Keeping Up With the Joneses
Resting comfortably on the wood grain counter of the Brooks Brother’s check-out, a young black college student nervously awaits the familiar sound of the cashier crunching the numbers of all his purchases and presenting a grand total. After everything has been neatly folded and placed in numerous heavy bags, Susan, a middle aged white Brooks Brother’s employee with soft features, happily states a total of $679.99 and simultaneously asks would he be paying with cash or credit. Only a few seconds pass before she swipes a Platinum American Express and thanks him for stopping by. As he exits the mall the feeling of joy he has inside can be seen clearly on his face. Twenty minutes later as he crosses the threshold of his home he does not even bother with turning on the lights. He quickly illuminates the plethora of candles placed strategically throughout the apartment to brighten his home. He mumbles to himself that …show more content…
Blacks have always been played in a social class several degrees below whites. Those African-Americans who moved into suburban neighborhoods were terrorized by the community and some of the first blacks with automobiles were dragged from their vehicles at gunpoint, and watched in horror as their possessions burned to the ground. As fast as African-Americans assimilated into white society, the dominant culture pushed them away. Slowly black have weeded into society. However, to maintain this status, many feel that material belongings are a sense of equality and are a rite of passage into the wealthy lifestyle. This was the basis of a mentality that many still have and will sacrifice more important life decisions for their
Resting comfortably on the wood grain counter of the Brooks Brother’s check-out, a young black college student nervously awaits the familiar sound of the cashier crunching the numbers of all his purchases and presenting a grand total. After everything has been neatly folded and placed in numerous heavy bags, Susan, a middle aged white Brooks Brother’s employee with soft features, happily states a total of $679.99 and simultaneously asks would he be paying with cash or credit. Only a few seconds pass before she swipes a Platinum American Express and thanks him for stopping by. As he exits the mall the feeling of joy he has inside can be seen clearly on his face. Twenty minutes later as he crosses the threshold of his home he does not even bother with turning on the lights. He quickly illuminates the plethora of candles placed strategically throughout the apartment to brighten his home. He mumbles to himself that …show more content…
Blacks have always been played in a social class several degrees below whites. Those African-Americans who moved into suburban neighborhoods were terrorized by the community and some of the first blacks with automobiles were dragged from their vehicles at gunpoint, and watched in horror as their possessions burned to the ground. As fast as African-Americans assimilated into white society, the dominant culture pushed them away. Slowly black have weeded into society. However, to maintain this status, many feel that material belongings are a sense of equality and are a rite of passage into the wealthy lifestyle. This was the basis of a mentality that many still have and will sacrifice more important life decisions for their