My final term project for College Writing 201

1. Addressing racism in America

2. Racism in America
 Racism in America is so deeply
ingrained in our culture and society it is
easy to misinterpret hard to recognize.
 America was founded on racial ideas
from the systematic murder and
extermination of Native American
Indians which paved the way for land in
the south on which African American
slaves cultivated cotton for rich whites.

3. Modern Day Racism
 Racism doesn’t have to be overt cross
burning lynch mobbing segregation. It
can be as subtle as crossing the street
to avoid passing someone of a different
race, being afraid in an elevator with
someone of a different race.
 Overt racism in America still exists.
Take a look at police murders of
unarmed black Americans.

4. Above the Law?
 There have been at least 78 cases of
white police officers gunning down and
murdering unarmed black citizens in the
United States since 1999. Most of the
officers in these cases were never
indicted for murder and most never
received any formal disciplinary action.
Are white police officers above the law?

5. Tamir Rice
 12 year old boy, Tamir Rice gunned
down and murdered in a Cleveland park
by white male police officers. Tamir’s
only crime was being black in a park that
day. Below is disturbing footage of Tamir
being gunned down and the 911 call.
Officers were not indicted for this
murder.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSC
ftESyKyU

6. Freddie Gray
 Freddie Gray was arrested by Baltimore
police in 2015. When he entered the
police transport van he was alive,
walking, and coherent. When the door
opens again Freddie Gray had suffered
from a spinal injury leaving him
paralyzed and comatose. Officers were
not indicted for this murder.

7. Michael Brown
 Michael Brown was an unarmed 18 year
old man who was gunned down by a
white police officer over stolen
cigarettes. Officer Darren Wilson was
never indicted for this murder.

8. Trayvon Martin
 Occasionally there citizens who take
justice into their own hands which is the
case for Trayvon Martin. Martin was a
17 year old boy gunned down by
“concerned citizen” George Zimmerman.
Zimmerman wasn’t convicted due to
Florida’s “Stand Your Own Ground”
Laws.

9. Rioting
 After each subsequent murder of an
unarmed black person the cities
corresponding with their murders began
having peaceful protests. Each protest
brought out a police force armed with
military gear. Rubber bullets, tear gas,
and batons. Police officers brutally
assaulted citizens often times black, for
exercising amendment rights.

10. What Can be Done?
 Racism is almost an American tradition.
Civil Rights Laws amended the
Constitution but did not change
attitudes, ideas, or behaviors. Opening
up a dialogue and admitting to racist
behavior is the first step in changing
these problems America faces.

11. Start a Dialogue
 Click on the link below to see how two
men set aside their differences to have a
discussion about racism in America. Two
sides disagreed but converged to have a
conversation.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGB
ooYqU1dg