Even with the rights that many have, the issue of discrimination and hate is still prevalent today. The three affected in the stories: Muhammad Ali, Brent Staples, and Sherman Alexie , all experienced inequality and injustice for one aspect of their lives. The way they react and act upon the actions of others are what determines their impact on society.
Muhammad Ali became the recipient of hate because of his religion. Before he became an advocate for the Nation of Islam he was a successful boxer and Olympic gold medalist. After the Olympics he came home and won the title of the heavyweight champion. With all of his success in the boxing world he was a celebrity that was generally liked by the public. Brent Staples was affected because of his appearance and not because of his religion. He was described as, “the youngish black man - a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a …show more content…
Both made a large impact on the world. Muhammed Ali was able to spread his beliefs and unified many people to fight for their rights. He was a major part in the civil rights movement. Sherman sees the impact of his actions on today’s youth. He states, “Indian kids crowd the classroom. Many are writing their own poems, short stories, and novels. They have read my books. They have read many other books. They look at me with bright eyes and arrogant wonder. They are trying to save their lives.” (Alexie 2) However, Brent unfortunately succumbed to the idea of being thought of as a criminal. He is forced to act as a completely different person and that hurts his self conscience. He still has a small benefit to society but sacrifices his own happiness as a result. From this, it can be concluded that, one should stick with their own beliefs in order to maintain self happiness and contribute to society in the
Muhammad Ali became the recipient of hate because of his religion. Before he became an advocate for the Nation of Islam he was a successful boxer and Olympic gold medalist. After the Olympics he came home and won the title of the heavyweight champion. With all of his success in the boxing world he was a celebrity that was generally liked by the public. Brent Staples was affected because of his appearance and not because of his religion. He was described as, “the youngish black man - a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a …show more content…
Both made a large impact on the world. Muhammed Ali was able to spread his beliefs and unified many people to fight for their rights. He was a major part in the civil rights movement. Sherman sees the impact of his actions on today’s youth. He states, “Indian kids crowd the classroom. Many are writing their own poems, short stories, and novels. They have read my books. They have read many other books. They look at me with bright eyes and arrogant wonder. They are trying to save their lives.” (Alexie 2) However, Brent unfortunately succumbed to the idea of being thought of as a criminal. He is forced to act as a completely different person and that hurts his self conscience. He still has a small benefit to society but sacrifices his own happiness as a result. From this, it can be concluded that, one should stick with their own beliefs in order to maintain self happiness and contribute to society in the