The United States, despite being centuries removed from the horrific practice of slavery and decades removed from the tension that resulted from the fight for universal suffrage, still faces an intense struggle with racial tension. Racial inequality, and growing incidence of racial conflict, are prominent examples of the grasp that racism remains an issue in modern-day America. The existence of the inequality and conflict that results from racial tension is evidenced by public opinion, the media, and through statistical evaluations of measurements such as economic inequality and incarceration rates, among several others. The causes of this modern-day struggle for equality can be categorized into four main classifications: education inequality, economic inequality, past discrimination, and current discrimination, in the form of both legal and social injustices. The tension and disparity between minorities, namely African-Americans, and whites, is resulting in a social and economic landscape which endangers the premise of “liberty and justice for all” which our nation was built upon.

In order to understand the causes of racial tension in the United States, it is necessary to first acknowledge and explain the presence of the issue of racism which is still prevalent in the United States today. However, it is important to realize that “race in America is not really a fight between opposing sides, but a long and drawn-out occupation by which black people and other minorities were used for their value, and otherwise steamrolled or excluded” (Newkirk). This distinction is essential to understanding that while racism, racial tension and racial conflict exist, it does not mean that a “race war” is occurring in this country, but rather that an issue of prevailing social and economic patterns which define and limit the ability of minorities exists in our nation. Two valuable public opinion statistics that reflect American beliefs regarding racism and racial conflict are as follows: firstly, “49% of Americans … say racism is a big problem in the country, up from 28% four years ago”, and secondly, “two-thirds of Americans say racial tensions have increased in America in the last 10 years” (Agiesta). With a large proportion of the population, nearing half of all Americans, viewing racism as an issue, and the vast majority of Americans agreeing that racial tension is a growing issue, it is accurate to state that the majority of Americans believe racial disparity exists in some form in the United States. This understanding allows the issue of racial tension and racial inequality to no longer be a “myth” or “inaccuracy” that is exaggerated by our nation’s media and minority groups, but rather, a very real, and very serious, problem in the United States. 

While these statistics of public opinion, coupled with the extensive evidence of the causes of racial tension, are definitive proof in and of themselves that there is an existing issue in this nation with racial conflict and inequality, there is the potential for counter arguments. One of these arguments is that racial tension doesn’t exist, but rather that a “victimization” mindset and a desire for reparations exists among minority populations (Williams). However, this argument is very inaccurate. While it is much too difficult to determine the prevailing mindset of minorities, in order to determine whether they simply want to feel like a victim or are overplaying their experiences with racial inequality in order to seek reparations for past transgressions, statistics which demonstrate the existence of educational, economic, and social inequality are abundant in number, and are included in a convincing quantity throughout this essay. One of the largest barriers to achieving racial equality is the denial of the existence of inequality by whites, who not only make up the majority of the United States population, but also compose the majority of the United States government. For progress to be achieved in American society, the white population throughout the nation must identify and correct biases and inequalities which exist, and must end the practice of denying and arguing against the existence of racial inequality.

Educational inequality is a pervasive issue in America, especially in low-income areas. 

“The Consequences of Conflict: An Evaluation of Racial Disparity and Organizational Performance”, is a case study examining the causes for, and effect of, inequality in the United States education system. This study found that there was a significant correlation between three important factors: school funding, racial composition of students, and academic achievement. The correlation resulted in the finding that school systems predominantly attended by minorities received the lowest funding due to a tax-base composed of families falling mostly in the lower class, or below the poverty line. This lack of funding, in turn, results in noticeably lower academic performance than school systems predominantly attended by whites, providing the conclusion that school systems composed predominantly of minority students faced lower funding, and lower academic ability, than school systems composed predominantly of whites. This existence of educational equality is a leading cause of racial tension, because it results in unfair advantages for whites, and a widespread feeling of inequality among minority populations. Educational inequality is, ironically, a substantial reason for the existence of another major cause of racial tension: economic inequality.

Economic inequality is a result of several factors which place minority groups at a significant economic disadvantage when contrasted with their white-counterparts. Two statistics are highly representative of the disparities between minorities: first, “in 2014, the median household income for whites was $71,300 compared to $43,300 for blacks”, and second, “even though the poverty gap between blacks and whites has narrowed, Pew found that Blacks were still at least twice as likely as whites to live in poverty or be unemployed” (Vega). What these two statistics demonstrate are two major patterns that explain the economic divide between blacks and whites – the first being that household incomes are nowhere near equal between the two races, and the second being that blacks are significantly more likely to experience poverty or unemployment. These statistics serve as the main focus, alongside a few other valuable pieces of data, for Bryan Stevenson’s TED Talk “We Need to Talk About an Injustice”. This TED Talk communicates the argument that minorities are unable to, on average, come remotely close to accumulating the same income or wealth as whites. This inability results in alternative actions by minority groups to bridge the divide: criminal activity. Minorities are cited as being nearly three times as likely to commit a crime out of necessity for either money, food, or other basic necessities in the United States. While Stevenson is adamant not to condone any form of criminal activity, his point remains valid: there is a serious issue of minorities essentially being forced to result to criminal activity to survive, due to patterns of inequity both economically and socially. 

