The United States of America experienced a shift in leadership in 2016 when the current president was elected. This transition not only opened a can of worms, but also divided the people that occupied the land. Donald Trump was recently called out on his poor efforts to truthfully guide the public with information in a Washington Post article (Kessler, Rizzo, Kelly, 2019). It has been revealed through fact check, that Donald Trump has made over 9,000 false statements since the start of his presidency (Kessler, Rizzo, Kelly, 2019). He has not only made false statements and exaggerations but has been backed up by other political figures and news sources (Kessler, 2018).

Trump has made claims of the US economy being in the best shape it has ever been in
(Kessler, Rizzo, Kelly, 2019). This was falsely stated becuase he based his claims on premature evidence. He has justified these false claim by stating that unemployment rate is at its all time lowest (Kessler, Rizzo, Kelly, 2019). Which is also false, the unemployment rate has reached a low of 3.8 percent since Trump has taken office (Kessler, Rizzo, Kelly, 2019). However, Trump has over looked the years in which that rate was even lower such as in 1953 at 2.5 percent (Kessler, 2018). Therefore, by stating the economy is at the bests it been is misleading and should be restated.

Additionally, he has shown interest in a particular new media outlet, Fox News (Kessler, 2018). This is problmeatic because when a president shows preferential treatment to a particular network it leads to bias being displayed in information regarding his presidency. This relationship also shows the negligence that the network will have in order to remain in good grace with the United States highest political figure (Kessler, 2018). Unfortunately, for the public they are reliant upon news media outlets to keep them informed on current events that have a direct impact on society. When news media are increasing becoming private owned with an agenda to secure as many viewers. Combined with employees that are openly in agreeance with every word Trump utters, is a recipe for deceit and disaster.

This is unacceptable on behalf of a US president to make so many false statements and consistently mislead the public. News media sources and journalist have also failed to do adequate research before reporting his statements. This shows inconsistency and negligence on behalf of the current administration and the news media. The public has been misled to believe that Trump has created change in order to advance African-Americans, underrepresented, and unemployed populations (Kessler, 2018). He has also spread false ideas about the progress on his aggressive immigration approach (Kessler, 2018). Many popular news sources have also reported on his speeches and inaccurate statistics on his accomplishments without the proper background knowledge. The news must do a better job at informing the public and reporting factual information. They are essentially the middle man as far as information for the public, and should successfully fulfil their position as watchdogs of the governments actions.

Kessler, G., Rizzo, S., & Kelly, M. (2019, April 01). President Trump has made 9,451 false or misleading claims over 801 days. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/01/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/?utm_term=.385deb9c6b13

Kessler, G. (2018, September 07). President Trump’s repeated claim: ‘The greatest economy in the history of our country’. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/07/president-trumps-repeated-claim-greatest-economy-history-our-country/?utm_term=.98e1becc49f5

African-Americans have endured a long journey in trying to achieve the American dream. Although they were making progress as the civil war and other historic events took place. They were also still stagnated through implementation of segregated laws in American government. For instance, following the attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941, the American army geared up to retaliate starting WWII (Gates, 2013).

African-Americans often found themselves fighting to be recognized as humans and more importantly American citizens. African-Americans viewed the chance to join the army as an opportunity to do something as honorary as fighting for their country (Gates, 2013). While also hoping their efforts would be recognized and would solidify their citizenship (Gates, 2013). However, things didn’t go as planned and the war preparations led to the formation of separated ranks in the army. Which were long influenced by Jim Crow laws and the extensive history of slavery (Gates, 2013). Although, African-Americans were allowed to fight in the war, they did so with having minimal interactions with their white counterparts in order to carry out the mission (Gates, 2013).

Now that the war was in full swing African-Americans realized the war they were fighting was actually hypocritical on behalf of the United States of America government. This was hypocritical because they were essentially fighting on behalf of their allies to ensure equally for those people (Gates, 2013). However, it was insulting and contradicting on behalf of the American government. Who also indulged in the suppression of their own people due to race and other discriminatory factors (Gates, 2013).

In fact, the American government finally allowed African-Americans to be able to enlist in the army, but through segregated ranks which was ironic (Gates, 2013). This same government that allowed for separated ranks to be incorporated due to race. Where also attempting to keep the war efforts united as they were all still fighting for the same cause, equality (Gates, 2013).

