Dear Future President,

    In one hand, there are whites. In the other hand, there are African Americans. Though, these are not the only races, the point is, there are only two hands. Yet, within these two hands, holds thousands and thousands of problems. Within these two hands, holds the people of America. The hands being separate represent the segregation within not just these two, but all races; a line the people of America are somehow constantly tempted to draw. The question is, what significance does this problem have to the American people and the President of the United States, and what depths will the citizens of America go to assist in solving a problem that is long past due.

Reflecting back on the history of African Americans, our minds tend to find their way to slavery because sorrowful events like these help Americans realize what they don’t want. But they also tend to go to significant people that have had the courage to stand up for African Americans and be a part of their successes, such as, Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr. The purpose of Rosa Parks not giving up her seat, and Martin Luther King Jr. nonviolently speaking out about segregation of races, was not only to solve or ease the problem at that time, but almost ensure that it would never be that way again. As people living in America now, one would like to tell oneself that the country as a whole has gotten better and could never possibly be how it was in the 1600’s. However, we cannot lie to ourselves.

According to CNN, 49% of Americans say that racism is a big problem compared to 28% four years ago and 41% 20 years ago. With that said, what should be setting off sirens in the minds of Americans is that the U.S. government is run based off of what the people think, yet, when people say that this problem has become even bigger, no action is taken. Recently in Mississippi, an African American church was burned and vandalized. According to someone who was interviewed after this situation, “This happened in the ‘50’s and 60’s, this should not happen in 2016.” The people of America should not have to fear the same exact things as the people a half a century ago. The people of America should not have to fear for their safety due to lack of compromise between the people. If the people cannot compromise, how is the country supposed to survive when only one presidential candidate is chosen and a great portion of America disagrees with the decision? The U.S. has fought for their freedom as a whole, has survived wars as a whole, now why the sudden change of heart?

Future President, not only should this issue be considered, but it should be placed as a priority. The U.S. cannot face its challenges in separated parts. Schools and workplaces need to be more racially diverse because 7 in 10 whites say that they live and socialize with people of the same race as them. Of course people will consider themselves separate from another race if they don’t normally communicate with them. The people need to ask themselves what is causing the rejection of communication with people of a different race. America needs to join hands between all races and realize that though one person might have a handful of differences from another, they all have one thing in common. They are all a piece of the whole. They are all American citizens; they all need to cooperate for the country to function.

Sincerely,

Grace K