Past injustices, ranging everywhere from abuse, exploitation, and the denial of fundamental rights, are another prominent cause of racial tension. One form of this discrimination, which results in racial tensions, predates any living citizen of the United States: slavery. Slavery, alongside the long battle by minorities, namely blacks, for equal rights and protections, has become a defining factor in racial interactions in modern-day United States. 40 million African Americans – approximately 13% of the population – are direct descendants of enslaved blacks (English Online). This vast population often feels abused or neglected by the United States due to an absence of necessary provisions, legislation, or reparations to repair the long-lasting effects of slavery. Although African Americans were emancipated from the horrific practice of slavery in 1863, the struggle for equal rights and protections lasted until the Civil Rights act of 1964 – an incredible century-long battle which reinforced the beliefs among our white-dominated nation that African Americans were not equal under the law, and thus, were not equal as individuals (History.com).  The culture of racism, discrimination, and inequality that dominates the United States today, has been a developing for centuries. African Americans are forced to face the realities of understanding that their nation has historically seen them as unequal to whites, and spent centuries treating members of their race as a possession, rather than as a human being. This history of discrimination, racism, abuse, and inequality has allowed the continued development of the racial tensions that are manifesting themselves today.

Discrimination against minorities comes in two mains forms: social and legal. Socially, minorities face the constant threat of hate crimes. Hate crimes, which are crimes motivated by some sort of prejudice, are at an all-time high in the United States, with the most recent data on their occurrences being recorded in 2015. In 2015, 81.8% of racially motivated crimes were cited as being anti-minority, compared to just 18.2% of racially motivated crimes being anti-white (FBI). This instance of discrimination demonstrates a very painful reality: minority groups are being relentlessly targeted simply due to the color of their skin. In addition to discrimination in the social landscape, minorities face an overwhelming discrimination in the U.S. legal system. Before examining the inequality faced in the justice system itself, it is worth noting that “blacks are more likely than other racial groups to live in neighborhoods with high crime rates” (Ramirez). This pattern predisposes African-Americans for a higher instance of involvement with the legal system, resulting in the discrimination viewed within this system. Upon review, there has been found to be “compelling evidence of contemporary racial discrimination across different levels of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and prison officials”, demonstrated most clearly by the unbelievable finding that blacks are 3.73 times more likely to be incarcerated more harshly than whites for the same exact crime (Ramirez). How could a country built upon values of equality and justice experience such a horrible form of discrimination? Predominantly due to implicit and unconscious bias and racism. The inequality in the justice system is just one of the many forms of suppression and unequal treatment minorities, namely African-Americans, are forced to endure throughout their lives. 

Understanding the causes of racial tension is very important, but it is just as important to understand its effects upon our nation, and the ways in which it is manifested. Hate crimes are the most accurate and effective way to measure the effects of racial tension, because hate crimes are defined as being any act which “willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, a dangerous weapon, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any person” (18 U.S.C. 249 – Hate Crime Acts). 2015, the most recent compilation of hate crime statistics by the FBI, reported the following pieces of data: there were “5,850 hate crime incidents involving 6,885 offenses”, of which, “56.9 percent were motivated by a race/ethnicity/ancestry bias” (FBI). The two main groups which experience interracial conflict – African Americans and Whites – experienced 52.7% and 18.2%, respectively, of all hate crimes (FBI). This disgusting manifestation of racial tension in the form of violence and hate, is altering the bonds of brotherhood and comradery which define the culture and existence of the United States. Hate crimes, however, are not the only way to view the effects of racial tension. Another important manifestation of racial tension is public outcry in response to the culture of discrimination that has become more and more prevalent in the United States. In 2014, on 17% of Americans expressed serious concern for racial tensions and their manifestations in our nation, whereas in 2016, that number had doubled to an astonishing 35% of Americans (Agiesta). This public reaction, along with the other statistics regarding public opinion, presented earlier in this essay, demonstrate a growing concern among Americans for the current racial interactions taking place throughout the nation.

Now that the causes and effects of racial tension have been established, it is just as important to identify solutions. The easiest solution to the issue of racial tension and inequality would be for all Americans to recognize the existing issue of racial injustice and racial tension throughout the nation, and to adjust their mindsets, actions, and government to correct these problems. However, this solution is incredibly unrealistic, as it is impossible to convince the entire United States population to achieve the same mindset. The first of many more feasible solutions is to address the part of the United States population that can be taught to recognize and address these racial issues: students in the American education system. These students represent the future leaders, workforce, and citizens of the United States, and thus, dictate the future of the nation. By educating students to believe in equality, and to recognize the issues in the nation that prevent the achievement of equality, these future leaders of our nation can begin the process of recognizing and repairing the necessity of equality. Alongside this education, our government could begin immediate action to address educational and economic inequality. In order to do so, government funding for school systems in the United States must first be adjusted. Since the majority of funding that school systems receive comes in the form of taxes from a tax-payer base which comprise the system, the government should seek to provide the same economic ability for all school systems through selective application of grants for educational purposes. Assigning grants to school systems based upon need is an easy step that our government could take to reduce educational inequality. By improving the education system, economic inequality will begin to diminish, as higher quality education will lead to higher achievement academically, and ultimately, higher achievement in post-secondary education and the workforce. While the issue of mindsets which allow discrimination in the existing United States population is almost impossible to address and correct, it is important that Americans ensure that the future members of our society are able to disassociate with these mindsets, and that our government enforces legislation that protects minorities from abuse and unequal treatment, and takes the available approaches to solve aspects of inequality. By enacting these reformations in the United States, the road to recovery, and the road to achieving equality throughout the nation, will become more achievable than it has ever been.

 In conclusion, it is undeniable that an issue of racial tension exists in the United States today. This racial tension is caused due to educational inequality, economic inequality, past discrimination, and current discrimination. This culture of racial tension is manifesting itself in not only the form of hate crimes and mass public opinion, but also in the degradation of the principles of equality upon which the United States was established. While barriers, such as institutionalized racism, prevalent mindsets, and the necessity for unity among the United States population, continue to exist, there is still a very realistic ability to address these issues. In order to ensure that the United States is a country which provides “liberty and justice for all”, and not “liberty and justice for some”, there must be appropriate social, political, and economic actions taken by both the leaders and citizens of the United States.
