Government Policies to Address Problems Faced By Black Families

Introduction

African American social standing in the United States of America has been characterized by years of unfair laws, policies, and practices. This type of racism is deeply institutionalized into the system and is the cause of many problems faced by black Americans. To edge this problem, government policies are necessary. For instance, after 400 years of slavery, African-Americans had to face Jim Crow laws. Thus, it would be imperative for any regime to institute policies that seek to merge the differences fostered by the slavery system. Thus, a democratic government that seeks to implement policies that strive to establish equity of opportunities is most suitable for any Black family.

Economic Policies

Systematic racism is a global problem that hinders people from meeting their full economic potential. Black Americans continue to suffer large racial and gender wage gaps. According to a report by the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics (2019) table 24, an average black man’s hourly wage is 15 dollars compared to a white man’s 21 dollars. An average black woman receives an hourly wage of 13 dollars compared to a white woman’s 17 dollars.

The main reason for income gap is that many employers think that whites have a better education than blacks.

Another problem arising from racism in the United States is the huge wealth gap between blacks and whites. After the Great Recession of 2007, the wealth gap between white and black households widened to the point where white households had 20 times the wealth of black households. The gap is projected to cost the United States economy about $ 1.5 trillion in lost investment in 10 years, according to a report by International Monetary Bank, 2019.

To eliminate discrimination in the economic sector, racial justice needs progressive taxation. The government should impose progressive taxation, which demands high taxation sufficient to reduce the wealth gap that characterizes the American economy. Inheritance taxes should be sufficiently high because wealth inheritance account for half of total wealth in the United States and a larger share of the racial wealth gap. A more comprehensive tax strategy aimed at reducing wealth concentration can have far-reaching consequences. In addition, the government should propose a policy that ensures employment is based on skills. The government should enforce skill-based hiring. Skill-based hiring ensures that every hiring employer drafts specific skills and competency requirements to recruit new members.

Social Policies

Racism in America has negatively impacted many lives of black people through biased administration of justice. In the past years, the black community has received hostile treatment from law enforcers—members of the black community face out-of-proportion prosecution, unfair trials, and severe sentences on criminal charges. Police engage in unethical practices to incriminate black Americans, such as implanting evidence and police brutality. As per Bor J, Williams, & Tsai, A. C. (2018), page 302-310, the American police kill an average of 300 black people each year.

The government should incorporate racial justice into United States policy goals. Racial inclusion and racial justice should be the center of policies that govern the people. Every American should have equal representation in court and face similar sentences for similar counts.

Racism is reduced when leaders share power. According to the diversity gap by Lee, 10 percent of state governors in 2013 were either females or black. The government should actively recruit culturally and ethnically diverse people into the system. This ensures inclusiveness in leadership and representation of the minority groups.

Diversity in governance helps ensure that issues are not solved from a single perspective.

Conclusion

According to Ibram, power and policies sustain racism and not people. The government can enact laws and policies to eradicate racism in society. To be an anti-racist society, the government should express ideas of racial equity. On the other hand, citizens should support policies enacted to promote racial equity and challenge those promoting racism.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployed persons by marital status, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, age, and sex, Table 24; 2009.

Bor J, Williams, & Tsai, A. C. (2018). Police killings and their spillover effects on the mental health of black Americans: a population-based, quasi-experimental study. The Lancet, 392(10144), 302-310.