In American history, some of the darkest hours and worst conflicts have been tied to issues with race, which stands as a topic in which the country does not have the best record. Now, in the wake of the Ferguson and New York protests over police involved deaths, America must face the issue yet again.

After the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s there was hope that the race issue could finally die away as people of different races could come together. Equal civil rights, of course, are a huge part of the equation necessary for equality and must be achieved before a society can be equal. But they are only part of the equation.

Another key factor in issues regarding race is the mindset of people as they commit racist acts, and it is this factor that has sparked unrest in the aforementioned examples. This factor, protesters argue, means that people in charged situations can have preconceived notions about people of a different race. In other words, the protesters claim that if the shooting and strangling victims were not black, they would not have been killed, a claim bitterly disputed by the police.

As a result of these killings and the decisions of both grand juries not to indict the officers involved, there have been massive protests that have led to some violence. The protesters see themselves as championing a cause of true racial equality, while the police and their supporters see unfair attacks on people who were doing their jobs. However, the bitter feelings and charged atmosphere surrounding the race protests have also led to great violence as the two sides clash.

Compared to the days of slavery and Jim Crow segregation, racial relations within the United States domestic landscape seem undoubtedly better. But, recent conflicts now force the people of the nation to address an issue that can be difficult to confront and change. Whether or not the issue can resolve relates to how the sides can address their perceptions.