Injustice

So far, I’ve learned that indigenous groups and African American communities have endured a

significant amount of injustices, stereotypes, biases, and discrimination throughout history,

which shape the trajectory of modern society. Both indigenous groups and African American

communities have faced issues of colonization, enslavement, dispossession of land, forced

assimilation, and cultural suppression. Indigenous people across America suffered from violent

conquest, forced relocation, and the elimination of their cultural practices. African Americans

endured terrifying experiences concerning slavery, segregation, racial violence, and systemic

oppression, including discriminatory laws and policies. Throughout history, indigenous groups

and African Americans have been subjected to harmful stereotypes and biases that perpetuated

discrimination and dehumanization. Indigenous people were often portrayed as savages, exotic

and different to other groups, or obstacles to progress. Similarly, African Americans were

subjected to stereotypes that portrayed them as intellectually inferior, dangerous, or solely

defined by their labor. The injustices, stereotypes, biases, and discrimination experienced by both

communities continue to influence modern society. These historical legacies have resulted in

persistent socioeconomic disparities, unequal access to education, healthcare, and employment

opportunities, and the overrepresentation of these communities in the political and justice

system.

Systemic racism also perpetuated the existing disparities that were deeply embedded in social,

economic, and political structures. Indigenous people and African Americans have faced

ongoing struggles when it comes to reclaiming and preserving their cultural identities, receiving

quality education, achieving economic mobility, and gaining fair representation in

decision-making processes. The struggle of discrimination has created a cycle of disadvantage

that hinders progress and establishes a greater sense of inequality. Not only did I consider the

external experiences and conditions lived by both ethnic groups. I also thought about the trauma

and psychological impacts that acts of violence and force or even separation, had caused among

both groups. Intergenerational trauma is able to influence future generations from the same

lineage. As a result , it is crucial to repair the damages caused by establishing an inclusive

environment that provides more understanding and respect after experiences that both groups had

to overcome. This is able to bring more healing and justice. The modern impacts that stereotypes

and biases have caused are also seen in cultural appropriation and commodification. Indigenous

cultures and African American contributions have been appropriated, commodified, and

misrepresented, often without proper acknowledgment or respect. This provides further

reinforcement of power imbalances maintained towards these similar yet unique ethnic groups.

From a historical rather than modern perspective towards Native Americans,it becomes apparent

that Manifest Destiny established reservations in an unjust manner by causing land loss, poverty,

population reduction,and the Indian Removal Act for Native Americans.For instance, territories

were transferred from Native Americans to the government while the tribe gradually lost

land.This had been crucial for the understanding that reservations were consequential for this

land loss because they had to relocate into smaller territories that were further west once the

tribes were pressured to leave based on white settlement. As a result, they transferred locations

and found themselves living in poor conditions without adequate resources to progress. This also

demonstrated that there was reinforcement of the notion that Native Americans were inferior to

white individuals based on the sacrifices they had to make externally which influenced their

cultural identity that was suppressed. Furthermore, Native Americans’ acquisition of enhancing
wealth due to poverty also proved that they faced injustices. Essentially, Native Americans had

to endure their identity and culture despite the instability in agriculture and insufficient resources

among their territory. One could develop the assumption that they did not receive the proper

assistance from the government to live under poor conditions in affected their

health,shelter,education,or economic progression. Moreover, there was a reduction of the tribe’s

population over the time Americans affected their land loss.Therefore,there were certain

challenges and barriers that the tribes had to overcome as they were moved by American

settlers.The lesser the land they had,the further it impacted their resources for survival.This was

fundamental for the American belief that they were destined to take control of most of the

territory. Thus, such belief justified unfair actions taken by white people towards Native

Americans. The Indian Removal Act made by Andrew Jackson shows how tribes gave up

homelands through the agreement.This Act could hold contribution to the relationship between

Native Americans and the government.It develops the idea that more actions should be taken to

consider more stability for their reservations. Evidently,relocation influenced Native American

tribes in a negative and unjust manner through the idea of Manifest Destiny. Thus, manifest

destiny promoted westward expansion while providing moral justification for territorial

acquisitions, conflicts with Native American tribes, and the settlement of western territories-

which reduced the rights of indigenous individuals and increased the chances of slavery.

