Living in a democratic, “post – racial” society, we still often here the words ‘racism’ and ‘inequality’. Racial gaps within education, employment, and income are prevalent in todays time and in order to address these grievances, the “Black Lives Matter” movement arose, focusing on the injustices in the legal system.

Data and statistics show that white households net worth is more than ten times that of Hispanics and Blacks, more Caucasians earn degrees than African Americans, and that an African American is more likely to go to jail. If there is no segregation and legal racism, then where do these discrepancies come from in a country that screams equal opportunity for all?

In this weeks reading, various explanations were offered to address this racial gap. Some argue that the root is at the homes and black communities with the values and upbringing they have. Others claim that previous enslavement and discriminatory treatment of African Americans is the root of the problem, giving white people a step up to begin with and hindering the upward mobility of blacks. Because of this initial division, blacks today are faced with social and economical inequalities. If this is the case, my question is, when do we draw the line to when the past stops effecting the present generation?

Regardless of the causes, it is important to acknowledge this racial divide and look for solutions to merge the social and economic gap