Even in the last ten years, huge steps forward have been made at the very top governmental positions by notable and highly qualified black Americans who are making all of us proud in the contributions they are making to America. Colin Powell was an accomplished general who demonstrated with quiet dignity and authority that he could lead many men into battle. He was rewarded for his valiant efforts finally reaching the very top levels of the government serving as President Bush’s Secretary of State in his first administration. Throughout the halls of government and anywhere Secretary Powell served, he was treated with respect and the honor that he deserved for serving his country so well. Following the honorable service of Colin Powell a just as distinguished public servant, a black woman by the name of Condoleezza Rice.
Moreover, being elected to coveted and high-profile leadership positions, earning good grades, and becoming their institutions’ ideal student also enabled the high achievers to debunk stereotypes that faculty and administrators may have held about African American men, which was another factor that inspired them to maximize their engagement outside of the classroom. They also wanted to ensure that the African American perspective was represented and that the voices of racial and ethnic minority communities were heard in mainstream student organizations and on major campus committees. Keely commented: “When I sit around a table in a meeting with the board of trustees or a student leadership group, it’s a very white room. It is my hope that I, as well as some of the other African American men that you’re interviewing here, have gotten into the minds of administrators that this campus needs to be a lot more diverse. If we weren’t seated around those tables, who’d advocate for our needs?” The high achievers also wanted to leave their mark on their respective campuses.
| Martin Luther King, Jr.’s many impeccable qualities make him one of the most inspirational and admired heroes of all time. His actions motivate and his words are legendary, carrying a great impact up to this day. “In the years since his assassination on April 4, 1968…Martin Luther King, Jr., has evolved from a prominent civil rights leader into the symbol for the civil rights movement in the United States. He is studied by school children of all backgrounds; his words are quoted by the powerless and the powerful, by anyone who has a dream to make her or his life better, to better the nation, or the world” (DISCovering Multicultural America. Online ed.).
African Americans are a group of people that have overcome several obstacles from slavery to freedom to a seat at the White House. African Americans are one of the most respected and important groups in American history because they were courageous enough to stand for something that they believed in until laws were changed so that they were treated equal to white American citizens. Today, African Americans are still excelling and living the American dream, but some question whether their culture is the reasons for the negativity in their communities. African American culture is consists of people take pride in family, music, religion, and community. Unity and religion is what made this group of people strong and powerful.
Martin Luther King's approach and that of Malcolm X's (Jones 2006). King advocated integration and love, he believed and expressed that all men are brothers and we should love each other and embrace our differences as well as our similarities as fruitful gifts from God (Jones 2006). Malcolm X, however, came from a different angle claiming that African Americans need to stick together and be strong (Tyner 2004); he was incredibly courageous and advocated human rights, perhaps most importantly, however, he advocated African American rights (Tyner 2004). Many labeled him racist and black supremacist. Malcolm expressed another feeling and angle that was not uncommon in the African American community during this time, frustration, anger, and fear (Tyner 2004).
Identity Crisis: The Friction Between Function and Identity in “Battle Royal” In “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison, the narrator, an African American man, describes the constant inner struggle he resides in to discover his identity in life. His efforts are further complicated by the fact that he is living in a racist American society where people of his descent are rarely even given the chance to portray individual identities, but rather grouped as one. The narrator's uneasiness surrounding his identity begins when his grandfather shocks the entire family by leaving them with a final message to “keep up the good fight” and undermine the white community by only pretending to comply with their beliefs. Constantly attempting to please the white
The tragedy is that the African American suffers from a three dimensional cloth of estrangement, burdening their lives and keeping them in a prison. A prison of seeing themselves the way society views them as a negative stereotype, instead of who they are. Du Bois states we should merge our two sides; the African American side with the rich proud culture we bring and the American side. Society says you must choose one because you are not able to incorporate the two sides into one person, why is African American culture the only culture society dictates to make this chose? Because society forcing the African American to choose, we are forced to question our worth.
“The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is important even beyond its far reaching provisions. It is historic because its enhancement was generated by a massive coalition of white and Negro forces.”[17] The bill was passed by President Johnson and it allowed black people to be integrated with white people in public areas and even allowed the government to hold federal funds from places that let racism exist. This was a great victory for Martin Luther King because he helped end the discrimination and oppression of his people which had been going on for many years before he had lived. That same year, King was awarded the Noble Peace Prize Award for being the youngest man to receive the award for peace at the age of 35. [18] After the signing of the Civil Rights Act, Martin Luther King started his mission in helping the poor and facing socioeconomic problems.
Over the years, education was finally being granted to African Americans and they were learning the basic skills. But higher educated was permitted to a select few. Eventually, many African Americans succeeded and were able to make it into a college. I find the ones who were able to overcome all the adversity that faced them while doing so inspirational and I decided to in my paper honor their hard work and
Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr's life has become a fixed part of America mythology for years prior to this generation. Indeed, to many African Americans whose rights he helped expand, to many other minorities whose lives his victories touched, and to many whites who welcomed the changes his leadership brought, King's life seemed luring even as he lived it. He is celebrated as an honorable character in American history, not only for the concrete legislation he enabled, but for his articulation of dreams and hopes shared by many during an era of upheaval and change. King said: "I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted