Race And My Community
...living my last 15 years of my life in Champaign, Illinois which a college town with approximately 75,254 residents. According to the U.S Census Bureau my community is made up with about 76.16 percent Caucasian, 15.62% African American, 0.24% American Indian and Alaska Native, 6.83% Asian, Pacific Islander, 1.94% from other races and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 4.03% of the population (U.S Census Bureau, 2000). Some racial issues I deal with in my community are racism, lack of equal opportunity and inequities within certain community organizations.
Although my community is very diverse, I would say that there is a significant portion that does look like me and a significant portion that does not depending on your location within Champaign. North Champaign is predominantly African-American while West Champaign is made up of mostly Caucasians. Leaders in my community are mostly Caucasian and male and generally seem to treat most members of my community the same. I do think that overall, people in Champaign are more accepting of people of different races than in some other areas because this is such a diverse area.
On September 22 1985, Champaign hosted the first Farm Aid concert at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium. The concert drew a crowd of 80,000 people and raised over $7 million for American family farmers. In 2005, Champaign was the location of the National Science Olympiad Tournament, attracting young scientists from all 50 states. The city also hosts the state Science Olympiad competition every year. The University of Illinois is next expected to host the National competition in 2010.
.
As a member of a minority group, I do not have an advantage in that most things in my community. Local media, newspapers, TV, radio are all primarily directed to the white middle class. Most textbooks, work...
View Full Essay
