Quiet Riots.
The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle for freedom. Many of the luxuries we now take for granted were virtually nonexistent fifty or sixty years ago. Our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents made many sacrifices to ensure our freedom. Although their efforts were not in vain, African-Americans are still not completely truly free. Even after the deaths of many black protestors, we are still not free to dream, we are still not free to make our dreams a reality, and we are still not free to be.
In the 1800s, African Americans were not only fighting against physical bondage, but they had to fight against mental bondage as well. Slavery was a horrible institution that robbed us of our lives, our freedom, and our history. At that time, It was generally believed that if we were freed ( that is, in a physical sense), everything else would fall into place.
In the 1950s and 1960s, we found that white America had found other ways to keep us in bondage. Although some schools were integrated, those black students privileged enough to attend white schools were threatened and sometimes physically mistreated. But as time progressed, we conquered the institution of segregation, yet we still face an even stronger opponent-racism. The evils of racism permeate every aspect of society, from education to entrepreneurship, and until we defeat it, we can never achieve a state of freedom.
Even if one considers the large number of successful black people in America, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Jay Z, and Louis Farrakhan, we still must realize that our children dream of being as successful as these celebrities. However, our society convinces them that successful black people are only one in a million and that their dreams can never be made a reality, and all they can do is a dream. A mentality of black inferiority stifles and prohibits their growth and development and hinders many from making positive contributions to society. Unless we support and encourage our children, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews to pursue their dreams, they will grow up doubting themselves and their ability to achieve all of their goals. Through fighting the concept of black inferiority, we will help the next generation become better able and more prepared to deal with racism more effectively.
Another issue that prohibits African-Americans from living in true freedom is the lack of funding for black businesses. When blacks decide to go into business for themselves, it takes a great deal of effort to convert that childhood dream into a tangible reality for someone else to invest money into it. Until we begin to support each other and give back to the communities that gave so much to us, black America cannot become economically independent, and we will not be free.
After we dream and make those dreams a reality, it is very disappointing to see black people in positions of power who have forgotten the communities from which they came. It is equally disappointing to find that the people we work so hard to support and uplift no longer respect us. When African-Americans are in the limelight, they find themselves under scrutiny by the entire black community. We will never be free to be until we achieve the kind of freedom that does not make it easier to criticize than it is to contribute. We will never be free to be until we achieve the kind of freedom that does not make the rich even richer while the poor become poorer. We will never be free to be until we achieve the kind of freedom that encourages children to dream big things that may be difficult (but not impossible) to attain instead of small endeavors that pose no challenge. We will never be free to be until we achieve the kind of freedom that allows us to celebrate our history while looking to a better future. We will never be free to be until we achieve the kind of freedom that urges us to support one another in a united cause as opposed to everyone "doing their own thing" Only then will we be truly free to dream, free to make our dreams a reality, and simply free to be.