Hope for the Future: Creating Change in an Inherently Racist Society
Racist acts against African Americans are featured in the news daily. This is nothing new. Racism has been a negative part of our society since slavery. Over time it has evolved, but it continues to impact the lives of African Americans. The feeling of hopelessness was and still is very prominent for many African Americans, as they feel trapped in the cycle of poverty and oppression, from both inherent racism in our society and in our legal system. This is an important motif in A Lesson Before Dying, which contributes to the theme of people working together as a community, creating change and hope for future generations.
In A Lesson Before Dying, Grant witnessed the unchanging values, attitudes, and behaviors of his students throughout the years during his teaching career. For example, when Grant saw his students, “Acting …show more content…
In a 2013 study done by an organization called Race to Equity found that in 2007, 9% of whites were living in poverty, while 25% of blacks were living below the poverty line. As of 2011, 11% of whites and 28% of blacks lived in poverty. Although the disparity grew for both blacks and whites, the percentage for African Americans is more than double than whites. With these destructive and unjust statistics in their heads, no wonder many African Americans feel trapped. Something as simple as the color of their skin is holding a considerable portion of African Americans from achieving financial success and security. This growing inequality that leads to poverty is parallel to the injustice that Grant and his community face in A Lesson Before Dying. Many African Americans, both today and in the novel, try to escape the poverty and oppression independently, but working together and looking at a these issues in a larger scope would be more effective in fighting
Racist acts against African Americans are featured in the news daily. This is nothing new. Racism has been a negative part of our society since slavery. Over time it has evolved, but it continues to impact the lives of African Americans. The feeling of hopelessness was and still is very prominent for many African Americans, as they feel trapped in the cycle of poverty and oppression, from both inherent racism in our society and in our legal system. This is an important motif in A Lesson Before Dying, which contributes to the theme of people working together as a community, creating change and hope for future generations.
In A Lesson Before Dying, Grant witnessed the unchanging values, attitudes, and behaviors of his students throughout the years during his teaching career. For example, when Grant saw his students, “Acting …show more content…
In a 2013 study done by an organization called Race to Equity found that in 2007, 9% of whites were living in poverty, while 25% of blacks were living below the poverty line. As of 2011, 11% of whites and 28% of blacks lived in poverty. Although the disparity grew for both blacks and whites, the percentage for African Americans is more than double than whites. With these destructive and unjust statistics in their heads, no wonder many African Americans feel trapped. Something as simple as the color of their skin is holding a considerable portion of African Americans from achieving financial success and security. This growing inequality that leads to poverty is parallel to the injustice that Grant and his community face in A Lesson Before Dying. Many African Americans, both today and in the novel, try to escape the poverty and oppression independently, but working together and looking at a these issues in a larger scope would be more effective in fighting