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African American Stories

Racial Inequality

Narrative Tive of the Life of Frederick ... (by Douglass, Frederick)
The Journal of Negro History (by Carter Goodwin Woodson)
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. (by Jacobs, Harriet A. (Harriet Ann), 1813-1897)
Passing (by Larsen, Nella)
The Poetry of the Negro 1746 1949 (by Langston Hughes)
Mule Bone a Comedy of Negro Life (by Langston Hughes)
My Bondage and My Freedom (by Frederick Douglass)

Racial inequality in the United States underlies a wide range of societal issues that affect the life chances of different groups disproportionately by race. There are vast differences in wealth across racial groups in the United States. There are many causes, including years of home ownership, household income, unemployment, and education, but inheritance might be the most important.

http://worldheritage.org/articles/Racial_inequality_in_the_United_States

Barack Obama in the Rosa Park's Bus

Within the last several years, there’s been quite a focus on racial inequality in America, as well as other countries around the globe. The term refers to social advantages and disparities that are based on race. These inequalities may manifest in the distribution of wealth, power, and life opportunities afforded to people based on ethnicity.

Many novelists have addressed this topic which can be traced back to the days of slavery in America. Although activist Martin Luther King, Jr. once had a dream that his children would “live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” there’s still much to be done to balance the scales of equality.

Black Lives Matter Movement

Beyond the international Black Lives Matter movement, which was founded in 2013 and campaigns against violence and racism for the African-American community, other groups continue to cast the spotlight on the topic of inequality in the workplace (notably with salary differences), education system, court system, and the mortgage and housing markets.

While much work certainly remains, a glance back in time will provide a snapshot of what life was like for African Americans several decades ago.

Explore some of the American narratives by Mark Twain such as The Experiences of Thomas H. Jones. There’s also Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin—another recommended classic.

By Regina Molaro