Racial inequality is a widespread problem in present day America.

These disparities are

persistent throughout all aspects of American life, especially in the employment field. Attaining a
stable job in the work force is a goal all Americans share. However, it is an unfortunate truth that
a persons race affects their ability to be hired in this country. This paper will be focusing on
several aspects of the job market including politics, higher education, fortune 500 companies,
and public service jobs.
When many think of politics, they may think of Capital Hill or the President. However,
the racial inequalities displayed throughout the political system give way to a much more
depressing reality. Racial disparities are apparent in all levels of politics, from local governments
all the way up to the houses of Congress and the White House. Through Americas history we
have always tried to emphasize freedom and justice for all, and giving everyone a fair chance to
succeed.
The executive branch of government is usually one under constant attention, being the
branch that houses the President and their staffers. It also has severe racial inequalities. The
United States has had 43 presidents since its conception, and to date there has only been 1 black
president. The inequalities expand as you explore more of the executive branch. In 2015, roughly
17% of those employed within the execute branch were black. Another 14% were Hispanic,
Asian or Pacific Islander. While this is an improvement on older numbers, this statistic is further
proof that race is still a very real issue.
The Legislative branch also experiences these disparities. The House of Representatives
has 435 sitting members. Of these 435 only 10% are black, 7.8% Hispanic, and 2.3% Asian. That
means that 80% of the House is white. These differences get even worse when you look at the
Senate. The Senate is made of 100 members, 2 from every state. 94% of the current Senate is

white, 2% are black, 3% are Hispanic, and only 1% are Asian. A statistic that I found particularly
interesting was that white men account for only about 25% of the national population. However,
white men also account for about 80% of state and federal legislators.
State legislators are also severely affected by this racial disparity. Currently there are only
four minority governors in the United States, which is only 8% overall. There are also seven
minority lieutenant governors. States are given a large amount of power to pass laws and
measures within their own states, but if there is not equality in representation then there is no
way of knowing that these laws will benefit the majority of the people.
These clear inequalities present this country with unique challenges. Firstly, they mean
that minorities are drastically underrepresented in all levels ad branches of government. While
many know that racial inequality is awful, there are consequences of this that many may not
realize or consider. One of these is that laws and bills are passed every day that will affect every
citizen, but they are not being made by every citizen. These laws are being made by a small
percentage of the US population and this can be dangerous.
Even if members of Congress think they are taking all viewpoints into account, they
simply do not fully understand another races belief. The only way to ensure that laws are being
passed for all Americans is to have every group of Americans properly represented in
government. As much as they may try, there is just no way white, wealthy men can understand
the plight of a lower class black man in a racially charged society.
Having little representation also brings about the problem of getting other minorities to
run for public office. Many politicians had a role model that was their inspiration to join the
public service sector. This was many times someone that was active in politics when they were

growing up and, more often than not, was someone of the same race. It is easier to see ourselves
in someone else if that person has some common characteristics or is the same race, ethnicity, or
gender.
If minorities do not see people they can identify with in those roles, it can be harder to
see themselves in those roles. This can discourage all minorities from running for public office
and perpetuate the problem for generations to come. The only way to fix this problem in our
society is by encouraging more minorities to run for public office and creating a more welcoming
atmosphere for all races.