Race is Still an Issue Today

In the Gran Colombia Revolution, race was the driving factor in Gran Colombia's fight for freedom from Spain. The Revolution started when Simón Bolívar was part of a plan to overthrow the Spanish Governor of Venezuela. In 1811 Bolívar declared Venezuela's independence, which was then reversed in 1812 by Spain. In 1813 Bolívar as the head of an army won six battles and on August 6 1813 he entered Carcas and took over as a political dictator. But in July 1814 Carcas is won back by Spain, and after a few unsuccessful attempts to create a new capital city he fled to Jamaica and Haiti. In 1817 he returned to Venezuela to create a new army, in 1819 after a deadly travel through horrendous conditions Bolívar and his army captured Boyacá. Three days later his army had taken over Bogotá and on December 17 the Republica de Colombia was created. After expansion to Ecuador Bolívar resigned as ruler in 1830 while his republic was under great distress due to revolts. The Revolution was fueled by the country's drive to free itself from the Spanish rule, and although it was a successful revolution the republic was still fighting among itself for years after it was formed. The Colombian people wanted to be recognized as its own country and its own people which was what ultimately lead to their fight and victory for freedom.


In Ferguson Missouri the topic of race has effected the community in an immense way. In the New York Times article What Happened in Ferguson? the authors create a clear timeline of what happened in the fatal shooting of the 18 year old Michael Brown. Michael Brown, who was African American was fatal shot by a white police officer, Darren Wilson after an altercation that turned physical. From this and Officer Wilson's dismissal from criminal charges the town has been a hotbed of violence and riots. The issue of race is a driving factor in the unrest, in which many are upset that the white officer killed a black teenager. The riots have swept across the nation, which shows that even though our society has grown past the prejudices of our past, we still haven't truly grown enough as we should on the issue of race. The civil unrest and the continuous prejudice against people of color in our nation still plagues us to this day and is a constant reminder of how our society still isn't where it should be in this matter. This issue isn't one that will end overnight but I believe that someday our society will truly be an integrated one where the issue of race won't be the deciding factor in issues like these.


Various. "What Happened in Ferguson?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.