Has Anything Changed? In his world-renowned speech, "I Have A Dream," Martin Luther King Jr. describes his reflection of present-day America and his hopes of the future by dramatizing the disgraceful situation in which America is consumed. In 1963, when this speech was being giv...

nything you can imagine, as one day becoming possible, is a dream. When Martin Luther King and 200,000 followers marched on Washington, DC in August of 1963, their goal was racial equality and an equal opportunity to pursue the American dream. King did more than anyone to keep this dream alive, b...

In 1865, the 13th Amendment outlaws slavery and in 1868 the 14th Amendment grants equal protection of laws to blacks. Although these Amendments existed, white people did not always treat blacks fairly. Blacks struggled for the end of segregation, which meant that they were "separate but equal." T...

In many works of literature irony plays and important roll in the story. In the short story "Battle Royal" written by Ralph Ellison irony is a key factor on the story. The narrator who is nameless is a young black male in the time slavery recently had been abolished. A time where bla...

?The famous singer Frank Zappa said "The United States is a nation of laws; badly written and randomly enforced." The short stories of early 20th century quite well describe contradictions between written laws and their real meaning to people. The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of R...

During the Reconstruction period, congress sent to the states three important new amendments to the Constitution. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, while the Fourteenth Amendment made black citizens, equal to their white counterparts. The fifteenth Amendment states that no citizens could b...

These are a few documents that describe a small portion of history that we as a people use to look into the past to get a glimpse of what experience's people of that time period had to experience and some of the trials and tribulation that people had to endure. "Black Codes enacted in t...

There are many symbols in Ralph Ellison's story "Battle Royal." Ellison's story is full of excellent symbolism of how African-Americans have struggled throughout history to fight for their equality. The narrator starts off the story by describing his grandfather's dying ...

What does freedom mean to you? To most people freedom is part of their everyday lives, it is the knowing that you can go out to public places and not be threatened. The basic rights that we take for granted today, like for example freedom of speech and the right to bare arms, were merely dreams to...

In order to achieve success, you must be independent, have dignity, and be willing to take the needed risks. In both Black Boy and A Raisin in the Sun, many characters take risks in order to get the things they want out of life. By not acting like the "typical" African American would, th...

Dreamers: Believers in their Sleep On August 28,1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) gave a historic speech in Washington, D.C. He had a dream. He saw the world in a different light. Almost a quarter of a million people shared in that dream. He saw a world where your color didn't matter. If y...

The mid 20th century was a trying time for black Americans. Facing social, political, and economical injustices, over 20 million black Americans were living in the free land of America while being denied equality and opportunity. Malcolm X called this condition of living 20th century slavery, impl...

Frederick Douglass tried to evoke a desire for Liberation amongst the African-American people in his writings and oratory. To many people, Douglass appeared to be the black Moses, leading his people to "freedom" not only physically, but mentally and getting there by non-violent means. Doug...

Politically Incorrect Report: "Politically correct" is such an innocent term. How can anyone be against something so friendly, something that is supposed to encourage harmony and peace between all people? My answer is "Ha!" Although I do agree that kindness, respect, and courtesy in our everyday l...

Report: Politically correct is such an innocent term. How can anyone be against something so friendly, something that is supposed to encourage harmony and peace between all people? My answer is Ha! Although I do agree that kindness, respect, and courtesy in our everyday life are to be promoted, it s...

In this American world, the Negro has been seen as lost and forgotten. For this reason, the world yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. The two ideals of the Negro is that of his color and the struggle of att...

Can we really achieve equality? I do believe it is possible but it is obvious that there is no single answer to such a question. Everyone has their own opinion in regards to this question, however those opinions are useless unless they are actually carried out. According to W.E.B. DuBois racia...

The 1950s was the time that Civil Rights issues were coming to a head. African Americans were making bold steps forward, becoming heard and becoming seen. Unfortunately, many Whites resisted these steps forward, refusing to hear and recognize these "invisible people." People's ignorance closed ...