Essay on Struggles of African Americans - 1125 Words

We live in this nation as a united family but never forgetting our past. We never overlook the history of the pilgrims who traveled here for their religious freedom, our gain of independence or of our horrible past about slavery because we know as a nation that those things shape our future and also guide our future generations to restrain from our past mistakes. As we expand as a nation one thing that we continue to learn about, is how slavery has engraved a mark on our neighborhoods, communities and societies. This mark being that of racism and prejudice which is impossible for our generation to erase and will be for the generations to come. As our ancestors faced in the past in this united nation, we know that they didnt easily over†¦show more content†¦They were in a way held back by the discrimination they faced to prove to the American society that they were valuable imparts on the country. Another way the reader views the limitations on the African American societ y is when King used the â€Å"check† to symbolize how ineffective the freedom guaranteed by the Emancipation Proclamation was. The reader becomes aware that though the check is given to them in hopes of using it like everybody else, theirs was always classified as â€Å"insufficient fund†. This showing the reader that, though they have the check to prove their freedom, the idea of being free was only recognized by the African Americans but not the Caucasian society. King also uses imagery to demonstrate to the reader the struggles they were trying to overcome. By mentioning children being â€Å"stripped of their self hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating for white only†, King captures the readers attention because we generally assume that children have clear mentalities where the issue of color is not recognized but since they have those signs around them they become conscious of their outer appearance and how society sees them. We always classify our country as a melting pot, but did it occur to you how our country finally got to this harmonious state?. We usually take things for granted, that we never realize that ourShow MoreRelatedAfrican American Struggles747 Words   |  3 PagesRUNNING HEAD: AFRICAN AMERICAN STRUGGLES 1 African American Struggles Shaneisa Smith Soc 308: Racial Ethnic Groups Risa Garelick November 23, 2011 AFRICAN AMERICAN STRUGGLES 2 African American Struggles African Americans are knows to face various issues throughout their lives. 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