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Analysis:
In Toni Morrison's' analysis of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, she explains that the argument raised by this novel was the real reason behind the brilliance of it.  She also states that Huckleberry was in a struggle to be or to not be racist like the rest of the society around him; which I agree with. She said that banning the book was like using a band aid as the solution. There are two ways to look at the book; either the novel is too racist and too offensive or that the time period in which it was written justifies the language. I believe that this examination of the novel was too abrupt but overall summed up the two different views on the book.  Connecting to race, this analysis showed that we’ve really only gone sideways since the ending of slavery.

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Source #2: "The N-Word: An Interactive Project to Explore a Singular Word" by Washington Post

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Source #2: "The N-Word: An Interactive Project to Explore a Singular Word" by Washington Post

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Analysis:
Since the novel by Twain has been published, we have stayed backwards according to this video. The African Americans who were talking believe that the rap culture around us has allowed people to freely use it whenever they please. The word is so charged full of oppression and disrespect and hate so it seems like we have gone backwards when we use it so openly. On the other hand, when someone white says it then it’s considered disgusting, and when someone of color says it, it’s like a sign of comfort or friendship. This is confusing because people see it as both a good and bad thing. The n word video also discussed the differences between using an (a) at the end of the word or an (er). To a high school student, one is less provocative. In my opinion, the word shouldn’t be used by anyone, but it’s a sticky situation because it’s been part of societies and cultures. The progress has gone backwards because there’s so much assimilation of the word in today’s society than there was in the past; and people see that it’s okay to use it freely from people in the rap culture.

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n-word; donte stallworth; neal brennan; dave chappelle show; nfl; national football leagues bans nword; nfl bans the nword; nigger; nigga; nigger vs nigga; kkk; ku klux klan; jay z; oprah;

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The n-word: An interactive project exploring a singular word

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After the National Football League made the controversial decision to ban the n-word on the field this year, a team of Washington Post journalists explored the history of the word, its evolution and its place in American vernacular today.

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Source #3: Coming from America: Fresh off the Boat: 

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Source #3: Coming from America: Fresh off the Boat: 

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Analysis:
In this episode of Fresh off the Boat, Taiwanese/Chinese culture is discussed. The actors and actresses felt that when they're in their "home" country, they don't feel like a foreigner. For me being a very European white person, I am not able to relate to this feeling. Race in America according to this source is different for all ethnicity's. We see racism issues as only towards African Americans, which isn’t the case. We shouldn’t disregard other ethnicities like Asians. Americans in this episode are perceived as lazy compared to the people in Taiwan. Since the oppression of other ethnicity's other than white, we've made lots of progress but people still feel out of place and like foreigners. No one should ever feel this way. In Huckleberry's world, Jim felt out of place and Huck did even in his own society.

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Watch Fresh Off The Boat: Season 3 Online | Watch Full Fresh Off The Boat: Season 3 (2016) Online For Free

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Watch Fresh Off The Boat: Season 3 Online | fresh off the boat: season 3 | Fresh Off The Boat Season 3 (2016) | Director: N/A | Cast: Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler

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Source #4: What Kind of Asian are You? by Alex Dang: 

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Source #4: What Kind of Asian are You? by Alex Dang: 

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Analysis:
The slam poetry by Alex Dang talks about how stereotypical and offensive people are without even knowing how deep their words hurt. People sometimes don't care enough to learn about cultures and actually understand what they're saying.  I believe this slam poetry needs to be shared to everyone in the world(however that would be quite impossible).   Historically we see America as a melting pot full of new successes, but how did we get there? Dang answers that question by saying: "Let me tell you about derogatory terms and origins of words such as chink and gook". He explains how Asians were part of building train tracks and that's where the word "chink" comes from. Race problems in Modern America shouldn't just be highlighted as just African Americans; Asians shouldn't be ignored; people who hurt and who are struggling to fit in shouldn't be ignored. Jim and Huck felt that struggle, and so racism issues have only gone a little forward and than sort of backwards; according to this poetry.

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Alex Dang (Ft. Alex Dang) - What Kind of Asian are You?

