Civic Engagement, Racism, and Policy: A Report from [University Name]

This report examines civic engagement as a powerful tool for addressing racism in the United States. It begins by defining civic engagement and highlighting its role in promoting community development and ensuring that all voices are heard, especially those of marginalized groups. The ...Read More

Running head: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
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1CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Civic engagement involves working to make a difference in civic life of the communities
one lives (Banks). It involves activities aimed at development of communities with combination
of knowledge, skills, values and motivation. To promote the quality of life in a community
through political as well as non-political process is the focus of civic engagement activities. The
report aims at racism as a social issue which is a subtopic under the broad umbrella of civil
rights. In this report policy regarding equality will be considered and the way it is related to
racism in the United States.
Racism takes many forms and it can happen in various places. The ground of racism is
prejudices, discrimination on basis of their color, ethnicity or national origin (Matsuda). Often
the act of racism is associated with harassment and abuse. It is very well known that united state
is considered as the melting pot for there are fusions of nationality, cultures and ethnicities
present in the state. In a place like that have there are some groups who are constantly the victim
of racism. People are discriminated on basis on their color, ethnicity, culture or nationalities
(Inwood). Several incidents of racism and prejudices have become profound in United States and
that is the reason for this paper to focus on the same reason. In the United States, racial
inequality is deeply entrenched. The state endorsing itself as a nation-state of equal citizen
simple do not suits with the way it presents its behavior patterns. The state seems to be making
false promises of liberalism to its citizens while there is existence of white supremacy. Currently
the racial domination and violence in United States are known and marked worldwide. The state
is now misrecognized as a liberal nation-state where only the whites are privileged of using their
fundamental rights (Sassen).
Civic engagement is the way one tries to bring change in the society. It includes strategies
to organize individuals for collective actions and it includes strategies to ensure every person’s

2CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
voice is heard (Benn, Edwards and Williams). One of the important and prominent decimation
that is performed in form of racism is not giving voice to the groups who are the victim of racial
discrimination. Civic engagement can be a way of finding the sources that would help in
eliminating the issue. Racism is a violation of civil rights. Civil rights are the fundamental rights
that a person is liable for since birth (Lawrence). These are the basic human birth rights that are
inherently entitled. It is also a characteristic of a liberal democratic nation. However, people are
constantly discriminated on different grounds. In order to work on the aspect civic engagement is
important.
Acting towards racism, which is certainly not appropriate in a state of equality civic
engagement can be a constructive as well as beneficial. It is a powerful tool that can be used to
fight against racism. United States has several policies that promotes liberal thoughts and for the
people who are faced with racism. The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 was initiated to protect
individuals from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. The equal
credit opportunity act was for granting all applicants an equal opportunity in order to have credit
by anti-discrimination provision. Even the Title 42, Chapter 21 of the U.S. Code is to prohibit
discrimination on grounds of age, gender, disability, national origin, race and religion in different
settings involving employment, education, federal services, public accommodations and more.
These are not everything that US have against discrimination but many more. However, the
problem is not in the law, for it is entrenched and have a long history (Race Discrimination:
Applicable Laws).
Civic engagement is not merely voting, it has several other ways of eliminating the issue. Some
of the ways are as follows:

3CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
 Serve: through volunteer work or by dedication of time, energy and money for addressing
the needs of community will be the first way of acting towards racism. By engaging in
non-profit organization and support the people who face discrimination and require
mental health help.
 Elect: election is one of the most powerful tool and by engaging in the electoral process
through voting and volunteering at the poll one can choose the representatives that can
make impacts or bring change. Election of candidates who are aware of the existing gap
will be beneficial for the discriminated people.
 Organize: when community members assemble to identify issues it has a direct impact on
the community members. The members together have the power to bring change in their
community. For racism, various awareness campaign can be created which will
demonstrate humanity and the way discriminated people are impacted.
I was a part of a group where I was fortunate enough to interact with few people who
faced discrimination on some grounds. These people were bullied and harassed which impacted
them. I was able to communicate them and with the existing experts of the group I was able to
develop the sense of sense confidence within them. This experience taught me the value of life
and the way every person is same. It changed my perception of looking at people who are the
victim of discrimination. Previously I was not aware of the amount of impact however, I see now
that is way more than what I used to think.
Civic engagement is a powerful tool for eliminating racism. Also, it is one of the tool on
which disenfranchised group rely in order to create a representative democracy. Racism is a
social issue that is extremely prominent and profound in United States. Civic engagement can be
one of the tool that can be helpful to eliminate the issue. The experience mentioned is one of the

4CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
experience every person should be experiencing. It is tool that is without coercion can bring
change.
References:
“Race Discrimination: Applicable Laws.” Findlaw, civilrights.findlaw.com/discrimination/race-
discrimination-applicable-laws. 2018
Banks, James A. "Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age." Journal of
Education 194.3 (2014): 1-12.
Benn, Suzanne, Melissa Edwards, and Tim Williams. Organizational change for corporate
sustainability. Routledge, 2014.
Inwood, Joshua FJ. "Neoliberal racism: the ‘Southern Strategy’and the expanding geographies of
white supremacy." Social & Cultural Geography 16.4 (2015): 407-423.
Lawrence, Charles R. "If he hollers let him go: Regulating racist speech on campus." Words that
wound. Routledge, 2018. 53-88.
Matsuda, Mari J. "Public response to racist speech: Considering the victim’s story." Words that
wound. Routledge, 2018. 17-51.
Sassen, Saskia. "The Global City: Strategic Site, New Frontier." Managing Urban Futures.
Routledge, 2016. 89-104.