On a site questioning whether or not America was post racial or not, I wrote this, though it did not fully answer the question, I believe it answers the question of what's wrong with some of our downtrodden races in the United States of America.

I am 16 years old and African-American and Native-American; mixed apparently with many others, though I don't know so much about that. Even though I am so young, even I can see that something is wrong in America. Something is wrong with the races. Something is wrong with the economy. Something is wrong with everything.

Blacks are being forgotten and left behind in the dust because, not only because of the everyday things that hinder us, but because we have lost the sense of being a people. We are so obsessed with clothes, shoes, and doing whatever we want, that education has become a thing of the past to us, unimportant to us. We need to band together in the ways that make us stronger and smarter. Also, we need to stop separating on how we act and looking down on each other just because we don't act the same way as someone else. Material things have become necessary things in life.

I have encountered much discrimination from school, by other black people! I speak, I think, without much slang in my speech, and many of my friends are white, but that's only because they are interested in what I am. I also have Asian, Black, and Hispanic friends. It's solely because I am seen with the white friends a lot, and I don't act like how people would look at me and expect me to speak loosely, they name me as "white-washed". I don't believe so. They don't know my home life with my parents or my own personal life at all. They are inferring from what they see and hear. I just cannot understand how this can be such an issue with everyone. I don't hate anyone like that, not saying that I am hated, but I see this everywhere. We are discriminating against each other. This is unexcused and a total disgrace. We need to stop thinking on how different we are and work on our minds and spirits as being one people.

Now, on my Native-American side, I admit that I am not so much in touch with my Native-American side, but I am proud to have roots there as well as in Africa. I am actually mixed with many different tribes of Native American, on my mother's and my father's side. They include Cherokee, Chick hominy, and apparently Sioux and others that I do not know of exactly or I'm too absorbed with this question to take the time to ask. I love learning about Native-Americans and the culture. What makes me sad is that we are utterly and totally being left behind. There are at least some representatives of blacks, though some are better than others. What representatives are there of we Native-Americans?! There is no talk of Natives on the news, no new people stepping up to upbring Natives. Are they even really that heard of anywhere?! No! There are still Natives living on reservations. People act as if they don't care that they got kicked off their land or killed for their land for American profit. Now, there are many people mixed with Native-American, but they don't even care to know a single thing about the culture, just as with the African side.

I am mixed with two races that are oppressed and being left behind mentally and physically. At times, I feel a little disconnected from both cultures; the original cultures. I have experienced real African culture; Kenyan. I have not experienced one bit of true Native American culture, save for when I was a small child but I don't remember anything. I wish I was more connected with this side.

To speak on whether America is becoming post-racial and giving justice to all races, I believe that we are STILL not equal and definitely not striving to become this way. It is unbelievable to say so, but people of other races and countries are more informed and smarter in the history and subject of America than Americans themselves. This is unacceptable. A common inference in the U.S. is that blacks and natives just aren't trying in school because they aren't smart enough. This is not the truth. The teachers and the way education is being taught is hindering how much we are able to learn and how well we learn it. The No Child Left Behind Act was intended to make things easier and better for students learning and preparing for graduation into life. At least, I suppose that is what it was enacted for.

The No Child Left Behind Act has made things much worse than they already were. Children are being left behind because they are being skipped over if they do not fully understand the work given to them. The teachers have to proceed with their lessons for the rest of the class, and if you don't understand, you're at a bit of a loss, then. It has made things worse for the minority races to achieve anything. Not only that, but students are taking education less seriously, I suspect, because they assume that they are never going to be anything influential to society, so they just cruise on through school with friends and fun.

Education is one of the only things that can get you anywhere in the world so it needs to be taken seriously; very seriously. School is not just a place for socializing and for friends. School was created for education to be taught to make a smarter world and more educated human beings. I believe that less than 85% students in school actually try hard to get the best grades they can and succeed and over achieve.

So, to answer, even though I rambled off topic, I do not believe America is post-racial. Things are still unequal for the minority races and those races that need help. They are being skipped over, just assumed that they will never achieve anything or be anyone so they are ignored. Our education is at risk, and therefore, our lives.