Pathways to Safer Opioid Use Simulation and Reflection

Answer

Racial history of the U.S. has shaped racial relations in the society today to an extent. This paper analyses two historical documents, namely Mississippi Black Code of 1865 by McPherson (Part 2-4) and Letter from Birmingham Jail by Luther (King 1-6) to analyses progress made in racial relations history in the U.S. with reference to the issues that are facing the country at the today. The nature of the race in the past and today is also within the scope of discussion of this paper. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of how racial history in the U.S. has shaped racial relations in today’s society. Racial history, particularly for the African-Americans (Blacks) has transformed from brutal physical enslaving environment in the 19^th Century to a segregating system in the 20^th Century and finally to an institutionalized racist system in today’s society; where racism is channeled through political, social, and economic discrimination/isolation in today’s society.

            Mississippi Black Code of 1865 demonstrates the unyielding struggle by the Whites and political class in Mississippi; perhaps the Southern States to hold on to slavery principles through debt and binding of Blacks to a cheap labor economy. Targeted use of the justice system was aimed to keep the Blacks on check. Part 2 of the Code titled Mississippi Apprentice Law (Sec 1-4) aimed to put vulnerable underage freed slaves and people of mixed Black-White race under the hands of Whites who were in dire need of cheap labor (McPherson Part 2). In this case, the poor people and vulnerable people from a mixed Black-White race or Blacks were convicted by law to work for the Whites. Besides Sec 3 and 4 of Part 4 denied the convicted laborers from a sense of free will since if they left their enslaving employers they risk being judged in the court of law, imprisoned or levied heavy fines. Unjust use of law-backed fines made it easier for the Whites to transfer Blacks who were superficially described as free men from one master to another; thus, perpetrating a life-long experience of slavery for the disadvantaged Blacks and people of mixed Black-White race (McPherson Part 2-3).  To keep them from fighting back and defending themselves, freedmen, free negroes, and mulattos were forbidden from owning guns, other weapons, and ammunitions  and show of vengeance or resistance to the White dominant rule at the time was likely to put the population in question in prison or White bondage (McPherson Part 4). In the 19^th Century, freedmen, free Negroes, and mullatos faced a brutal physical and unjust justice system that worked to their disadvantage.

            The Letter from Birmingham Jail demonstrates civil right movement as well as King’s (1-6) rejection of satisfaction to the status quo characterized by racial inequalities and ongoing spirit of segregation. It is surprising to find out that even the Black Clergy in the Southern States, where slavery had hit most and was continuing to affect African-Americans and Asians were criticizing King’s (1-2) action to influence the masses in Birmingham to use nonviolent direction action to demand for their long-due rights and equality for all. King is justified to criticize the African-American clergy of their will of protecting laws that discriminates against African-Americans as well as Asians (3). King informs them that there are two sets of laws just and unjust laws; hence, they should obey just laws and disobey unjust ones (3). Besides, he informs them that just laws may be applied unfairly to protect discrimination and perpetrated injustice I the society as exemplified by his arrest and imprisonment in Birmingham jail (3-4).  The Letter form the Birmingham Jail demonstrates the use of laws to protect racial segregating policies and culture as well as unjust use of the laws to quell African-American voices and struggle for equality in the 20^th Century as demonstrated by arrest of Martin Luther King Jr.

The nature of the racial relations in the past and today is quite similar; only that it has mutated into a new ‘face’. In the 19^th Century, Southern states as exemplified by the state of Mississippi were not ready to accept that slavery had been abolished; hence, laws were cunningly engineered to put most freedmen, free Negroes, and mulattos back to slavery and put them under use by White dominant population (McPherson Part 2-4). Enslaving laws in Mississippi include Mississippi Apprentice Law (Part 2), Mississippi Vagrant Law (Part 3), and Penal Laws of Mississippi (Part 4). In the 20^th Century, segregation policies and practices were common through the country; hence, the period was marked by civil rights movements and the rise of the African-American voice for equality and justice (King 1-2). Today is characterized by institutionalized racism and lack of political will to curb it. Two years after election of the first African-American president (Barack Obama) the world still witnessed discriminatory lawmaking practices and racial policing; that amounted to targeted killing of African-American males in the U.S. (Kendi Para. 28). This may be likened with Mississippi Vagrant Law that committed the police and the judicial system to punish seemingly disengaged or disengaged freedmen, free Negroes, and mullatos (McPherson Part 3). Political, economic, and social racial disparities are key issues facing the U.S. today (Metzl & Roberts 674-6).

In conclusion, racial history in the U.S. has transformed racial relations in the U.S. for the better. However, racism and racial discrimination is still evident today in the U.S. but has taken a political, social, and economic ‘face’. In the 19^th Century, Mississippi was focused on maintaining the status quo of slave and master; regardless of abolition of slavery. The 20^th Century was characterized by use of laws to promote segregation practices; whereas, today economic, political, and social racial disparities is the new ‘face’ of racism in the U.S.