Is the United States of America actually united? The undisputed answer is “NO.” To a layman, unity simply means oneness and equality in love. These three key words in the definition of unity—oneness, equality and love—are almost certainly absent in the American society today. A novice foreigner might ask, “Why is there an absence of these important virtues in such a great country?” An American citizen, black or white, would respond in just one word, “Melanin.” Melanin, the pigment that gives dark color to the skin, is the major cause of disunity in the supposed “United” States of America. Sadly, this pigment has left a huge dent on Black history. This huge dent is called slavery. According to Randall Robinson, the “246-year practice of slavery” caused “a yawning economic gap between blacks and whites” in the United States. It is best to think of those 246 years as a period when the development of blacks stood still—as a result of oppression from whites—and that of whites soared higher. However, if whites want to make amends and make United States really “united,” restitution would be the best option, because it would improve the standard of living of blacks. Restitution could be by improving health care and education for blacks. This step would definitely close down the “yawning gap” with time.
I totally agree with this notion. It's sad that the United States is portrayed as a better place for opportunities internationally. Obama's pushing for better health care and education for Blacks but I believe change is going too slow, which is keeping Blacks at the bottom of the social ladder.
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