According to the media and popular culture, African-Americans and Hispanics do not get along. That is an understatement; the media says these two groups hate each other. The problem is both of these groups are victims of oppression. Equality, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, is an unalienable, natural-born right. Although it is not as blunt as in the early twentieth century with Jim Crow laws, Blacks and Hispanics, as well as other minority factions, are still not equal to the White man. Therefore, Blacks and Hispanics should work together in political, cultural, communication, and community issues. Not only are we waging the same war, historically, we have helped each other in the past. These factors should lead us to reform and take on the battle as a united front. Jim Crow laws, as they were referred to in the respected time period, were constitutional under the precedent Plessy v. Ferguson. This case settled an inequality dispute with a “separate but equal” clause. There were laws that prohibited Blacks from using the same restroom, drinking from the same fountain, sitting in the same bus seat, et cetera. Even though these were constitutional, they were neither fair, nor equal. Therefore, these laws were abolished with the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954. Now, the racism and social oppression is more subtle, but it has not completely vanished; therefore, our fight is not over. Since Blacks and Hispanics share this struggle, we should collaborate in order to accomplish a common goal. In the prison system, the vast majority are Blacks and Hispanics. According to Soffiyah Elijah, a clinical instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute at HLS, 62 percent of the sentences in 2001 were given to Blacks and Hispanics. However, with a growing number of minorities, the percentage is rising. The media has dispelled the idea of interracial harmony. In music, on television, and in movies, Blacks and Hispanics are constantly quarreling. This notion has spread through the minds of our community, especially the youth, who will grow up to be the leaders. With this idea in the youth, our future has no chance unless Blacks and Hispanics learn how to not only get along, but to also assist each other in the fight for equality. This joint effort has existed in the past, but today’s education system does not teach it. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Blacks found ways to escape the torture of slavery. The Underground Railroad helped a great deal of Blacks escape to the ****-free North or to Canada. What a lot of people don’t know is many Blacks fled to Mexico. Since the Mexicans were not fond of slavery, they aided the Blacks with their own “railroad.” People at these stations sheltered, fed, and directed their passengers to the next stop. They also provided them with invaluable information for crossing the Río Grande. In return, Blacks helped the Mexicans fight their war for Independence. The great Poncho Villa was said to have African characteristics about him. Blacks and Hispanics have been vital to the freedoms that they enjoy today, but somewhere along the line, the team separated. Now, they fight independently of one another; however, there is strength in numbers. That is why Blacks and Hispanics should work together in order to achieve the fundamental objective of equality. Granted, most Blacks and Hispanics are not impoverished, they are not enslaved, and they are not openly segregated, but they still have many obstacles to overcome. The target becomes closer simply by working together. They can disprove what popular culture would lead people to believe, unite under a common purpose, and attain equality by working together. Not only can Blacks and Hispanics achieve equality for themselves, but they can help other minorities in order to spread equality across the board. With this goal in mind, nothing can stop the united front of the Blacks and Hispanics.
