Black Americans Have A Victim Mentality!

Counterargument To Victim Mentality By Kemetic Minds

 

The portrayal of Black Americans as possessing a "victim mentality" disregards the complex, systemic barriers that have historically and continue to shape disparities in health, economics, and education. These disparities are not mere outcomes of individual actions but are rooted in structural inequities that cannot be overcome by personal effort alone.

 

Health disparities, for example, are not just the result of personal health choices but are significantly influenced by socioeconomic status and the quality of care available. Black Americans face worse overall health outcomes compared to  other nationalities, with these disparities stemming from factors such as economic determinants, geography, neighborhood, environment, access to care, and provider bias (Bahls, 2011)​

 

Furthermore, Black women in the United States face higher unemployment and poverty rates than the U.S. average for women while also earning less, which exacerbates the challenge of supporting a household with adequate healthcare needs (NCBI, n.d.)​​.

 

Economic disparities are also notable, where systemic causes of sub optimal Black health demand systemic solutions such as economic investment in education and policy participation (NCBI, n.d.)​

​. Racism perpetuates financial inequality, diminishing prospects for health improvement among marginalized racial and ethnic groups (Frontiers, n.d.)​​.

 

In education, while there have been improvements, with more than 90 percent of African Americans aged 25–29 having graduated from high school, college graduation rates, though improved, still reflect disparities. Moreover, racial achievement gaps, although narrowing, remain significant, and progress has been unsteady, with concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic could exacerbate these inequalities (World Economic Forum, n.d.; Economic Policy Institute, n.d.)​

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These systemic challenges undermine the argument that attributes the disparities solely to a "victim mentality." Instead, they necessitate a broader understanding of the complex interplay between systemic barriers and individual opportunities.

 

References

 

Bahls, C. (2011). Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic Status. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/minorities

 

NCBI. (n.d.). Health Equity Among Black Women in the United States. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5734918/

 

NCBI. (n.d.). Improving the health of African Americans in the USA: an overdue opportunity for social justice. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5049509/

 

Frontiers. (n.d.). Poverty, Racism, and the Public Health Crisis in America. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.699049/full

 

World Economic Forum. (n.d.). This data shows the racial gap in access to education in the U.S. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/racial-educational-gap-united-states-data/.

 

Economic Policy Institute. (n.d.). Racism, Inequality, and Health Care for African Americans. https://www.epi.org/publication/racism-inequality-health-care-african-americans/