This was no shock at the time, because this was considered normal activity within the boarders of America. Segregation was at one point a requirement and even legally outlined in the Constitution (Gates, 2013). When WWII started and even through out, many people of color still had hope that they too could be granted equality (Gates, 2013). Instead, Black men were subjected to roles that were considered less significant in responsibility to the war efforts. They were used as supporting efforts to the war, being assigned as cooks, cleaning crews, and grave digging duty(Gates, 2013). This was also degrading, because African-Americans were again denied their rights to be treated as equals.

This outrageous American history details the misleading representation the media and governement practices in relation to African-Americans. The media and politics intersection on the systemic disadvantages faced by African-Americans have been weak since the creation of American government and colonization. The news media at the time was widely supported by news paper outlets and a slight range of televised news stations. Their reporting and position on the issues didn’t seek to bring awareness to mistreatment of African-Americans. Instead, they simply reported the information so that is was common knowledge to Americans on how the average African-American was a burden on society. The media again failed at providing a public forum to allow debate and scrutiny of the governments actions.

Gates, H., Jr. (2013, September 19). Segregation in the Armed Forces During World War II. Retrieved April 23, 2019, from https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-was-black-americas-double-war/

The current presidential administration is under Donald Trump and has proven to be corrupted. From the beginning including campaigning, election, and even after, investigation has revealed that Donald Trump and his administration have been involved in “wrongdoings”(Baker, 2019). Robert S Mueller was a former FBI director for a decade (Baker, 2019). He then went on to bring his leadership abilities to The Special Counsel Office, which is a division within the Department of Justice (Baker, 2019). His appointment into this role came as a result of concerns of Russian interference into the election of Trump. His investigation went on for approximately two years and resulted in a 448-page report in 2019 (Baker, 2019). He included in his report details that supported his findings in the suspicion of Russian interference.

Conflict aroused when his report was handed over to Attorney General William Barr. Who then published a 4-page summary of the report that was made public (Baker, 2019). The Department of Justice essentially denied the request to make the Muller Report public and instead released pieces that redacted a lot of information for numerous reasons (Baker, 2019). However, this left the public to go according to the decision of Attorney Barr. Which concluded no connection to a crime being committed from Trump and embraced his explanations behind his actions (Baker, 2019).

Coincidentally, Mueller was later fired after the release of his report which was not particularly in favor of Trump (Baker, 2019). There were also rumors that Trump sent the executive order to terminate Mueller through another associate (Baker, 2019). William Barr also defended these claims by insisting that there was a conflict of interest making his decision to remove him justified (Baker, 2019). The bigger issue that arises out of all of this is the number of people associated with the Trump Administration that has been charged with crimes and found guilty of mischievous acts. This only weakens the credibility of the current administration, showing the extent they are willing to go to cover up for their wrong doings which has costs them their reputations and lives.

Attorney General Barr received criticism because he did not complete his obligation to adequately review the evidence provided and report its findings. He admitted to not fully reading the Mueller report before making his conclusion (Baker, 2019). He insisted that it was not in “the publics interest” to allow speculation around the Mueller report to continue for weeks without providing the public with some type of narrative
(Baker, 2019). This revolution revealed how there had been rules and laws that were not abided by and left the public in the blind. This government is a democracy and is ran by the people for the people. Therefore, they should be able to be informed about the issues related to the current administration. This was also a failure on the behalf of media, as they didn’t criticize the report when it was released. They instead, just reported on the issue and accepted the pieces that were made publicly available. If the government is going to go up in shambles over corrupt practices. The media should at least keep their end of the bargain by allowing citizens to be fully informed and scrutinizing any actions that are deemed unworthy.

Baker, P. (2019, May 01). Barr Defends Handling of Mueller Report Against Withering Rebukes. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/us/politics/william-barr-testimony.html

In a recent discovery about the practices of financial institutions it has been uncovered that disparities amongst people of color are present. In an article by news source New Republic, it details the inequality for black people in the banking system. Global banking institutions are centered in America and have contributed to the systematic disadvantages between races. Two well known banking institutions, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, have recently been found guilty of unethical practices in lending.

Wells Fargo has been around for many years and have earned the title of the second largest home mortgage lender in the country (Gregory, 2018). In 2012, Wells Fargo found themselves in a heated lawsuit with accusations of bias practices towards people of color as the topic (Gregory, 2018) They were found guilty of pushing black people into higher mortgages with higher rates. While giving white couples with similar credit profiles lower rates and less fees (Gregory, 2018). This is problematic as it shows blatant racism in the banking system institutions.

