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The Good Side of Struggle for Social Justice

The struggle for social justice in the united states, like every struggle against all forms of
discrimination and mistreatment affects the nation and its citizens altogether. Social injustices
refer to mistreatment and other unfair deeds done in the society (Foner). Social injustices mainly
occur when equal parties are treated differently; one is treated more importantly than the other in
the same environment. Something is considered to be socially unjust if it contradicts the law of
the society.
The struggles for social justice in the United States had a positive effect on the country in
general and greatly influenced in the experiences of the citizens of the states.
Below we will try to show some affirmative effects of the struggle both to the nation as a whole
and to its citizens. This is aimed at proving the aforementioned statement. Though we can argue
that the effects might also be negated, the greatest part of this will prove that the positive
influence was more and outweighed the negative effects on both the nation and the citizens
experience.
Social injustices results to national vices such as low economic growth, stress in the
medical health sector and lastly though not least, crime. These are just few vices resulting from it
many others are associated with the injustices also (Schiller). The injustice itself is a vice to
begin. The struggle for social justice resulted in the elimination of such vices as corruption in the
country, a vice that had weighed down on the economic development of the country for a long
time. Treating individuals unequally results in poor utilization of the human power resource.
With the event of acquisition of social justice, the individuals were able to fully work therefore

resulting into growth of the nations economy (nations, 2006). The resulting economy is able to
support the citizens and provide all with services as they require.
A socially unjust society has restrictions barring the weak group from joining or
participating in some activities or associating themselves with those considered major groups.
Such restrictions result in poverty and underdevelopment in some regions especially those
inhabited by the minor group (Glenn, 2004). The underdevelopment results into a poor unhealthy
and unfed population that is quite low on production. Having a certain group being discriminated
upon also lowers the security of the country since such individuals may opt to join terrorist
groups where they would have a sense of belonging rather than a nation where they are
unappreciated but rather discriminated upon. A socially just society on the other hand has all
citizens in unity and security is enhanced by the patriotism among the citizens. Ensuring that
justice and equality exists among the citizens and none is considered minor enables ease in
maintaining surveillance on any unauthorized use or activities among suspicious groups. All
citizens look after one another. When the citizens can be able to move around the country
without restrictions, engage in any activity without restriction or any form of discrimination on
them, then the nation can grow both socially and economically. The minor groups can engage in
the same activities that were considered only for the major group and the resulting society has
positive growth.
Education is a major need for all. In a socially unjust society, all are not accorded equal
opportunities to have an education. Lack of education among the citizens of a country or even a
small group within the same country being uneducated hinders development and democracy
within that country. An uneducated group cannot or has no mandate or know how of formation of

such groups and union to represent them in businesses or fights for their rights (Glenn, 2004). A
socially just society, on the other hand, has educated people who can understand their rights fully
and go ahead and fight for them. A society where individuals are able to enjoy their rights with
all the rights offer. Cases of discrimination are eliminated by education in the affected groups.
Once people form trade unions and other unions depending on the agenda their thoughts are
brought together and this promotes cooperation among them which evidently results in the
growth of both the economy and the social well-being of the whole population.
Racialization and establishment of boundaries in a country blocking the interaction of the
different races is a social injustice in itself that results in cases of stereotyping and inferiority
complex among the weak groups. This evidently will result in cases of low economic growth in
those regions inhabited by the minor groups. In cases of terrorism, the terror groups will be
biased depending on the treatment accorded to their races, cases are evident where some groups
are attacked and only a part of the group not speaking a given language are the major victims of
the injuries and fur much death. A socially just society has no cases of racialization which for
instance in cases of terrorism the groups would be cautious not to affect their fellows. This saves
the few who are together with the beneficiaries (Glenn, 2004).
Racialization, as seen, distorts all fields and pillars of a nation (Project). All sectors of
social, political, economic, education, employment and housing. They are all affected by the idea
of discrimination of skin color basis. This greatly deteriorates a states growth in all sectors and
finally it is seen as being low in the world standards. On the other hand, this can be a base for the
call for competition within the country, among the different groups resulting into internal
clustered growth of the economic and social sectors of the country. Once the discrimination and

