures; professional African American may either face racism that is bad for their
career or some African American are able to advance in their careers despite their race.
Nowadays, the society is paying more attention on African American Studies by Goodly (2007),
Humphrey (2007) and Taylor (2004) signal an increase in attention being given to African
American professional men's career development experiences. The rates of African American
being a leader are respective increasing (Tonya,446)
Crimes Related with Racism Issues
Despite the fact, the majority of people are not racists, however when things related with crimes,
maybe in whites conscious mind that they turned a little bit discrimination against African
Americans, even themselves dont notice. According to the results from a survey on the Internet
about public opinion on crime matters: Whites become more supportive of the death penalty
when told that it is discriminatory towards Blacks (whereas Blacks become more opposed
(Leonie 306, from Peffley & Hurwitz, 2007). In this case, it is maybe the aftermath from
segregation law, the different social status unconsciously influences people. As the figure.3
indicates, when the victims are white, and the accused are black, there is 38.7% chance that the
accused will be found guilty and sentenced to death. On the other hand, when the victims are
black, and the accused are white, there is almost no chance for the accused to be considered
guilty.

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(Figure 3.)
Source: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org
African Americans Contributions To The Society
African American have the most beneficiary from canceling the segregation laws. since the
twenty-first century, even as African Americans increasingly seek the benefits of higher
education at predominantly white institutions. Till today, HBIs have educated nearly 40 percent
of all African American college graduates. At the professional level, HBIs have educated 40
percent of black dentists; nearly 50 percent of all African American business executives,
engineers, and attorneys; roughly 75 percent of all black PhDs, federal judges and military
officers and 85 percent of all African American physicians. (Paul E cited from AAUP 1995) It is
obvious to conclude that let African Americans get a decent education will also benefit the
society, and this benefits will promote social progress. Nowadays African American are getting
more attention and respect from the society than before, President Barack Obama fully proved
this. On the night of 4 November 2008, as Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech after

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having won the American presidential election (Anthony, 2). It is clear to see that races and skin
color has barely not impacted on peoples social status. In addition, black American masculine
narrative often makes them have extraordinary performances in sports, (Anthony, 2) which also
earn respect from people. For instances, most records from Olympics are keeping by black
people.
Recommendations and Solutions
There are certain methods to improve the situations to decrease the discrimination percentage in
the society. Firstly, the government should propagandize about the benefits from canceled
segregation laws. It will help people to have a better understanding, hence to change peoples
minds. Secondly, the primary schools and parents should not teach children or teenagers who are
in adolescence anything that associates with the relationships between social status and their
races and skin colors. Last but not least, concern to about what society had done to African
Americans before, the government should have to make more preferential policies that will
compensate to African American.
In a word, the whole society should pay close attention to the problem of discriminations, and
there are varieties of things can be done in order for people to seek the social justice, and make
discrimination disappear is not an easy thing to do, it takes long time and dedication to do it.
Everyone is responsible for this, and everyone wants to be treated equally. More importantly the
government and parents should pay more attention to the young generation, avoid the repeated
performance of a tragedy.

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Works Cited
Cose,Ellis "Cose, Ellis. "The realities of black and white." Newsweek 29 Apr. 1996: 36.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Mark Peffley,Jon Hurwitz. "Persuasion and Resistance: Race and the Death Penalty in
America." American Journal of Political Science 51..4 (2007): 304-305. Web. 15
Nov. 2015.
Chang, Mitchell J.1, Denson, Nida, Senz, Victor, Misa, and Kimberly. "Coping The
Educational

Benefits

of

Sustaining

Cross-Racial

Interaction

among

Undergraduates." Journal of Higher Education. May/Jun2006, Vol. 77 Issue 3,

p430-455. 26p. 5 Charts. 11 Nov. 2015.
Cornileus, Tonya. "'I'm A Black Man And I'm Doing This Job Very Well': How African
American Professional Men Negotiate The Impact Of Racism On Their Career
Development." Journal Of African American Studies 17.4 (2013): 444-460.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Stewart, Anthony. "'I Will Never See A Black American President In My Lifetime': Crisis
In The Black American Masculine Narrative." Canadian Review Of American
Studies 41.2 (2011): 245-261. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Kelly Simpson, A Southern California Dream Deferred: Racial Covenants in Los
Angeles, 2012, web. 17 Nov. 2015