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So he said to me: "What kind of Asian are you?" / And I said back: / That's a loaded question. / What kind of Asian do you EXPECT me to be? / Because any way you slice that egg

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Analysis:
The poetry by Naomi Shihab Nye explains how so many people of different races and backgrounds can come together as one through simple means. The other sources I have analyzed were all so negative and about the overall harshness of racism. Nye, as a moderately fluent Arabian speaker, was able to put a positive light on problems in this world and what the situation around her was like. Her words were so beautiful yet powerful and she portrayed her ideas using apple juice and cookies. If people were able to look at situations like how she wrote them, then we wouldn't have horrible and judgmental problems. After reading this poetry, I believe we have gone forward since Huck Finn. The little things really do make a difference.

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User account The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets.

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Source #6: Portland Press Herald: Portland ME; MARVEL

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Source #6: Portland Press Herald: Portland ME; MARVEL

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Analysis:
The Reverend Dr. H. Roy Partridge Jr. wrote about his experiences when he led a workshop about racism. He mentioned and thought continuously about " Why should white people care about people of color in Maine?" This statement is absolutely essential to understanding racism locally. Since Maine is the 2nd whitest state in the US, people here don't have the greatest perspective on racism. We don't see things locally; we only hear about incidents in the news and on TV. Compared to other sources, this source showed how white people and people of color can unite and make sure racism can end. If everyone in the entire world could humble themselves and actually recognize that racism still exists and is still around us then we could eventually get rid of it. Huckleberry Finn started to realize how wrong the society around him was about matters concerning race, just like Reverend Dr. H. Roy Partridge Jr.

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Source #7: Chapter 6 of Face to Face: The Changing State of Racism Across America: MARVEL 

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Source #7: Chapter 6 of Face to Face: The Changing State of Racism Across America: MARVEL 

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Analysis:
In the small section I read in this book from Marvel, an African American father and a son argued about racism and if its actually gotten better. The father talked about "the violent and divided South of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s". On the other hand, the son "spoke of more subtle forms of racism" that he experienced.  In my US history class, we've been talking about things like the KKK(which was much more prevalent back in the 1900s). In that sense, the KKK isn't as powerful. But just because racism isn't as horrifying and debilitating as it was, doesn't mean everything is fine. People see progress but crawling back up from the horrors of racism and hate from history is hard to easily digest. We as a nation have seen progress, but new issues arise and racism can't be shown as moving forward completely. After reading this source, we have gone sideways after Huckleberry Finn.

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Source #8: ''cuz he's black" by Javon Johnson

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Source #8: ''cuz he's black" by Javon Johnson

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Analysis:
As a more recent and growing horror, police brutality is the main point of Javon Johnson's' slam poetry. He talks about how his little nephew had so many questions about life, but also had the conflicting question about what to do when he sees a cop. He says: '' Black boys in this country cannot afford to play cops and robbers if we're always considered the latter'', and this really hit me hard. I don't know what its like, and I know I can't begin to know what it feels like, but knowing that a 4 year old little boy is scared of people who are supposed to protect us is revolting. To be at this point in current America makes me sick. As history shows, African Americans were once slaves and eventually freed in the late 1800's(in America). To now be at a point where young boys are being killed and are learning to hide when the ''5 O'' is around before they learn to read and write? America has gone backwards.

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Analysis:
This poem by EliWhit99 blatantly states whats wrong in America. The writer is able to convey that people don't think racism is still a real issue. People think that since slavery is gone, racism went along with it. That's not the case though. The main message of this poem is showing how America isn't all sunshine and rainbows and great opportunities and equality. "Movement and persistence will", said EliWhit99 towards the end of the piece. Those two words, movement and persistence, are what we as a nation need to be able to stop racism and make America a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

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A for all the times I've been profiled for my skin color. M for making me feel unwanted and undeserving to live in a county known as the "land of the free". E for everyone locked away just for being dark or just for looking "suspicious".

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Source #10: The State of Race in America by Charles M. Blow

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Source #10: The State of Race in America by Charles M. Blow

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Anaysis:
Since the publication of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, according to this article, racism has gone forwards and backwards. The article, published on The New York Times website, gives a good insight on the literal state of America regarding race. Blow talks about how white people have different opinions and views than black people do when discussing matters of racism. He also mentions how different optimism is. Black people, according to his research (88%) believe America has more work to do, while only 53% of whites believe that. " What happens to a people when they stop believing, stop hoping, stop trusting that a concerted effort toward improvement will bear fruit"?That sentence needs to be read by everyone, because without hope and faith we won't be able to stop racism.

