The Man And Legend

'Can We Attain an Equal America?';

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 racial equality can be achieved through the 'talented tenth,'; an African American elite that would be leaders and role models for the rest of the black community. In The Future of the Race, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Cornel West address the topic of Dubois' 1903 essay 'The Talented Tenth.'; When it comes to achieving equality among all races I don't particularly agree with DuBois' idea of a 'Talented Tenth.'; I believe that equality must be attained through a group effort and every individual should make decisions and choices on their own. Often this is hard because people often have the same beliefs that their parents have. And much too often these beliefs go against what is required for this nation to achieve equality. Furthermore, in order to achieve equality I believe that a greater effort must be given by those in the majority, since the majority has control over many more things than minorities. West agrees when he states that every major institution in American society-churches, universities, courts, academies of science, governments, economies, newspapers, magazines, television, film, and others-attempted to exclude black people from the human family in the name of white supramissit ideology,'; say West. This being the case I can understand why we have trouble moving forward towards equality. Above all, I believe that violent measures only cause separation and should never happen in an effort for equality. Racism has been fought for hundreds of years in this country and we have obviously made great progressions through civil rights movements but I do not believe that it can be fully eliminated by any means.(pg. 80)

People like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X have made critical contributions to the civil rights movement, and their thoughts should be used as a road map reward. For most of his life Malcolm X believed that the way to achieve equality in America was to preach separatism between blacks and whites. These ideas of 'black supremacy'; led many to believe that Malcolm X was an extremist. He believed that...

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...o be black. To eliminate racism we must first attempt to eliminate prejudiced ideas about skin color. I believe that the media plays a large role in making people incorporate black with evil. The media seems to brainwash society with such absurd ideas. For example, black males more than whites seem to play the role of the 'bad guy,'; more often in movies. Of course others may disagree with this theory however, I do believe the media should not give the wrong messages about being black. (pg. 81 Future of the Race)

The bottom line is that racial equality can be achieved in America. Keep in mind there are many different opinions and debates on how we should tackle this issue. However I believe the key to succeeded is working together to achieve a common goal. This goal will ultimatley make the world a better place to live in for all races. We must also stop looking at the world as black and white and start realizing that we are all human beings. The right path to peace is through non-violent demonstrations that will help the cause. Finally, we must teach future generations that life is too short to hate everyone who doesn't look like you. And love is the key to happiness and success.