The Problems that Arise Due to Racism
Racism Racism has been a problem in society since the beginning of time. Prejudging and discriminating against people because of race is wrong; however, it happens all of the time even to this day. The most extreme extent of racism was when Africans were enslaved all over the world for the sake of free labor. People were forced to plant and harvest crops, pick cotton, as well as other tasks while living in poor conditions. Families were separated and sold off as if individuals were objects. Slaves who did not willingly cooperate were cruelly beaten or lashed with a whip. This caused immense tension and hatred between the races of whites/Anglos and blacks/Negros in America, particularly the south. The book, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, takes place in Louisiana about one-hundred years after slavery was abolished. This was a time where there were not anymore slaves (they were all emancipated), but racism was still prominent. The book does an astonishing job of exposing the discrimination of that particular time period. In A Lesson Before Dying, the reader has the opportunity to see the negative impact of racism on the lives of African Americans. Due to racism, the legal system was extremely unjust. If ever an African American was accused of a crime, he would be convicted and labeled guilty without substantial evidence. This is very well proven in A Lesson Before Dying when Jefferson, the character who the story revolves around (although he is not the main character), is accused and convicted of murder and armed robbery. There were no witnesses, no video tape, and no evidence whatsoever because Jefferson was the only man left alive after the incident. According to Jefferson, he was walking alone when his friends, Brother and Bear, saw him and said they were going to town to have a good time, so he got into the car with them. They all stopped and went into a convenience store to buy liquor, but they did not have enough money. The store owner,