Cullen Hough June 16, 2010 ENGL 4700 Dr.

Mark Smith America the Beautiful It is astonishing how far American society has come in such a short period of time. Technology has allowed humans to move forward rapidly and advances are manufactured everyday. Equally important to societys success is the advances in the medical field. These findings have aided people in overcoming things that were once believed to be insurmountable. In spite of these glorious achievements that makes America what it is today, there is a long shadow cast across the home of the brave. The characteristic that makes America unique from the rest of the world is its diversity, yet race, racism, and race relations are ongoing issues in this country. One might think that racism no longer exist in modern day America because various races interact on a day-to-day basis. It is true that blatant racism is not as prevalent as it once was but it is not dead. Moreover, the issue today is not in your face racism but rather closet racism. That is not to say that blatant racism is not an issue and that closet racism is the real problem in America. It means that racism has evolved just as society has. So much so that people are not even aware of who or what is racist anymore. CNN conducted a study in May 2010 that illustrated the racial stereotypes instilled in American youth. Children were asked to choose one doll out of five; only varying in complexion, according to the question they were asked. When asked, Which doll was pretty/smart/nice? the majority of the children selected dolls that looked similar to themselves.

Conversely, when asked questions of Which child is ugly/dumb/mean? overwhelmingly children selected the doll of opposite skin tone. When asked why the children chose certain dolls for certain answers most responded with an answer driven by skin tone. Of course, not all of the tested children responded to the test in this fashion. There were children that responded with answers such as All of them are pretty or It doesnt matter what color they are. Unquestionably, race is a serious issue in America and it has been forever. The frightening fact about this today is that people are unaware that they are displaying racism. Take the case of the Commander in Chief. Naturally, when President Barack Obama was elected race was a subject of interest because he is the first African-American to hold the presidential position. In his short time as President, Obama has dealt with racism on a national scale from friends and foes. Chris Matthews, a MSNBC political personality, had a relationship with Obama before he was ever elected President. While speaking about President Obamas 2010 State of the Union address, Matthews said I forgot Obama was black for a hour. Later Matthews apologized by saying he was just proud that race played no part in the address. In actuality it did and Matthews is the one that made it painfully clear that the nation still has a long ways to go before it finds complete racial acceptance. What is disturbing about the racial climate in America today is ignorance. People do not even realize they are being racist. In turn, this brings about denial and as long as one is in denial then the issue at hand cannot be reconciled. Consequently, racism will never cease to exist in the land of the free.