Cities 07

WEB Du Bois' writing and ideas from "The Philadelphia Negro" are still relevant in today's society. While society may think that such prejudices and discriminations are on the decline, they are still present at an alarming rate. Difficulties seem to be the most prevalent in the work force, which in turn affects credit scores.

It is very difficult for a black person to initially get a job. Even when a black person is able to obtain a job, the earnings are lower than that of a white person, and it is difficult to maintain that job due to these prejudices. Promotions are nearly nonexistent, or quite rare to blacks.

While I am unsure if race still affects rent rates (since they seem to be standardized), low income and credit information may now create the same effects. Credit is now a highly influential determinant of interest rates, insurance rates, and much more. The worse a credit score is (from not being able to pay the high bills), the more an individual pays in the long run. It is a vicious cycle that individuals and families get themselves trapped in. So, in theory, since wages for blacks are lower, it could be more difficult to pay bills, which in turn increases their overall expenditures in interest payments, higher insurance rates, and other increased cost due to poor credit. Credit history takes time to repair; if individuals begin with poor credit, it can take years to repair.

In places of business, workers have the opportunity to discriminate against customers. While this is illegal and highly discouraged, supervisors are not always present to watch over the shoulder of every employee. As Du Bois said in his article, employees tend to provide poorer service to any race other than whites. This concept of racial discrimination is also prevalent around the world. Interracial discrimination is not only committed against blacks, but between various races across the globe. While I was in Venezuela, there were certain resorts and places of business that were racist toward me and other Americans. This was a very eye-opening and humbling experience to see the discrimination that several people go through in the United States; we had never really experienced such discrimination. In the United States, prejudice against blacks and "minority" groups is very prevalent.

To further reiterate the arguments in Du Bois' article, some research of Devah Pager seems to be quite relevant. Pager's recent studies demonstrate strong discrimination taking place in the work force. She studies racial stratification in relation to the labor force, among other topics. One of her studies focused on felony convictions on job applications. Her findings were utterly disturbing. She found that white men with a FELONY listed on their applications were MORE LIKELY to get a job offer or a call-back than black men with NO FELONY on their application. This clearly emphasizes and reiterates Du Bois' points about discrimination, especially in the work force. It demonstrates that, in today's society, there is still a high amount of discrimination and prejudice that affects everyday life for many individuals and families.

Allison