The movies today are much more multicultural than in the past( though I really disagree with blacks being overrepresented. We are FAR from overrepresented with most of the movies a black actor/actress is in we are almost always a side character. It is even worst for black female actresses). Our music is much more diverse. Our diets consist of dishes from many places around the world. If a foreigner was to look at our movies/tv, our diverse music, and food I bet they would come out believing that the United States has no prejudices and everyone has the same opportunity to succeed as any other. There are many people in America who feel that the United States has became a place where discrimination is rare and everyone has the same opportunity.
Then, when case like Trayvon Martin comes up that stirs many angry feelings from the black community, people are gobsmack.
The United States has progressed so much, you rarely hear on the news someone being treated unfairly due to their race so obviously it doesn't happen so much anymore. Why do blacks constantly make everything about race when the United States has supposedly progress so much? There can only be a few explanations for this. One being that black people are so used to being victims that whenever something like this come up, we jump at the chance to scream foul and cry about the system is always against us. Or two, black people still experience much racial discrimination and profiling today that whenever there is a case about potential racial profiling, it causes extreme anger to spread among the community who still deals with it day to day. Me, I choose the second option.
Someone asks, well, if there is still much discrimination and profiling going on today, why don't I hear about it? Why isn't it all over the news everyday? Well, for one, if some one is very prejudice or racist, they aren't going to up and confessed it. Openly being a racist or discriminating against someone could lead to the person being socially ostracized, and if you own a business, that business taking a huge financial hit. Back in the pre-60s days, if a person didn't want you, for example, in their store because of your race, they will tell it to your face and kick you out of the store. Nowadays, people wont say it out loud, but they will still let you know through actions that they don't want you in their store. For example, a friend of mine, a black male, recently went into a guitar store to look for some drum sticks. The whole time he was there, the owner of the store would not remove his eyes off of him, glaring at him as he look around. After awhile of this, my friend decided he would never buy from such a store and ended up leaving. There are neighborhoods where black people will be followed or openly question why they are there in the first place. Police will be called, or the police will take it upon themselves to investigate what you are doing. In the work place, something goes missing and the black person will be the first one to blame.
Some people see black people crying racism over every little thing, but really people don't realize when such things do occur in day to day life, we don't jump to make it publicized, call the news stations, or sue. We grumble about it, probably tell our friends and family, or keep it to ourselves until it comes up in conversation. Me and my male friend of mine were in a guitar store when he told me about his experience at that other one. I wouldn't have known about it if we hadn't have gone into the store. And it is not like he filed a complaint on the store. Most of the time, we just let it go. There is little you can do anyways when it comes to situations like that. It is not like they are going to confess to it. The main reason you don't see it in the news everyday is because we rarely report it. When you do hear about it, more likely than not, Al Sharpton has something to do about it, but he see it as his jobs to make such things public.
Since no one is complaining about it in the news everyday, people see that as meaning that it doesn't happen anymore or that it happens rarely. Those with black friends or acquaintances will hear about it though. Hell, white parents who adopted black children will tell you all about it. Many white parents who adopt black kids tend to live in all white neighborhoods so they get the full blunt of it.
http://forums.adoption.com/transracial-adoption/195549-how-can-people-discriminate-against-kids.html
Here in Alabama most of the schools are still pretty segregated. There are black schools and there are white schools. I've talk to a friend of mine who went to an all white school where he was the only black kid there and his experience was pretty miserable where some kids would call him a racial slur many times during the week, and the teachers did nothing about it. He graduated in 2004 so it is not like it was far back. After the 2012 elections, my brother heard from a bunch of his black college friends who were celebrating outside, people were passing by in their cars shouting the n-word. I have heard from many blacks who felt that after Obama was elected, race relations has actually gotten worst because people blame black people for the elections and treat them more coldly.
In terms of the work place, people do not have an equal opportunity. Even if a black person does have the qualifications for the job, they might not be hired just because they are black. Another thing I hear all the time is experiencing the employers shock when he discovers the person whom had all the qualifications he was looking for is black. The interview goes by fast or is very awkward, and then the employer never calls you back, despite his interest beforehand. There was a study done in multicultural New York City that found that white convicts had a better chance of getting a job than a black person WITHOUT a record.
http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/2007/09/white_convicts_as_likely_to_be.html Is that what you call equal opportunity for all?
http://www.techyville.com/2012/11/n...ds-to-be-white-job-offers-suddenly-skyrocket/
So is the United States more inclusive than in the past? Yes. Does it still have a long way to go? Yes, very much so.