Throughout the semester, a reoccurring theme of our political science course has inspected how different models of citizenship and representation can affect how we expect government to respond to the will of the citizens. Using the examples of civil rights for African Americans and gay rights, plus examining my own political socialization, this essay will discuss perceptions of these issues and how these perceptions have changed over time.
Initially, America’s perception of African Americans was synonymous with inferiority. Slavery had allowed a lesser value to be associated with African Americans, but throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, certain events led to a shift in pubic opinion. The first major event that shifted the perception of African American civil rights was the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Brown not only reversed the “separate but equal” doctrine that Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) established, but also displayed at the federal level that the equality of condition and forbidding of racial segregation was being endorsed.
The second major event that shaped public opinion of civil rights for African Americans was the death of 14-year-old Emmett Till. Till was brutally murdered and mutilated after he allegedly whistled at a white woman in Mississippi. After his body was pulled from a lake, Till’s mother insisted on an open casket at his funeral. The thousands that attended his service and tens of thousands more that saw the pictures of the mutilated Till in black publications rallied popular black support and white sympathy nationwide.
Both examples, along with many more instances such as the Little Rock Nine, Birmingham church bombing, and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, all swayed the perception and understanding of civil rights for African Americans.
My family and education are the two main agents that have shaped my personal political socialization in regards to civil rights for African Americans. While my maternal grandfather, who witnessed and supported many aspects of the civil rights movement, always stressed to me from a young age the importance of equality for all human beings, my paternal grandmother was a bigoted racist that subjected my brother, sister, and myself to her slanted views. I learned very quickly by comparison that while both held separate views of the issue, there was clearly a right and wrong side to be on. From a young age, I knew that treating another individual as if they were of any more or less value than another was unacceptable.
Secondly, education played a key role in affecting my socialization. Had I never received an education at the high school or university I attended, I would have never learned of the injustices that African Americans faced during slavery and the rein of Jim Crow laws in the south. Absorbing information about the brave pioneers of the civil rights movement such as Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr., and the countless souls that lost their lives waging a war against discrimination and segregation has led me to take a firm opposition to the oppression of civil rights for African Americans.
Moving forward, I believe the most effective pathway to action that would best apply the will of the people to the lingering discretionary and social inequalities that are perpetuated in today’s society would be the cultural change pathway. Although blatant racism still exists, many of the longstanding perceptions of prejudice towards African Americans have weaned over time. However, institutional discrimination in the workplace and by law enforcement still exists. With the continued efforts of mobilization groups such as the NAACP and other leaders of the African American community such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, hopefully the public and younger generations to come will continue to be educated and influenced to eliminate present discrimination.
Parallel to the struggle for civil rights and equality in the public’s eye for African Americans, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community faces similar barriers of discrimination. Perceptions of the LGBT community and the rights that its constituents advocate for have seen an increase in support in recent decades, but the plight for equal treatment and an enlightened perception rages on.
The first step for the recognition and advancement of LGBT rights was taken in 1996 when the Supreme Court ruled in Romer v. Evans that certain cities such as Aspen, Boulder, and Denver could pass anti-discrimination laws to protect gays and lesbians. The court’s decision demonstrated that there indeed was clear discrimination that takes place in society against gays and lesbians and that it needed to be ceased and desisted.
While Romer v. Evans may have established anti-discriminatory statutes in select cities, the first event that truly began to shift the perception and lure insights into the trials and tribulations of gays and lesbians was the death of Tyler Clementi in 2010. Clementi was an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University that jumped from the George Washington Bridge to his death on September 22nd, 2010 after two dormmates recorded and posted video of a sexual encounter between Clementi and another man. In addition to four other teenage suicides that took place in the same month as a result of sexual orientation bullying, amplified media attention and strong testimonies from LGBT activists began to attract eyes, ears, and allies.
In addition to both of these examples, President Obama’s decision to end the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2010, United States v. Windsor (2013) in which the Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act, specifically Section 3, was unconstitutional, and current litigation strategies continue to influence perceptions of the LGBT community and its fight for equal marital and discrimination rights.
Two agents of change have had a direct impact on my political socialization in regards to LGBT rights and discrimination: education and my peers. When I arrived at the University of Kentucky and was thrown into sociology classes, specifically an inequalities in society course, where I was surrounded with gays and lesbians, I was exposed to learning the obstacles that many are faced with on a daily basis. That course did more for the growth of myself not only as an individual, but also as an ally of the LGBT community, than any other publication, speech or documentary ever has, and I have Jamie Pond and SOC 235 to thank for it.
The second agent of change that affected my socialization has been the peers that have surrounded me since high school. I wasn’t always an ally to the gay community. When I was in high school, I used the term ‘that’s gay’ and other slurs because one, no one had stressed that the use of these terms was unacceptable in the professional world, and two, it’s what all my peers around me did. But as I matured and grew as a man and an individual, I became comfortable with providing a firm voice of reason amongst groups of machismo and testosterone-driven males.
Groupthink and a lack of education lead many to say or do things they otherwise wouldn’t. I saw my friends using homophobic slurs in everyday conversation and it made me realize how unappealing and unimpressive it made them sound. I implore my peers everyday to think before they speak and strive for that chance that if my persuasion sticks, it may ring a bell with that individual the next time they rack their brain for a synonymous expression to describe something that is dumb, lame, stupid, or weak.
Because the plight for LGBT equality is an ongoing endeavor and many states still don’t recognize or allow same-sex marriages, it seems obvious that the most effective pathway to action would be the courts. Litigation and lobbying is a main pathway that is currently taking place and although it does take time, using the courts to uphold or reverse previous rulings, attract media coverage, and evoke strong protestors and emotional debate is effective in applying the will of the people.
Throughout America’s history, there have been groups after groups of individuals that struggle to receive equal benefits, rights, and treatment. Whether it be African Americans, women, Latinos, people with disabilities or the LGBT community, discrimination has been an obstacle that they’ve hurdled over time. Perceptions of these issues have changed, but some negative perspectives still exist today. However, with the continual use of the pathways to action and a relentless effort in swaying influence, advocates for the underdog will continue to persuade and motivate those with clear eyes, full hearts, and open minds.