racialization are eliminated the country comes out as a great economy presentable within the
world standards.
Jobs and employment were also a challenge for the minor races to get in times when they were
considered irrelevant by the original inhabitants of the states. This lowered their living standards
to being paupers and bums, homelessness. Their health conditions also deteriorated and killer
diseases always brought them to the ground. This, however, turned into a chance for them to
engage in struggles for equality (Unchaining Civil Rights, 2008). They pursued education to
achieve legal rights and powers to enable them to face their oppressors and demand for their
rights. The education presented them as equally competitive members of the society and finally
they ended up being great influences in the society. This is a great experience for them. Children
reading these histories get inspired on the endeavors some of their great grandparents and
grandparents had to go through to achieve their current state and are motivated.
President Woodrow Wilson voted by a majority of Americans using a Republicans party ticket in
1912 started the biggest racial segregation rift between the white and African Americans. During
his reign he and his administration submitted a statutory program whose main intention was to
restrain the civil rights of the African Americans. This was never successful but Wilson used his
influence to segregate the central administration. He hired southern white men to offices
traditionally reserved for the African Americans and individually rejected an article on racial
equality in the League of Nations agreement. Any other African American who tried to protest
was immediately fired and replaced. This however is not well reflected in the present day history
books as most of them portray Wilson as a hero of the time while only a few bring up the true
identity of him being a racist. The books written in the whites perspective end up seeing his

move as a boost to the Wilson administration which is not the actual case as an African American
perspective is a different one whereby there is an outcry of the led that is being sanctioned by the
leader. (Loewen, p. 23)
Cases of crime and violence are evident in regions with high social injustice cases. Crime
brings about low development, fear, loss of property and in extreme cases, fatal injuries and
deaths (Loewen). Regions inhabited by those considered weak and unwanted are shunned from
by the other groups this results in turning the regions into crime dens, drug abuse society, and
prostitution prone areas. Discrimination upon these groups does not provide a solution but only
makes the regions more dangerous and the people in them more exposed to harm. Having a just
society exposes all to equal opportunities and thus enables low or no cases of crime since all are
able to access an equal share of the resources in the region. People gained humane values with
the winning of the injustice fight. They accepted themselves as equal members of the society and
all work together for the growth of that society.
A socially just society allows equal participation in activities by all regardless of race or
background. Having every individual feel as a member and a partaker of all in the society has a
positive effect on the attitude and trust in all individual groups. Happiness results, therefore, a
peaceful society and countries are born. On the other hand, all this is not possible with cases of
unequal treatment in the society (Bill Kerry, 2009).
Sports and other forms of entertainment and interactions are promoted by social justice in
a society and history has proven that discrimination in this sector can ruin a societys reputation.
Examples of individuals shown in history as having suffered from social injustices and
discrimination against because of their race are Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali (boxing

champion), Billie Jean King, Jesse Owens (athlete), Jason Collins, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and
Arthur Ashe their records and how they were mistreated appear in almost all historical books and
records (Rosenblatt, 2016). With the winning of the fight against these discrimination, these
became the greatest sportsmen and women in their respective field. They earned great
reputations for their countries and became great examples of historical teachings on vices of
injustices.
Back in history, all these injustices began with the oppression of the colonial masters and the
slave trade and slave oppression (18th century) era. With the aim and potential to alter the racial
legal dynamic, the Civil war, fell short of its goal. Even with the civil rights amendments and
emancipation declaration, cases of racism and exploitation still remained to show the little effect
that the amendments made. Exploitation diminishes and turns them into slaves, an experience
that those around the time for the civil amendment is that the discrimination was not ending
soon. The nation, on the other hand, suffered since the people discriminated upon never fully
appreciated being members of the country to enjoy and fully participate in national growth. The
introduction of the Black Codes, sharecropping and convict lease system, all these killed the
dream of equality and of course freedom for the minority, African-American in the twentieth
century. These disappointments and frustrations greatly affected the performance of the AfricanAmerican in their day to day jobs resulting in a slow growth and production. It increased anxiety
in the country and fear of slave trade re-int roduction and exploitation in the society (Foner).
The civil war, on the other hand, helped encourage the minority that chances of having their
freedom and enjoying equal rights as the preferred locals could one day be true therefore
enabling them to keep pushing.

