“I believe that discrimination still exists in society and we must fight it in all its forms,” as stated by Andrew Cuomo, current governor of New York. Throughout history, discrimination has been an underlying problem that needs to be stopped and solved. Over time, African Americans have been the most prominent victims of discrimination. Since the early 17th century, blacks were discriminated against and enslaved for no reason. There have been many attempts to end discrimination, but no matter how hard people try, this is a problem that seems invincible. Despite the fact that the Jim Crow era has passed, it is evident from history and people's experiences that racial discrimination still exists today. When many people ask, when exactly did it start? How could this happen? Aren't they populating just like us? The answer is that it all began with the European slave market in the 17th century. Slavery in America began in the year 1619 when the first African slaves were brought to America by a Dutch sailor, to help in the production of tobacco. Europeans who had settled in the American colonies, especially Jamestown, turned to African men to do their work since they were cheaper and also good workers. Americans attempted to hide what they were doing by allowing “free blacks” to work, but even those blacks had very few, if any, rights. Starting in the late 17th century, laws were passed that did not allow marriages between blacks and whites. Slavery was so bad that one black woman, Harriet Ann Jacobs, who was a slave, went far enough to say that “death is better than slavery.” Slavery in the 17th and 18th centuries was so severe that 210 million Africans died en route to America... middle of paper ......gton Post, May 2, 2014. Web. May 5, 2014. . Krieger, Larry. AP Intensive course on US government and politics. Piscataway, NJ: Research & Education Association, 2010. Print."Martin Luther King Jr.." - Biographical. Np, nd Web. May 4, 2014. “Slavery in America.” History.com. A&E and Web Television Networks. May 2, 2014. "The Death of Emmett Till." History.com. A&E and Web Television Networks. May 5, 2014. "What Was Jim Crow?" What was Jim Crow. Np, nd Web. May 2 2014. .