History and Current Issues Contributing to Inequality

Overview
Note: This assignment is the second in a series of 4 assignments on the same topic, due in Weeks 2, 5, 8, and 10. The assignments build upon each other.
Assume you are an investigative reporter for a major publication (magazine or newspaper) who has been assigned to research important issues (ethnic, racial, gender, or class) that are causing problems and affecting people in a local area, workplace, or specific part of the world. Your goal is to provide both an in-depth analysis of and put a human face on this issue by writing a series of articles that the editor plans to publish in two major parts. For this assignment, you will write Part 1 of your series of articles, which focuses on the history, current issues, problems caused by the issues, and proposed changes.
Part 2, due in Week 8, will focus on the benefits and challenges of the proposed change(s) as well as responses to the challenges. You will include the feedback you receive on both articles from your editor/professor in your presentation due in Week 10, in which you will be required to provide a summary of your articles in a PowerPoint or Google Slide presentation for a meeting of the National Association of Journalists.
Your professor will act as your editor and provide guidance as you refine your topic area and articles.
Requirements:
Write a 5–6 page (or approximately 1,300–1,400 words) paper in which you:
In the first 1–2 paragraphs, introduce the topic area you chose in Week 2 with a quote, question, and/or statistic (from your credible sources), along with an overview and a thesis statement. (Grab the reader’s interest.)
Explain 3–5 major historical factors (social events/attitudes, wars, laws, economy, political environment, et cetera) in the past 50–100 years that have contributed to the current issue(s) and problems for this topic area. Explain how historical factors impact current issues.
Analyze 3–5 major current issues/problems (economic, social, political, legal, et cetera) for this topic area.
Describe 1–2 groups of people affected by the issue/problem, including 2–3 quotes and/or paraphrased comments from the people affected (from your reliable sources).
Propose 2–3 changes (economic, social, political, legal, et cetera) that could possibly improve the situation. (Changes can be proposed and extracted from examples from other countries, localities, or workplaces that you found in your reliable sources.) Explain the interventions attempted to rectify the issue.
Include 5 or more credible and reliable references in addition to the textbook.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:
Propose potential changes to help solve important issues in society concerning class, ethnicity, gender, or race that potentially lead to increased diversity and inclusive collaborations.
African American Equality Issues in The U.S.
African Americans are among the groups which have sought equal rights as U.S.
citizens. Regardless of the various efforts employed to create such equality, African American
citizens face various challenges which depict inequality. Among the issues faced are police brutality, unequal job opportunities, and segregation.
Rationale
Police brutality is one of the major issues facing African American citizens due to racism. Police brutality occurs when law enforcement authorities use excessive force when arresting suspects. Racism makes African American citizens a target for the police force regardless of an individual being innocent. An example is a case whereby these individuals are more likely to get searched by the police than white citizens. These cases indicate the inequality in the justice system and the need to create laws preventing African Americans from being victims of police brutality. Unequal job opportunities also occur due to racism and discrimination in different work environments. Due to such racism, some employers prefer to hire white citizens instead of African Americans. Hence, African Americans have limited job opportunities, thus indicating the inequality they face in the U.S. Segregation is also a common inequality issue affecting African Americans due to racism and discrimination. Segregation used to occur a lot in housing, employment, and transportation. Various laws have been set to eradicate the issue, but it is happening in various parts of the country.
Annotated Bibliography
Assari, S. (2018). Unequal gain of equal resources across racial groups—international journal of health policy and management, 7(1), 1.
The source focuses on the unequal gain among citizens regarding equally distributed resources. The U.S. government has implemented various laws to facilitate the equal distribution of resources. However, minority groups face discrimination, making it challenging to access such resources. Examples are job and education opportunities whereby the white citizens have better chances of getting these opportunities.
Graham, C., & Pinto, S. (2019). Unequal hopes and lives in the USA: Optimism, race, place, and premature mortality. Journal of Population Economics, 32(2), 665-733.
The source focuses on the various demand-driven components facilitating the gap between African Americans and whites. Among such factors are limited job opportunities and a declining labor market. African Americans face discrimination in different aspects of life; therefore, issues in the labor market would place them at more disadvantage than whites. The article contributes to the research by showing the possibility of African Americans having fewer employment opportunities than white citizens.
Graham, A., Haner, M., Sloan, M. M., Cullen, F. T., Kulig, T. C., & Jonson, C. L. (2020). Race and worrying about police brutality: The hidden injuries of minority status in America. Victims & Offenders, 15(5), 549-573.
The article focuses on the extent to which minority groups such as African Americans fear police brutality in the U.S. It shows that Police brutality is among the inequality issues facing these individuals and the need to develop laws for its eradication. The article uses the term hidden injuries to show the ignorance involved in dealing with the issue.
McLeod, M. N., Heller, D., Manze, M. G., & Echeverria, S. E. (2020). Police interactions and the mental health of Black Americans: A systematic review. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 7(1), 10-27.
The articles show that police brutality determines people’s mental health. The brutality causes fear and a negative attitude toward the police force, thus affecting people’s well-being. It is more likely to affect African Americans and other minority groups whose friends faced brutality in the past. The article will contribute to the research by proving that police brutality is an inequality issue facing African Americans.
Tehrani, S. O., Wu, S. J., & Roberts, J. D. (2019). The color of health: residential segregation, light rail transit developments, and gentrification in the United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(19), 3683.
The source focuses on the current need to improve communities through various development projects. However, the developments create the possibility of displacing the minority communities from their society, thus reinforcing the segregation issues that African Americans faced during the colonial era. The article shows the need for laws and planning to ensure that the gentrification processes do not negatively affect minority communities.