African-American discrimination in the United StatesNO! NO? This is the word most often heard by African Americans throughout our vivid history. Even though we were once the majority of judgment and unfair discrimination, it is now more than likely to say with certainty, black or white, we are proud to be Americans. In Harper's novel To Kill A Mockingbird Lee explains what it was like, in the 1930s, to live in a small town that often put judgment before thinking. When you think about discrimination the words injustice, segregation and prejudice come to mind. And why do we ask, because someone or something is DIFFERENT. Is this really how our world should think? Should we separate into groups based on our differences? This is a question many white Americans neglect to ask themselves. According to statistics, African Americans make up approximately 13% of the world's population, of which nearly ten million live in poverty. Much of the discrimination against blacks is due to white racism. Black is automatically seen as opposite to white and therefore seen as different. Black skin is known to stand out more than tanned or white skin, which may be why African Americans are the most segregated minority group in US society (faculty). Black Americans were first freed from slavery in 1865, and the right to vote in 1870, when the 15th Amendment was established. Why then were they still discriminated against and not truly given the right to vote until 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was passed? There may be no answer to this (Lieda). In 1964 the Civil Rights Act was passed which stated that: “All people should be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment...... middle of paper...... advantage of a young white woman when the opportunity (Lee). This can be very misleading and inaccurate when it comes to the innocence of a black man. This is in no way civil to all men if this is the way our justice system works in the United States today. When compared to how things were in the 1930s, one can easily see that our society has come a long way and such assumptions are not usually made. When you look back through the piles of history that our country has made, it is easily visible that the world today is very different than it was years ago. Many obstacles have been thrown our way, but it seems that each one has been overcome with the strength and hope that many of our people enjoy. Remember that different does not necessarily mean wrong. Overall we have fought a long and hard battle to get us to where we are today, a nation united as one.