Nija Burnette
Professor Felix Germain
African Studies 1100
9 December 2014
Growing up, many little boys wanted to be the super heroes they watched on the television. Most people can recall the ending word of the phrase: “Look! Up in the sky! It 's a bird, it 's a plane, it 's...” The most popular super hero of all time was Superman and the focus of the previous phrase. He had super strength and speed, could fly, was invulnerable, had x-ray vision, and superhuman hearing. Superman was the ideal citizen, admired by all, and always saved the day. He was truly selfless (DC Comics, 1). Although a human could never measure up to the super natural being of what is Superman, his characteristics demonstrated qualities of what can be considered to be …show more content…
It is widely considered from time to time and from culture to culture that providing and protecting are accepted social norms of what a man does because he is a man. He stands up for his people in times of trouble, has high moral standing, and shows integrity day in and day out. It is valid to question if society is welcoming of all men, promoting success to be achieved by all or if this illusion only keeps the mouths quiet of those who can 't succeed with the ease of the majority. The dynamics of a Black man in America is embedded in his long trail from the ship to the land, his different personalities of today, and the corruption of the society he lives in. The Black man 's successes and failures are directly related to the environment he lives in.
To evaluate what it means to be a Black man in America, the story starts at his enslavement. The Black man has been dehumanized since the beginning of his trip from the shores of Africa to his time spent on the grasslands of America. The Atlantic Slave Trade, which took place between the 14th and 19th centuries was the first time Europeans encountered the continent of Africa and Africans. Many of the American …show more content…
He is portrayed as a criminal and thug in the media and labeled a threat to society. This is due to his demeanor, clothing choices, and preconceived ideals of him. The Black man has been misunderstood since he came to America. Often times, America puts down what they can 't understand. This misunderstanding is always followed by fear and fear fuels anger and later hate. It has gotten passed its fear of the black male as a impeding threat to the goodness that is America. No matter how many black men go to school and receive degrees, the color of their skin gives way to their corruptness. They will always face obstacles because of it. In recent news, young African American males have become victims to bullets from the same people who were supposed to protect them. Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Lennon Lacy are some of the names of African American males who have become victims to the system. The same authorities and justice system that was set up to protect them is the reason their lives ended. Trayvon Martin was a 17 year old Florida native who walked to the store one night and upon his return was deemed “suspicious looking” by an untrained neighborhood watchman. The watchman took it upon himself to pursue Martin despite the discouragement of the local police whom he called in notification of Martin 's whereabouts. An altercation followed and Trayvon Martin was murdered with a bullet to his chest on
Professor Felix Germain
African Studies 1100
9 December 2014
Growing up, many little boys wanted to be the super heroes they watched on the television. Most people can recall the ending word of the phrase: “Look! Up in the sky! It 's a bird, it 's a plane, it 's...” The most popular super hero of all time was Superman and the focus of the previous phrase. He had super strength and speed, could fly, was invulnerable, had x-ray vision, and superhuman hearing. Superman was the ideal citizen, admired by all, and always saved the day. He was truly selfless (DC Comics, 1). Although a human could never measure up to the super natural being of what is Superman, his characteristics demonstrated qualities of what can be considered to be …show more content…
It is widely considered from time to time and from culture to culture that providing and protecting are accepted social norms of what a man does because he is a man. He stands up for his people in times of trouble, has high moral standing, and shows integrity day in and day out. It is valid to question if society is welcoming of all men, promoting success to be achieved by all or if this illusion only keeps the mouths quiet of those who can 't succeed with the ease of the majority. The dynamics of a Black man in America is embedded in his long trail from the ship to the land, his different personalities of today, and the corruption of the society he lives in. The Black man 's successes and failures are directly related to the environment he lives in.
To evaluate what it means to be a Black man in America, the story starts at his enslavement. The Black man has been dehumanized since the beginning of his trip from the shores of Africa to his time spent on the grasslands of America. The Atlantic Slave Trade, which took place between the 14th and 19th centuries was the first time Europeans encountered the continent of Africa and Africans. Many of the American …show more content…
He is portrayed as a criminal and thug in the media and labeled a threat to society. This is due to his demeanor, clothing choices, and preconceived ideals of him. The Black man has been misunderstood since he came to America. Often times, America puts down what they can 't understand. This misunderstanding is always followed by fear and fear fuels anger and later hate. It has gotten passed its fear of the black male as a impeding threat to the goodness that is America. No matter how many black men go to school and receive degrees, the color of their skin gives way to their corruptness. They will always face obstacles because of it. In recent news, young African American males have become victims to bullets from the same people who were supposed to protect them. Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Lennon Lacy are some of the names of African American males who have become victims to the system. The same authorities and justice system that was set up to protect them is the reason their lives ended. Trayvon Martin was a 17 year old Florida native who walked to the store one night and upon his return was deemed “suspicious looking” by an untrained neighborhood watchman. The watchman took it upon himself to pursue Martin despite the discouragement of the local police whom he called in notification of Martin 's whereabouts. An altercation followed and Trayvon Martin was murdered with a bullet to his chest on