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On Monday, the Pew Research Center released a fascinating and expansive report on the state of race relations in America. It serves as a stark reminder that although events like this insane and historic presidential election, continuing terrorist attacks and global shocks like Brexit overtake news cycles, the issue of racial inequality is just as urgent as ever.

2015 was the year of Black Lives Matter. Discussion of police interactions with minority communities; institutions and interpersonal racism; and "safe spaces" dominated popular literature, film, television, talks shows and newspaper column inches. It seemed everyone, everywhere, was talking about race in some capacity.

Now, at least in the media, the heat around the subject has cooled. The media has moved on. There are new stories to chase. There are new awards to win.

But the issue of racial inequality - as a lived experience - remains unaltered, and many in fact believe that it's actually getting worse.

Racial inequality is not a trendy issue; it is an entrenched issue.

A year, or even two, of intense focus does not provide sufficient alteration of a condition in a country that has developed over centuries.

And so it is in this simmering wake of unfinished business that the Pew report lands.

It is the kind of report that demands more space that I can give it in a column, but please allow me to quote it here liberally, both the optimistic and pessimistic components of it, and to weigh in on it to the degree that I feel I must.

It is no surprise that whites and black would see racial issues and barriers to racial equality differently, or that differences would be manifest in the ideological divide between Democrats and Republicans.

What is more worrisome is how far apart whites and blacks are in their optimism about race relations improving. As the report puts it:

An overwhelming majority of blacks (88 percent) say the country needs to continue making changes for blacks to have equal rights with whites, but 43 percent are skeptical that such changes will ever occur. An additional 42 percent of blacks believe that the country will eventually make the changes needed for blacks to have equal rights with whites, and just 8 percent say the country has already made the necessary changes.

It continues:

A much lower share of whites (53 percent) say the country still has work to do for blacks to achieve equal rights with whites, and only 11 percent express doubt that these changes will come. Four in 10 whites believe the country will eventually make the changes needed for blacks to have equal rights, and about the same share (38 percent) say enough changes have already been made.

This gulf in optimism is incredibly troubling. What happens to a people when they stop believing, stop hoping, stop trusting that a concerted effort toward improvement will bear fruit?

Part of the problem here is that white and black people have such vastly divergent views about the lived black experience in America. According to the report:

By large margins, blacks are more likely than whites to say black people are treated less fairly in the workplace (a difference of 42 percentage points), when applying for a loan or mortgage (41 points), in dealing with the police (34 points), in the courts (32 points), in stores or restaurants (28 points), and when voting in elections (23 points). By a margin of at least 20 percentage points, blacks are also more likely than whites to say racial discrimination (70 percentversus 36 percent), lower quality schools (75 percent versus 53 percent) and lack of jobs (66 percent versus 45 percent) are major reasons that blacks may have a harder time getting ahead than whites.

These gaps are enormous. The question is whether or not these divergent beliefs are also intractable. If we can't come to an agreement on the basic facts of life, how on earth can we come to an agreement on the fundamentals of a united path forward?

We can't even agree on how much to talk about race relations, as the discussion itself becomes a political football for the two major parties in this country. According to the report:

About six in 10 (59 percent) white Republicans say too much attention is paid to race and racial issues these days, while only 21 percent of Democrats agree.

Finally, we continue to be deceived about the enormous and epidemic nature of often-invisible institutional racism, preferring instead to direct our ire at the more easily identified and vilified interpersonal racism. The report puts it this way:

On balance, the public thinks that when it comes to discrimination against black people in the U.S. today, discrimination that is based on the prejudice of individual people is a bigger problem than discrimination that is built into the nation's laws and institutions. This is the case among both blacks and whites, but while whites offer this opinion by a large margin (70 percent to 19 percent), blacks are more evenly divided (48 percent to 40 percent).

Although it may feel interminable, this election won't last forever. In November, America will make a choice.

But the choices that America has already made mean that the persistent question of race will still be with us, unresolved, waiting for yet another moment to explode. No amount of fatigue will change this. Only a true and earnest effort to address race relations fundamentally and honestly will provide the overdue and necessary fix.

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On Monday, the Pew Research Center released a fascinating and expansive report on the state of race relations in America. It serves as a stark reminder that although events like this insane and historic presidential election, continuing terrorist attacks and global shocks like Brexit overtake news cycles, the issue of racial inequality is just as urgent as ever.