The Topic of Inequality in Current Events and in Classics

Quiet recently, dozens of reports have risen on the recent events of the White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis in Charlottesville.

Around the same time, I discovered a few movies that addressed similar conflicts to what our society still faces today. Although our society has definitely made progress in terms of equality, we still face situations where some still believe in their undeniable rights over others and others who are still oppressed because of their position in society and who they are born to be.

Back in the 19th and 20th Century, the United States faced an enormous rush of immigrants and refugees--those escaping war, famine, disease and poverty; and those seeking prosperity, opportunity, happiness and freedom! These people came from all over the world: Bulgaria, Russia, England, Poland, Africa, Mexico, China, the Philippines, etc. These people merely came to the US in search of what the US was and is always know to be: the land of freedom and opportunity. Upon the arrival of the immigrants, dozens of Americans expressed great exclusion and discrimination towards these newcomers for their different cultures & traditions, religions, skin color, accent, class and gender, etc. However, what these Americans did not realize was that many of their ancestors had to endure the same events as the newcomers for the sake of freedom, opportunity and happiness, as well as to escape hardship and inequality.

Looking at the past, during the 1600s when the British immigrated to the 13 Colonies, they worked as indentured servants in exchange for being able to move to 'the land of opportunity'. They were Caucasians who had to work hard, suffer exclusion and discrimination based on their class, gender and religion in order to ensure a better life for themselves and eventually, their descendants!

Towards the 20th Century, progress was made: women fought for their rights, people became more accepting of one another and recognition of various backgrounds grew. However, it was not enough: suffragettes weren't taken seriously, women were still viewed as inferior to men; Catholics, Irishmen and Jews were mocked; and skin color was still a determination of class and rights.

It wasn't until the rise of media when the awareness and concern among dozens of Americans grew on the existence of discrimination, exclusion, hatred and inequality within the US--especially on the existence of those who cared and fought for equality among everyone regardless of gender, class, race and religion.

The issue of inequality has been especially prominent in movies ever since the rise of talkies where social issues were highlighted such as, The Great Dictator, The Gentleman's Agreement, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Grapes of Wrath, etc., and it continues on today...

Everyone is human, and therefore, everyone deserves equal rights, treatment and freedoms. It's about time that everyone should stop remaining ignorant and begin expressing empathy, sympathy and equal treatment towards one another because we are all human beings searching for the same opportunities, freedoms and happiness.

Below is a few clips from movies or from wartime that I found expressed a great view on equality: