The Nadir Of Race Relations By John Boles

Funmilola Kayode

[Name of Instructor]

History and Anthropology

20 June 2019

The Nadir of Race Relations by John Boles

The Nadir race relations is an essay authored by John Boles. Boles depicts the darkest realmsof human society where pessimism remained persistent amongst the American society. The essayfeatures the occurrences between the years 1880’s and 1930’s. This is known as one of the darkest time periods in American history. The events during era were dominated by racist notions of discrimination between the black Americans and the white Americans. White Americans did not only deprive the blacks of their rights and freedoms but also exploited, abused and oppressed them. Boles records a brutal and violent account of the victimization of the blacks. He supports his claims by presenting facts and statistics of the events to the reader. Whitesimplied how the color of their skin made the blacks inferiors, dangerous and deserving of injustice. He states that lynching, mob violence and killing was also introducedduring this time period. The white also introduced segregation; black Americans were limited to certain areas, had different schools, churches and limited opportunities to excel. The White supremacy forced the blacks to recognize the exploitation and oppression, therefore developing their own spheres of life separate from white settlements. The black Americans struggled to gain recognition in the society. This significantly changed the dynamics for the blacks. Boles states that despite being marginalized and oppressed, the blacks found law to their aid. Several leaders like Lugenia Hope and Washington fought for the fundamental rights such as equality, freedom and justice for their race. Boles concludethe essay in the years 1930, of Great Depression stating that these efforts by the Blacks to rise out of oppression would not go fluid. They would eventually emerge successful against racial discrimination.

Human beings fear what is different from them which give birth to power relations between them. John Boles article bases its claims on the theme of racism and discrimination. Boles explain the classed distinction and limitations the blacks faceddue to their skin color. The articles show how the race relations brutalized the living conditions for the blacks. Race is not ascribed status of individuals it has no biological connotations. Race is purely a social construct. Hence suggesting that skin color deserves a particular privilege and status due to their phenotypes is irrational. Race is phenomena which cannot be changed from any medical treatmentsraces can complement and co-exist peaceful in a society. Therefore using race to justify any inequitable and unjust treatment is unreasonable and a breach of human dignity and human rights. The article gives a ray of hope for the individuals and groups suffering from suppression due to their race, that struggle for equality can eventually lead them into an equitable and free of oppression future.

A Good Way to Pick a Fight by Charles L. Mee

The article ‘A Good Way to Pick a Fight’ is authored by Charles L. Mee. I chose this article because it provides an unconventional and indulgent exposition of the events that led to the Cold War. Mee in his article demonstrates the differnt perspectives and views which provide considerable evidence that the world power dynamics had reached a point where Cold war was inevitable. The article is based in the post World War II years. Mee begins his article with statements of three most powerful leaders of the time who were later involved in the Cold war; President Harry Truman of the United States, Joseph Stalin of Soviet Union and Winston Churchchill from Britain. Mee relays foundations of his article on the basis of statements by these three leaders which hinted at a possible war between them. He implies that United States was not the only country to initiate it, the actions of all three states led to inevitable skirmish between them. All three states wanted to dominate the polarity however, the soviet had already hinted and wanted to go to war, it just so happens that the United States initiated it. Mee argues in situations like these where power struggles are persistent war becomes inevitable. The article further stat that although these states never confronted each other directly however, their separate struggles brought them to a common point of interest. The mistrust between these states was the sole reason for animosity between these states.

Charles L. Mee’s article is themed upon the state power and domination in the world. In my opinion I think the power averts wars or limits their occurrences, hence it can be concluded that power maximization gives birth to peace. Thereforecontinuousdemonstration of acts of power determines peace. Therefore the United States Act of launching atomic bombs on Japan as an act of power. The United States wanted to show the world and USSR in particulate that it had a weapon capable of mass destruction. The act demonstrated the implications of going to total war between states in the future. This did not only spark an arms race between the two in the future but also led to conclude that power dominates and promises political supremacy in the world. Cold war

is a classic example of power maximization through economic, political, diplomatic, ideological and military factors. These factors in turn determine a states stature globally.