“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. A pledge that is stated everyday by kids and adults all over the country. However, this oath is not a reality for all. Black people have always been looked down upon and looked at as second class citizens since the discovery of this country. America is and has always been littered with hate, injustice, and disadvantageous opportunities for black people.

America has been infiltrated with aspects of hate since the dawn of time. Discrimination is one of those aspects that has permeated this country. In his I Have a Dream speech, Dr. King talks about how this issue has plagued America: “But 100 years later, the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (1). King talks about how discrimination runs deep in America’s veins. It was present during slavery, the civil rights movement, and it is still prevalent today. Discrimination can be seen everywhere. Even though Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects employees from workplace discrimination, it still happens. In Louisiana, a black woman wore her natural hair after wearing a wig for a couple of days. The white company owner told her that her natural hair was “unacceptable” and it “looked like she just rolled out of bed”. However, the black woman continued to wear her natural hair, and a week later she was fired. This is an ongoing issue that America is not putting enough effort into to solve because it is something that the country was built on. Along with discrimination, racism is another issue that was and still is relevant in the United States. The idea of white supremacy in America fuels racism. One race believes that they are better than the other and they will do any and everything to keep their feelings of superiority. Even if it means blowing up churches, like they did back in Dr. King’s day, or killing innocent black people, like they do today. The deeply rooted hate in America has made the “American Dream” not so dreamy. 

America allows for law enforcement to treat black people unfairly. Police brutality among black people is becoming more and more common. There have been too many instances over the last few years of white police officers killing unarmed black men and women. These officers are essentially committing murder and getting away with it. On July 17, 2014, an unarmed black man named Eric Garner was killed by a white police officer in New York City. The white officer put Garner in a chokehold and continued to hold him there as he repeatedly yelled “I can not breathe”. His death was ruled a homicide, but the officer never went to jail; he was only fired from his job. This severe degree of injustice is a sad reality that many black people have faced all over the country. However, nothing is being done to reform police departments, so these unfair killings can stop. Police officers also participate in the act of racial profiling. In America, the skin of black people is weaponized. It is statistically proven that black people are 20 percent more likely to be pulled over than any other race in The United States. This racial bias can skew the way that officers look at black people. Forty-one percent of Black Americans say they have been stopped or detained by police because of their race. The preconceived notions that officers have about black people causes them to treat them differently and unfairly. This has led to many unwarranted injuries and/or deaths of many unarmed black people during their interactions with police officers. America and its government enable the actions of injustice made by law enforcement officers.

America was built upon a system that puts black people at a disadvantage. The school-to-prison pipeline is something that has plagued black communities everywhere. It is statistically proven that minority groups are more likely to attend a school in a low income area with few resources. These schools have overcrowded classrooms, a lack of textbooks, and no extra funds to give the students a proper education. After graduation, most of these young adults try to make something out of themselves. However, when they attempt to go out and get jobs they are at a disadvantage. The school they attended did not give them the proper skills to go out in the real world and thrive. Things in life are not free, so they are forced to make money in other ways. Many turn to making money illegally. This soon leads them to a life of crime and eventually prison. These adults are now convicted felons and this makes getting a job 100 times harder. So they turn back to their old illegal ways, which keeps them in a never ending cycle. Unfair disadvantages can show up elsewhere, like in the healthcare field. Ever since African Americans were brought to America, they were taken less seriously than white people. This is still prevalent in today’s world. Black women are almost 3 times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. This is due to an implicit bias that has been around since slavery. Most white doctors think that black people have “thicker skin” and nerve endings that are not as sensitive. Due to this misconception, black people have had pain medications not given to them. This unfavorable system that America has instilled leaves black people at a major disadvantage in the real world. 

 America is filled with hate, injustice, and disadvantageous opportunities for black people. Discrimination and racism has been present in America since Christopher Columbus stepped foot in this country. This deeply rooted hate has led to an increase in police brutality and injustice. America allows for police officers to treat black people unfairly, commit murder, and get away with their wrong doings. America is a system. A system that is set up to leave black people at a disadvantage in all stages of their life. The demand for change is greater than ever. So the question still remains: Will there ever be liberty and justice for all ?