Bank of America also has been under the spotlight for their discriminatory practices in their hiring and lending procedures. As recent as 2018, they were found guilty of racial discrimination crimes and penalized over 2 million dollars (Gregory, 2018). Bank of America has been involved in numerous lawsuits about their unethical hiring and lending practices for years. One case was in response to, over two decades of racial discrimination in relation to their hiring process. Many of the complaints filed where in relation to the Charlotte, North Carolina location. Where 1,100 African-American potential employees claimed they were discriminated against for unjust reasons (Petroff, 2013). These claims started in 1993 and continued over a span of time until recently when the case was settled (Petroff, 2013). Although, the case ended in a settlement, it does not guarantee that discriminatory practices will vanish. Qualified applicants who applied for entry level positions were denied on the basis of “unfair and inconsistent selection criteria” (Petroff, 2013). In addition to their settlement they were required to offer positions to at least 10 applicants that were discriminated against (Petroff, 2013).

Additionally, in 2009 Bank of America acquired Merrill Lynch a fincial advisory company (Petroff, 2013). This company was on the verge of a financial crisis when saved by BofA. In light of recent discoveries, they too have practiced discrimination in their hiring and lending practices. Merrill Lynch is known to have paid one of the largest settlements in relation to employment discrimination (Petroff, 2013). Their 160 million settlement was order to be paid their African-American brokers.

Many African-American are outraged and fed up of being systemically kept at a disadvantage. One of their initiatives to avoid such bad representation is to invest in black owned banking institutions. Black owned banking institutions have been around for years, helping to improve the livelihoods of qualified candidates. For example, Carver is a black owned bank that continues to offer services to the community such as financial literacy programs (Gregory, 2018). While institutions that were not black owned only lent 1 percent of mortgages to African-Americans (Gregory, 2018). Unfortunately, the number of black owned institutions has decreased drastically.

Number of black-owned banks in the United States

1985: 60
2006: 45
2017: 22

Money they hold

$5.4 billion

Deposits in the nine months after Philando Castile’s death

+$60 million

Sources: Washington Monthly; CityLab; FDIC; Investopedia

The position that the government has taken is to conduct investigations and then pursue the organization legally. Many of these corporations have been found guilty of unorthodox practices and have been subject to fines. In severe situations individuals have served jail time as well. However, the lengths the government have went to ensure African-Americans are treated fairly have not seemed to measure up to much. Most times, victims of discrimination are given compensation for their mistreatment. However, that doesn’t amount to what they have potentially missed out on such as wages, career advancements, and benefits. Although, the government has pursued companies they will need to implement stricter regulations to ensure discrimination is ruled out.

The government seems to react faster to public protest that cause a lot of media coverage and outrage. This is seen when the Montgomery bus boycott took placed catching the attention of media and politicians (Gregory, 2018). The government in turn was forced to respond by banning segregation on public buses making it unconstitutional. This moment signified the importance of media and the access to a platform that can be used to spread accurate information and create change.

Gregory, K. (2018, May 31). Banking Black. Retrieved April 12, 2019, from https://newrepublic.com/article/148300/banking-black-financial-inequality

Petroff, A. (2013, September 24). Bank of America fined $2 million for race discrimination. Retrieved April 12, 2019, from https://money.cnn.com/2013/09/24/news/companies/bofa-racial-discrimination/

More recently, police brutality has been on the rise and continues to disrupt the lives and progression of African-Americans. Their was a recent investigation into a North Carolina man who not only was openly racist, but was a state trooper. This article is from NBC news and details the events leading to his investigation. He overtly went on a racially bias rampage on social media via Instagram. His rampage went on to detail his strong opinions on issues such as the media, the president, and the NFL (Fieldstadt, 2018). His name was Sgt. Jonathan K. Whitley, and he was being investigated after making such outrageous statements. He went on to accuse people who may be guilty of a suspected crime as getting “what they deserved” (Fieldstadt, 2018). This comment revealed his justification for police brutality and was bias on his behalf as a public servant.

He also went on to attack African-Americans personally, by making statements that he “didn’t own a slave and I owe you nothing. Including your HUD housing and EBT card,” (Fieldstadt, 2018). This not only was racially motivated, but it implied that black families are reliant upon low-income institutions. To add insult to injury, he commented his disposition against the NFL, but pleaded his love for this country’s flag (Fieldstadt, 2018). This was also a shot towards African-Americans as popular former quarterback Colin Kaepernick made headlines. He decided to take a knee during the singing of the National Anthem in silent protest of police brutality against African-Americans. This caused outrage to many people including Donald Trump, amongst other political figures. However, Whitley also expressed his love and support for Trump stating he would not be impeached and he couldn’t wait to vote again for him (Fieldstadt, 2018). While also discrediting the Democratic party, the media and their efforts in the progress. This is a direct result of the impression that Donald Trump leaves on this society. Many of his supporters are backing this unorthodox leader while he continues to divide the country putting the wealthy in position while overlooking the lower and middle class populations.

