Jon Davis Eng 101 Dr. Stevens 2/13/2012 What can a young African-American become after graduating from college? A few will say a teacher, some will say a lawyer but the majority will say a professional athlete. In the article “Delusions of Grandeur”, Henry Louis Gates Jr. explains why most African-Americans choose to be professional athletes instead of a more realistic and beneficial option. He argues that the public school system, media and society in general is to blame. Gates maintains that these entities should stop using young African-Americans as “gladiators” to entertain the masses.
He starts off by working in a town with minumum wage and believes that he will be able to gain a better education and runs off to a university. Later on, he comes back as a well knowledgeable man and a teacher to young children in a school. Although he is educated, he is still looked down upon the white people of his town as well as being distanced from his own black bretheren. Grant is able to see and think more sophisticatedly from his education and teachings. He feels anger towards the white community for radiating such a negative attiude towards the black community for being uneducated yet does not feel that he will be able to help them.
AP Literature Synthesis Essay Why Students SHOULD Go To College. Fredrick Douglass; a former uneducated slave. He was powerless and alone, but because he so eagerly wanted an education, Mr. Douglass became one of America’s Greatest African-American reformers, authors, and statesmen. Knowledge is power. This power was prohibited to many, due to its great results.
Athletes in today’s society that pass up college to play pro sports are making a bad decision. A high school player that goes straight to the pros does not have enough experience. Sure, we hear about the high school students that went pro and had instant success like Lebron James and Derek Jeter, but these are only a fraction of the thousands of players that go pro each year. 85% percent of the athletes that go pro out of high school are unsuccessful and end their careers after just five short years. They are not ready to play side by side their professional counterparts because of lack of experience and immaturity.
From earlier times to more recent times it is obvious that racism is a part everyday life. When Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in sports in 1947 he had imagined that by today things would have changed significantly, and to some extent they have. Even though African Americans are now allegedly offered similar treatment in sport, they are still treated differently. In all sports there is a very small percentage of African American coaches and managers. In some cases the black coach has had a much better resume, but still not given the job.
The NBA’s popularity and wealth increased dramatically by the time Michael Jordan had been drafted by the Bulls. Through new technologies Michael Jordan and NBA games could be seen around the world. The NBA became a global television goldmine because it was able to capitalize off of Jordan’s global recognition and popularity. Before Michael Jordan had been a Chicago bull the franchise’s wealth had been a meager nineteen million, which number quickly grew to over one hundred and ninety million in a matter of years. The NBA was not the only company to capitalize off of the Michael Jordan phenomenon, corporations such as Nike and Coca-Cola made billions worldwide off of Jordan.
Compare Radio and A Time to Kill are based in the South with racial discrimination as an underlying source of tension. While race is more prevalent in A Time to Kill, Radio’s African American descent does play a part in his lack of welcome at T.L. Hanna High School. To quote the movie, T.L. Hanna’s principal makes a point to say, “If you are wondering if I’m concerned about a mentally disabled black man hanging around our boys, then you’re absolutely right” (Radio, 2003).
By reading the principal’s speech, Richard was saying what the white power wanted him to say and to Richard this would be giving in to the very thing he hated so much. Richard was willing to leave school without a diploma instead of this. White people alienated Richard from his environment because he did not accept the way of life that other black people did. Richard’s relatives never understood Richard and because of this he was alienated from his family and his own people. Shorty is the young black boy who gets beat by the white people and jokes about it.
A student is only able to play if he/she is eligible and so if a student isn’t eligible he/she won’t get paid. This ensures first and foremost that the athletes are working hard in the classrooms. Also, most students gambled because they were poor and were trying to make some money. By paying them you are taking away the craving for making money illegally. I.
Van Sant’s motion picture presents the parallel tales of Jamal and Forrester, each growing as writers and human beings, and breaking boundaries on many levels as they do so. It becomes evident that throughout the film that Jamal the young African American high school student must overcome many challenges presented to him by his peers, teachers, and mentor, Forrester. As a black student attending an inner-city public school, Jamal’s educational opportunities are limited, rather than encouraged by his peers, and feeling the need to “fit in”. Although the present public school system allows Jamal the chance to excel as a student and young man, the incumbent norm of mediocrity amongst his African-American peers prevails, only pulling him downward. Jamal also faces the often problematic issue of the inner-city minority, that of being raised by a single mother.