Crime was one of the major reasons behind discrimination of the African-American in the
United States. They were associated with crime which increased the hostility among them from
the law makers and the forces. Major suspects were considered to be blacks. Though this might
be considered too harsh for the minority groups, the blacks, in this case, it helped in the reduction
of crime significantly in the states for fear of stereotyping and possibility of being found
(Unchaining Civil Rights, 2008). The end results were favorable to the country regardless of the
hitches along the way, guess supporting the end justifies the means.
The Great depression served as a major mark where social injustice was greatly displayed
and this led to mass suffering in most parts of the American nation, however the impact of the
great depression was felt long before by the African Americans whom being the Last Hired and
The First Fired lasted longer in the great depression circle more than any other group of people.
This was even before the stock market crash in 1929. As the scarce jobs and the search for jobs
escalated violence on the southern railroads started setting in where it went to an extent of white
unionized workers attacking and killing black firemen in order to have their jobs. (TROTTER,
2004). This was not only social injustice but inhumane treatment by the American employers
who by then took advantage of the situation to cut down the wage rates while at the same time
doubling the work to be done with some workers earning $5 a week for a full day.
The Progressive era was a new beginning for the African Americans though created an
even greater rift among the whites and the blacks. The revolution was spearheaded by two great
African American scholars of the time Brooker Washington and Dubois. Despite having different
ideologies they had the same goal of freeing the African Americans from discrimination,
segregation and the Jim Crow rules. The Jim Crow rules were rules enforced by the then

parliament as constitutional but had inner loops-holes that prevented the Africans from using
such rules a good example being the grandfather clause where despite African Americans
having a right to vote they would not be allowed to if their Grandfathers had not done so. This
locked out all Africans since most of them did not presently have grandfathers living in America
as they were taken there as slaves. The Era paved way for the reconstruction period during the
1860s (Brundage, 1995)
The United States, though finally ending up a superpower in the world among all other
countries and states was also hit by all the cases of social injustices as seen above. All these
injustices, though, turned out as the stepping stones for creation of a great nation with its
inhabitants coming from all over the world. Cases of injustices are very few while its history
helps craft its relation with other nations and its citizens with others. From the times the blacks
were fighting for their freedom in the country to today when they have a black president. The
cases of a once low race being the president of the worlds greatest state is a great evidence of
the progress the world has come from to achieve social justice and equality.
Social injustices are all viewed as being negative to the countries image, the people of
those countries and as a limit to the growth of the countries. Considering the available instances
of nations that had wars against such injustices and the basis of the conclusion may change this
view. Some ended up being great world influences though having suffered many years of the said
injustices. Their economies ended up being the healthiest tin the world and their citizens finally
accepted each other as being part of their state. Racism was eliminated and peace prevailed
among and within them.

The teachings in schools about the war against social injustices should be addressed to
show the great fruits the nation that suffered it benefited or ended up being rather than as a vice
and a very distasteful act to ever happen to such states. The struggles for social justice are a great
influence to the young to always aspire to acquire their rights even when the hopes seem so low.
It is evident from the above that The struggles for social justice in the United States had a
positive effect on the country in general and greatly influenced the experiences of the citizens of
the states however the above highlighted themes should be taught in high schools and college
classrooms with a whole view of the fact of what really happened in history leaving no clear bits
about anything and pointing out the heroism not based according to racial preference of the said
article but rather a clear stand on the actual personality of the cited person.

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References
Bill Kerry, R. W. (2009). the equity trust. Retrieved from
https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/history
Brundage, W. F. (1995). Reconstruction and the Formerly Enslaved. Freedoms Story,
TeacherServe. National Humanities Center. Accessed date :10th July 10,
2016.
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/18651917/essays/reconstruction.htm
Crozier, E. E. (1935). Relationship Between Birth Weight and Litter Size. The Journal
of General Physiology, 9.
Foner, E. (n.d.). Preserving American Freedom. Retrieved from
http://digitalhistory.hsp.org/pafrm/essay/contested-history-american-freedom
Glenn, E. N. (2004). Unequal Freedom. United States of America: First Harvard
University Press paperback edition.
Loewen, J. w. (n.d.). Lies My Teacher Told me.
nations, U. (2006). Social justice in an open world. New York.
Project, P. f. (n.d.). Race, Power and Policy:. Dismantling Structural Racism.
Rosenblatt, R. (2016). Fox Soccer. Retrieved from
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/the-uswnt-s-fight-for-equality-willhave-a-lasting-impact-on-women-s-sports-033116
Schiller, N. G. (n.d.). Transborder Citizenship: an Outcome of Legal Pluralism within
Transnational Social Fields.
TROTTER, J. W. (2004). African Americans Impact Of the Great Depresssion.
Encyclopeda of the Great Depression, 8-17.

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Unchaining Civil Rights. (2008). Retrieved from

http://www.unchainingcivilrights.org/equality.html