This is a problem because he is in a position that requires him to not be bias and not hold such prejudice mindsets when dealing with the public. As a state trooper he takes an oath which “affirms their standards of integrity, bravery and honor to the community and law” (Lourdes, 2017). Instead, he blatantly expresses his anger towards African-Americans and his reasoning for police brutality. When having people with this mentality employed in such positions it turns out crucial. Especially, for the people on the opposite side of law enforcement who don’t match the criteria of being Caucasian.

This is when the media should be involved to publicize on such outrages acts. These types of situations should raise red flags all across the United Sates of America and through all mass media new outlets. When we have a corrupt justice system mixed with even more corrupt mindsets it is a recipe for disaster. In order to make change, we have to internally fix our systems to be free of racial disparities and mistreatment. Which could call for an investigation into law enforcement, deeper background checks, complex psych evaluations, and any preventive measure to ensure our system is filled with people who want to help and not be the problem. Until we get a real President and politicians who actually care about the issue, laws, policies, and socially embedded racism, it will not disappear. It is also left to the citizens to protest, get informed, and fight for their true equal opportunities. This is where the intersection of politics and media should come into play in order to inform the public and get a response.

Fieldstadt, E. (2017, December 7). N.C. state trooper on desk duty over Instagram post defending police brutality. Retrieved April 4, 2019, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/n-c-state-trooper-desk-duty-over-instagram-post-defending-n945236

Lourdes, M. (2017, November 21). Do Cops Take an Oath? Retrieved April 4, 2019, from https://work.chron.com/cops-oath-22507.html

The Trump Administration has strayed away from many of the normal practices committed by any other President. He has instead went on to enticed many people in ways that are questionable. However, this shouldn’t be a shock that we have a bias President who often avoids taking responsibility. He has a long history of shady business dealings that ultimately aim at discriminating against African-Americans. Which includes housing discrimination, equal pay gaps, and healthcare reform. In an article by The Hill, Donald Trump is accused of dismantling a system put in place by Barack Obama aimed at closing the wage gaps in the US. This cancellation came unexpectedly and with no public explanation or opinion involved (Anapol, 2017). This outraged many women who in return fought back. Two popular groups the National Women’s Law Center and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement sued the Trump administration. (Anapol, 2017).

The rule that was blocked, essentially reinstates employers the leisure to not track workers pay by gender, race, and ethnicity (Anapol, 2017). This type of regulation, if still in place, would potentially address issues surrounding wage gaps based on race, gender, ethnicity and any other discriminatory factors. These factors are still very much embedded into our cultural norms and should be removed in some form. Sadly. However, Trump decided to halt the rule referring to it as “enormously burdensome” (Anapol, 2017). This mentality shows the level of seriousness Trump feels on the issue and the extent he is willing to go to fight for equal pay. Which is none! Many feel that by abolishing this rule he will open the doors for racial disparities to continue. (Anapol, 2017).

Yes, this is a scary thing for people of color and minorities who often are faced with discrimination in the workplace. This setback actually hinders the victims of gender based wage gaps and other workplace discrimination in the long run. This is true, because it loosens the requirements on keeping a paper trail. Making it difficult for an employee to prove workplace discrimination without the proper documentation (Anapol, 2017).

Consequently, the Trump Administration has seemed to target the initiatives put in place during the Barack Obama era. This information has not been widely discussed or published for the public to weigh in on it. This type of decision making is what led to the popular activist groups suing Trump. Additionally, this form of government is ran by the people and for the people. Which allows us to vote and get a say so within government policies and actions. By not informing the public, but instead dismantling the rule goes against the true values of American government. Trump’s unorthodox methods continue to leave the public in a state of frenzy. The media should also be called into question as they continue to not scrutinize the actions of Trump as much as they should. By providing a forum where the public can be debriefed with information in an objective way keeps the public informed, involved, and satisfied.

Anapol, A. (2017, November 16). Trump administration sued over wage gap pay rule. Retrieved April 4, 2019, from https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/360678-trump-administration-sued-over-reversal-of-obama-era-pay-data-rule

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton