Dear Future President,

America was founded on freedom. Lately though our country is being divided by our wealth, and color of skin. Racial inequality has without failure affected our powerful nation through slavery, income, wealth, police brutality, and protests. To shed light on this people from all backgrounds, troubles, families, neighborhoods, and skin colors are speaking up in protest unified against racial inequality. Through these people we can hear what challenges they face from different mind sets, and points of view.

Colin Kaepernick, who is a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand for the national anthem (Sandritter). By doing this they are fighting back against the recent events happening in our country. Arian Foster made a point of saying we shouldn’t be afraid to speak out because America is made up of freedom, unlike other countries (Sandritter). These protests are spreading across the country to even high school football teams in America (Sandritter).

Then we head over to Charlotte, North Carolina, a city that has been horrifically affected by police brutality and violence. Over fifty people pleaded at a court in Charlotte for racial equality (Bacon). Countless people complained about about the police brutality against unarmed black people, and if police are being trained right (Bacon). Various people were skeptical that police are being trained to target black people (Bacon). They weren’t just saying this to say it, but had evidence too. Thirty-seven percent of unarmed police victims were black ("Police Killed"). You may be asking don’t more unarmed white people get killed by police than. The answer is yes, but only thirteen percent of people in America are black ("Police Killed"). While white people make up more than fifty percent of the U.S.A. ("Police Killed"). Next in 2015 one-third of black people killed were unarmed, and so far at least two-hundred fourteen black people have been killed in 2016 by police ("Police Killed"). Though one person whose speech hushed all the others was from a young girl. Her name is Zianna Oliphant, and is just asking for all the violence to stop (Bacon). Her heart-wrenching speech affected the hearts of thousands when she said, “We are black people and shouldn’t have to feel like this (Bacon).” In these desperate moments many are asking for Charlotte’s mayor, Jennifer Roberts, to step down (Bacon). What people in Charlotte actually need is someone who listens to the people! From experience when high figures (politicians, etc.) have listened to people we have solved problems. Though people getting killed, and protests aren’t the only problem.

Wealth and economics has been a crucial issue in the U.S.A. An example is on the Forbes 400 List, four-hundred of the wealthiest people in America own 2.34 trillion dollars in net worth (“Racial Inequality”). This is compared to the 1.56 trillion, sixteen million African-Americans have (“Racial Inequality”). Also 15 million Latino households have only 1.82 trillion ("Racial Inequality"). In 2007 the income for non-white households went up, but then in 2010 everything went down again for non-white families ("Racial Inequality"). The gap in 2007 closed quite a bit with non-white people having reached seventy percent of the income of white people ("Racial Inequality"). Then when 2010 came it went down to sixty-five percent ("Racial Inequality"). The gap has widened as well with white and latino families. When the twentieth century ended a regular black family had a net worth six times smaller than a regular white family (the gap has now almost doubled) ("Racial Inequality"). If we listen to people affected by these economic problems with income we may be able to solve or bring about new ideas to help solve it.

Even if you don’t believe it most of the killings, and protests revolve around wealth and economics. If we help the middle class, and the poor with income we will be able to help protests, and killings stop. This isn’t easy though because everyone needs to chip in. We have a long journey ahead but at least it’s bright.

Sincerely,

Charlotte H