Social and Economic Equality of African Americans in America Essay

Social and Economic Equality of African Americans in America The struggle for social and economic equality of Black people in America has been long and slow. It is sometimes amazing that any progress has been made in the racial equality arena at all; every tentative step forward seems to be diluted by losses elsewhere. For every "Stacey Koons" that is convicted, there seems to be a Texaco executive waiting to send Blacks back to the past. Throughout the struggle for equal rights, there have been courageous Black leaders at the forefront of each discrete movement. From early activists such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. DuBois, to 1960s civil rights leaders and radicals such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and the Black Panthers, the progress that has been made toward full equality has resulted from the visionary leadership of these brave individuals. This does not imply, however, that there has ever been widespread agreement within the Black community on strategy or that the actions of prominent Black leaders have met with strong support from those who would benefit from these actions. This report will examine the influence of two "early era" Black activists: Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Through an analysis of the ideological differences between these two men, the writer will argue that, although they disagreed over the direction of the struggle for equality, the differences between these two men actually enhanced the status of Black Americans in the struggle for racial equality. We will look specifically at the events leading to and surrounding the "Atlanta Compromise" in 1895. In order to understand the differences in the philosophies of Washington and Dubois, it is useful to know something about their backgrounds. Booker T. Washington, born a slave in 1856 in Franklin County, Virginia, could be described as a pragmatist. He was only able to attend school three months out of the year, with the remaining nine months spent working in coal mines. He developed the idea of Blacks becoming skilled tradesmen as a useful stepping-stone toward respect by the white majority and eventual full equality. Washington worked his way through Hampton Institute and helped found the Tuskeegee Institute, a trade school for blacks. His essential strategy for the advancement of American Blacks was for them to achieve enha... ...ecame more mainstream, it became increasingly conservative, and this did not please DuBois, who left the organization in 1934. He returned later but was eventually shunned by Black leadership both inside and outside of the NAACP, especially after he voiced admiration for the USSR. In the political climate of the late 1940s and 1950s, any hint of a pro-communist attitude--black or white--was unwelcome in any group with a national political agenda. We can see, then, that neither Washington's strategy of appeasement nor DuBois's plan for an elite Black intelligentsia was to become wholly successful in elevating American Blacks to a position of equality. However, perhaps it was more than the leadership of any one Black man that encouraged African Americans to demand a full measure of social and economic equality. Perhaps the fact that there was a public dialogue in itself did more to encourage Black equality than the philosophy of any one prominent Black man. After all, concepts such as equality are exactly that: concepts. As such, it up to each of us to decide how we see ourselves in relation to others; superior or inferior, equal or not equal, the choice is ultimately our own.

Different Biomes

Our family always looks forward every vacation time because of so many places we visited and how we learned a lot from it.   It’s just like an educational tour.   As we traveled along we learned of different biomes in the world.   The world contains different kinds of Biomes.   Biome is a kind of large ecosystem where animals, insects, plants and human beings live in certain type of climate.   The following are some of the places we visited: 1.   Northern Alaska. In Northern Alaska, you will find their frosty biome called the Arctic Tundra.   The earth’s coldest Biome.   The Arctic tundra is a cold, vast, treeless area of low, swampy plains in the north around the Arctic Ocean.   An example of tundra is the Alpine Tundra that is at the tops of high mountains.   The type of climate affects plants and animals living on that area because of the availability of food supplies.   Examples of animals are the polar bears, arctic foxes and caribou.   Plants include the cushion plants, small shrubs and the lichen. 2.   Asia Tropical rainforests are found in Asia particularly along the equator.   It receives rains each year, approximately 70 inches.   Most of the species of plants and animals are found in this type of biome.   Many of its plants are used in medicines.   However, rainforests are considered an endangered biome because of the rapid growth of people who have cut the trees and contributed to the so called global warming.   Some of the animals of the tropical rainforest are the anteater, jaguar, brocket deer, lemur, orangutan, marmoset, macaw, parrot, sloth, and toucan. Among the many plant species are bamboo, banana trees, rubber trees, and cassava. 3.   Russia Taiga is the name of biome found in Russia.   It is a land dominated by conifers, like spruces and firs.   It has a limited variety of animals and plants compared to the temperate deciduous forest. References http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0769052.html                                             

Heroism Depicted Throughout The Epic Poem, The Iliad And...

Heroism is shown through the ages in a variety of areas all over the world. One of the greatest examples of how heroism is depicted within a literary work is in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. Although the ideals of heroism are apparent in the poem, it is important to understand how the same theme can be seen through other works of literature. The Knights Tale, which is one of the greatest stories that Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales has to offer. The Iliad and The Knights Tale are both stories that contain the ideals of heroism. In the epic poem, The Iliad, Homer was brilliant in showing the idea of traditional heroism on the battlefield. There is a clear conviction that comes from Homer in that he directed towards his audience with the motive of making them understand the true definition of heroism. One of the greatest examples of how heroism is displayed is the success within the field of battle. Heroism is defined by the wish and willingness to emerge as a winner in case of militants. Through military conflict heroism is defined by the urge on the war field as well as the desire to defend and protect one’s honor. However, the complexity that exists within the heroism is what redefines the ideal of heroism by truly revealing it. â€Å"Wife, I too have thought upon all this, but with what face should I look upon the Trojans, men or women, if I shirked battle like a coward?†(142). Within this final scene between Hector and his wife, the heroism of war is truly displayed. Hector