The late twentieth century was a time of great turmoil in racial relations within the United States. Riots broke out in Los Angeles after the beating of Rodney King, and racial profiling was at an all time high with the LAPD's implementation of the CRASH force in a feeble attempt to rid Los Angeles of gangs. Cornel West's work "Waiting" is an example of the everyday occurrences in an overtly racist culture. He eventually pushes the negative events he went through out of his mind through remembering the rich heritage of his own culture, a reaction which has been prominent since slavery and the early eras of blues and jazz music. What Americans have seen in the turning of the twenty first century is this being twisted to serve a more detrimental purpose than a healing one. After Rap and Hip Hop were commercialized through over-saturation in mainstream culture, many whites have attached themselves to these new movements without fully understanding how they came about and the years of suffering which led to their birth.
             "Waiting" is actually a section from Cornel West's 1995 book Race Matters which explored American racism. In this piece the reader sees his idea of "'prophetic pragmatism'-which is concerned with addressing issues of racial oppression, violence, sexism, and homophobia through the life of the mind," (498). West is someone of status and prominence. He is very educated and lives a sophisticated life, not one which many white Americans would associate with a black male. Yet, when he enters into the racially charged atmosphere of New York, he remembers the racial discrimination which follows him constantly. Despite all his accomplishments, West has constantly been bombarded with racial prejudice his entire career. In this vignette, he describes events which show his innocence, but also how he was targeted through racial profiling, a major problem in the United...