Current Issues Facing African-Americans

There are many issues that African-Americans no longer have to fight for. They no longer have to fight for the abolishment of slavery, the elimination of Jim Crow Laws, or the right to vote. However, the battles that African-Americans must face are not close to being over. There are many concerns that are deeply affecting the ways that African-Americans are living today. They face health and economic issues, as well as current social issues such as racial profiling and affirmative action. These are the issues that have replaced those of the past and have given African Americans a mission for the future.

Current health issues arising in African-American communities around the nation include diabetes, drug addiction, adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and obesity. These issues are sadly considered an epidemic among African-Americans and are at the forefront of their greatest health concerns. For African-Americans, these problems are particularly devastating because of the many environmental consequences experienced by this population. A main factor in each of these situations is poverty. Poverty impacts the African-American community in ways that often lead to certain consequences in their health. In many cases, these consequences result from lack of accessibility for improved medical care and technology, poor parenting, low socioeconomic stability, and poor education and drop-outs among Blacks. Diseases like those listed above, have always been more common in people of color namely, African Americans. However, these diseases often go undiagnosed because of a lack of education about them. Though there have been many attempts to improve health conditions among Blacks, it is a slow-process that is often held back by the many economic issues they face.

African-Americans have been struggling economically ever since they received their freedom from slavery. According to a survey conducted for the National Urban League's 2001 edition of its landmark report, The State of Black America, a substantial majority of African Americans-60 percent- believe that economic opportunity should be the primary focus of black organizations today. Economic issues such as economic development, jobs and unemployment are all at the forefront of these concerns. Indeed, blacks today have greater opportunities for increased economic success than the generations before them, but problems like poverty and poor education prevent them from consistently moving upward. African-Americans in these situations have to compete with people from more privileged backgrounds for employment. African-Americans growing up in urban-ghettos are limited in the opportunities they receive to have a better life, and are restricted to live these lives, marked by poverty.

Racial profiling is an additional problem among Blacks that exists today. The cause is that skin color, not evidence is the basis for discrimination. Businesses, government agencies and employers all claim to treat people of different races equally, according to laws. However, some federal agencies including the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Customs Department , have admitted that they rely on racial characteristics when deciding whether to inspect someone's bags when they enter the country or detain them when they cross the border. All across the country there have been incidences of racial profiling against African-Americans by police officers that often lead in severe bodily harm or even death. This is a serious problem that many African-Americans believe will never be solved because it stems from past racism.

Affirmative action is also an important issue in the African-American community. A federal fact sheet on affirmative action states that "…affirmative action means that positive steps must be taken to ensure equal employment opportunity for traditionally disadvantaged groups." Under affirmative action, employers and universities sought qualified minorities to offer them the same opportunities that white people traditionally received almost exclusively. Most of the recent court rulings have eliminated some of the affirmative action polices, and weakened its use for African-Americans. This has resulted in some organizations no longer seeking to admit, retain or employ, African-American employees and students.

Though these are the some of the most important issues currently facing African-Americans today, there are a lot more to improve. African-Americans must first began to tackle these forefront concerns in order to eliminate the others. By taking an active part in areas such as community and political involvement, African-Americans will continue to allow their voices to be heard and ultimately, they will begin to complete their mission.