To the contrary, I learned that there was more continuity during reconstruction which was a result

of ongoing discrimination towards black communities. For example, continuity was maintained

based on the black code laws developed by white southerners in order to impose restrictions on

African American as a way to maintain white supremacy. In effect, no change was developed due

to the ability of white people to control the freedom of black citizens only for the advantage of
their own economy.Without owning black citizens,they would lose money. This represents a

sense of entitlement that one ethnic group had over the other. It also provides further emphasis

on the idea of superiority and inferiority for one’s personal gain. Furthermore, continuity

happened during the reconstruction period because African Americans were still treated

unequally by white people who felt superior to them and mistreated them. This is important

because black codes had been enacted during the reconstruction era which imposed restrictions

on African Americans. These restrictions correlate to the unequal treatment they received

because African Americans were restricted when it came to their ability to testify against white

individuals, right to own property, and the right to vote. They were also prone to forced labor and

economic exploitation because black codes required African Americans to sign labor contracts

with white landowners or employers. If they refused, authorities were able to arrest African

Americans who were unable to prove employment. Also, black codes had restricted the

education of African Americans because certain laws had prohibited African Americans from

attending public schools, receiving quality education, or attending a segregated school system

that was based on the color of their skin. This caused a lack of educational opportunities for

African Americans. In addition to the way Henry Adams had written this after the civil war, it is

notable that they did not have the same rights as the white community. Henry Adams was a civil

rights activist. As a former slave himself, Henry Adams emphasizes that African Americans still

had to obey and serve their white owners. Otherwise,they would continue to face negative

consequences from their refusal. Thus, I learned about other African American leaders like

Medgar Evers or Malcome x which I knew nothing about. But I was more aware of leaders like

Martin Luther King. It became apparent that these three individuals were involved in the civil

rights movement because they all had a unique approach to racial concerns like inequality and
discrimination. Through the video of “I am Not Your Negro” which I watched individually, I

gave myself the chance to learn about Medgar who fought for equal rights for African Americans

by bringing awareness to racial violence that he had intended to investigate and publicize. As the

civil rights activist he was, he organized voter registration while supporting the passage of the

civil rights act before being assasinated. As a black nationalist and activist, Malcolm x

challenged white supremacy and encouraged self determination and unity among oppressed

individuals through relevant writings or powerful speech.He established more inclusivity when

addressing the struggle against systemic racism before he was also assassinated. I knew more

about Martin Luther King who stood against discrimination and segregation. What’s more

interesting to me was that he advocated for acts of non-violence and peace while having the

courage to lead numerous protests that stood against these serious issues. This meant that he

really had hope for change and unity among two ethnic groups that had previously struggled to

get along. The well known speech established by Martin Luther King- a leader that I was already

familiar with, that still affects others in a positive way is “I Have a Dream'' which talks about

freedom and this idea of unity. Overall, the video taught me that racial inequality has always

been around even throughout significant movements like the civil rights movements. We must

learn to establish personal autonomy and individuality by embracing our identity and accepting

our differences in order to grow out of outdated thinking or past beliefs that affected a particular

ethnic group like African Americans. However, the age of reconstruction kind of reminded me of

“No boys no boys” because it was a period in which the US had questioned a way of integrating

newly freed slaves into political, social, and labor systems. So they were not completely free.

Similarly, the loyalty of Japanese Americans was questioned in an unfair way that undermined

their rights as US citizens just because they wanted them to serve in the US military- which was
a labor system imposed by the US. Nonetheless, it is important to maintain a nuanced

perspective upon learning about these issues that occurred in history and have affected ethnic

groups in order to feel hopeful while having faith that it’s not too late to establish significant

changes by developing more awareness about ongoing issues and even reflecting on past

experiences that we can evolve from. When referring back to modern society, I do think that

awareness can be brought by adjusting the educational curriculum where an increasing number

of countries give students the opportunity to take ethnic studies and perhaps adjust their

understanding about historical events even those concerning African Americans in order to fix

things in their present. Despite the injustices they have faced, indigenous groups and African

American communities have demonstrated enormous amounts of resilience and engaged in

ongoing activism to challenge systemic discrimination. Movements for civil rights, land rights,

cultural revitalization, and social justice emerged as a way to demand recognition, equality, and

reparations. The historical injustices, stereotypes, biases, and discrimination faced by indigenous

groups and African American communities have left an unforgettable mark on modern society.

Systemic racism and structural inequality continue to shape the lived experiences of these

communities, perpetuating disparities and limiting opportunities. Recognizing and addressing

these issues is crucial for creating a more equitable and inclusive society. By learning from

history, challenging stereotypes, and amplifying marginalized voices, we can work towards

overcoming systemic barriers and fostering a society that respects diversity among all ethnic

groups.