Civil Rights

The Declaration of Independence was the beginning of the newborn country. This is what started it. The separation of America from England. This document listed not only what the King did wrong but also the Civil Rights of the people and how things would be different this time around. The Civil Rights of the people could be summed up with this line from the Declaration of Independence "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." This basically means that all men are equal. No man is higher then the next man and that this man is allowed to do what ever it is that makes him happy. He is also guaranteed protection under the law and freedom. We were given these rights so that we the people wouldn't have to deal with another king again because that would defeat the whole purpose of breaking away from England.

During the time America broke away from England the "man" was white. So as time progressed every other color was not entitled to those civil rights. They were better off writing "All White Men are Created Equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" because history shows me that's what they thought. In an article from the Up Front Rachel L. Swarns talks about how people of color have come a long way and that we have been granted these civil rights but yet it is still limited and America is Racist as it was back during slavery. "Yes, there's a black President, but 50 percent of black men don't graduate from high school. How do you reconcile those two things?" Rachel says and I agree with her. This is what makes so many people question Obama's presidency. Obama had a great amount of black supporters and promised them all a change but how can he promise a black man change in "White America"?

"I don’t know who these people are" says Bill Cosby in a speech he gave at the NCAA conference celebrating 50 years since Brown VS Board of Education. I found this speech to be very meaningful and true. Bill Cosby's main issue and valid point is why win Brown vs B.O.E when we have the "black" man not even wanting to go to school an learn English. We had people fight for these rights die for these rights and then the new generation of "black" man put it all to waste and shame us all. Black people of today blame the White Man for all their pain , suffering , and struggle when it's really themselves they need to blame. Bill Cosby doesn't even claim these people as his own kind in the speech, and he seems very outraged about doing it. Why fight for these rights when the people you're fighting for don't even appreciate them. "The White Man, he’s laughing got to be laughing. 50 percent drop out rest of them in prison." What is it that has to be done for these rights we have won to be appreciated by "these people".

When we speak of equality do we mean in every little way possible? Same looks, same style, same mind, same thoughts or do we just mean in law? Should we do the extreme just for civil rights? In the short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr he writes how the "ideal" world would be with total equality. When we speak about equality they don't understand what they are truly asking for, they are asking for everyone to be truly alike and that's not what we want. In the story the government went to the extreme to give the people what they want, "true" equality. All beautiful people were made ugly, all smart people were dumbed down and there was just the government left who ran all of this but if it was just the government left to run things than true equality was still not reached. Equality to me is not having everyone alike. I feel that every one should be given the same opportunities and not be judged just because of stereotypes. Everyone should be protected the same under the law.

Over and over again the lies are repeated that we are all equal, we are all protected the same under the law. I know it, you know it, every one knows it. Some accept it for what it is while other put up a front they wear the "mask". "The Mask" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar is a poem about unfair treatment and inequality's rights but this way before anyone thought to fight for them. Everyone walks around with a front, smile on the face sweet as candy when reality is lemon bitter. Paul had a dream way before Martin Luther King Jr., but the dream was the same he wanted rights for black men and black women. "That man over there say a woman needs to be helped into carriages and lifted over ditches and to have the best place everywhere." - AIN'T I A WOMEN? by Sojourner Truth. All women were discriminated against but if she were a lady of color was she really considered a women. In Sojourners poem's she crying out loud, in search of an answer to a question that has been repeated time and time before. "that little man in black there say a woman can't have as much rights as a man cause Christ wasn't a woman" but black women did as much as men they worked the field they cooked, cleaned, got beat an raped, gave birth to numerous children children knowing that theirs a 99.99% chance they will never see them again. "CHILDREN'S RHYMES" by Langston Hughes showing the mind of a black child."Liberty And Justice — Huh! For All?" they know they were black and would never get what any white kid got. Children didn't get a good education, barely no education at all because of the color of their skin. They were working most likely trying to help mama put food on the table, wasn't nothing fair about that. "I know I can't be President."

John Hope Franklin died at the age of 94 but he will never be forgotten. John worked with Martin Luther King Jr. , W. E. B. Du Bois Thurgood Marshall, all of these men fought for one thing and that thing is Rights for African Americans. In his life he has written and published books, written speech , and lots of other things he would be remembered for. John fought for rights till he was 94, he was dedicated and determined.

John Hope Franklin wasn't alone in this determination ride so is our president Obama. Recently Obama gave two speeches , one on race and the other on rights . Two important topics here in America. Obama talks about how we need to make our system work, we have the highest drop out rate in the world. We have so many opportunities but no one takes advantage of them and Obama feels its time for a change.

In an interview between William Julius Wilson and Leonard Lopate, William brings up the idea that he feels its time to have a honest an open discussion on Race in America. Not just on the color of your skin but your religion and the way you dress and act. He feels that race is being bundled up into little bundles of stereotypes. If your black your poor and ghetto, if you white you have money and good manners, which is nonsense and should be stopped. Leonard believes that race has not been an open honest discussion yet but he feels that maybe it will happen because Obama has been pushing for people to speak up and have an talk about this little but humongous issue. Why does the color of your skin mean so much to anyone? Its nothing wrong with being proud but how can someone be proud in America when you walk down the street an people grab on their bags a little tighter or you don't get a job because you don't match the "qualification" at the moment. The issue with Race has come from being a mole hole into a mountain and it shouldn't be like that.

Cbama Beer Summit was a very important gathering between the two parties. "I have always believed that what brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart. I am confident that has happened here tonight, and I am hopeful that all of us are able to draw this positive lesson from this episode." Obama said at the conclusion of the meeting. After reading that I draw the conclusion that Obama feels that we might be able to take another step closer to fixing racial problems in America. Even though their might not be no quick way to fix racial problems in America the outcome will last much longer. So every step we makes puts us closer to the solution even if it's a baby step.

"...Black farmers who say that for decades the Agriculture Department discriminated against them in loan programs." says Carrie Johnson in her article U.S. approves settlement for black farmers. This shows that in America black people are still discriminated against. Obama announced that a $1.25 billion settlement Thursday to resolve charges by thousands of black farmers. It may seem that Obama is just trying to help black people, but to me its the right thing to do. African Americans have been discriminated against for hundreds of years and to see that it is still going on in 2010 is truly sad. So Obama trying to help African Americans is then going to seem like he is discriminating against White. This will always be a loose ; loose situation. In "White" America discrimination is a must.

ad_icon "The truth is that, in the last decade, the Office for Civil Rights has not been as vigilant as it should have been in combating gender and racial discrimination and protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities," says Secretary Duncan in a speech about pressuring schools to enforce fairness and equality inside the walls of their facilities.

I don't think the world will ever be perfect because there is always going to be that one bad apple that spoils the whole bunch. Even if we end poverty, world hunger, racism and the words murderer and rapist were like a foreign to every one around the world. Even if everyone were healthy we still have challenges to face that the world itself gives us but the closet to perfect were going to get is if everyone in the world was truly equal and given the same opportunities but be fore we can get there we have to keep on fighting. We have not overcome yet. Obama wasn't the first step but he was the most solid step we've ever had. John Hope Franklin, Langston Hughes, Sojourner Truth and many more that helped set us on this path. With Obama ahead of us, we shall reach the end of it.

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© Seneya Nixon 2010