Brittany LeJeune

The history of civil rights has evolved into a new more dangerous scene where new racist hate groups are emerging and former white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan are starting to become active again. The attacks surrounding all of racist controversy is violently charged with anger and arguements for or against one side or the other. The tension between these groups is growing. 

“Racism harms not just the lives of those who endure it but also society as a whole,” according to the United Nations #FightRacism movement. “It deepens mistrust, casting suspicion on all sides and tearing apart the social fabric.”

The African American population feel they are in constant competition with the white population for better schools, jobs, and neighborhoods. There is a growing black movement making an effort to change things for black people in America. The formation of a New Black Panther Party is a sign that racism is growing and the climate is become more unsafe and unpredictable. 

“Founded in Dallas, the group portrays itself as a militant, modern-day expression of the black power movement,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Although it frequently engages in armed protests of alleged police brutality, non-racist, left wing members of the original Black Panther Party of the 1960s and 1970s have rejected the new Panthers as a “black racist hate group” and contested their hijacking of the Panther name and symbol.”

White supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, neo-Nazi, racist skinhead and Christian Identity, fall into the category of White Nationalist. They are a serious threat to society due to their ideology and influence. They have been known to attack groups such as immigrants, Roman Catholics, and the LGBTQ+ community. 

“Today, the KKK looms larger than reality, not so much because it poses real dangers to American society but because of its cowardly, racist, and violent history—which continues to hold an unnatural grip on the contemporary American conscience,” according to the Center for American Progress. “Recent news events contribute to the false impression that the KKK is effectively plotting in secret to undermine the achievements of people of color and impose fascist white supremacy over the nation.” 

The new black movement is becoming increasingly divided on issues such as social class and law enforcement. The prominence of groups such as the Black Lives Matter is a very strong force among the black population. The is a drastically new perspective that contrast the beliefs and goals of the civil rights movement. Political milestones such as the election of Barack Obama as president have changed the ideas and goals of many black people.

“Black resistance means activism, freedom, love, family and hope,” the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center said. “Black people in America have resisted oppression in systemic, institutional, interpersonal and intrapersonal forms for centuries. Resistance can be both good and bad, and it means different things for different people. Black resistance is the foundation of American democracy.”

The population in America is growing increasingly more diverse. The shift is contributing to the the friction between people of different races and ethinicity. This is drastically changing many of the beliefs that society has held for a very long time. There is a strong resistance to the racial diversity and the progress that has been made in the America. Communities are learning to adjust to the new ideas. Many Americans are attempting to move forward and overcome the racial disparities of the past.