America is a land of freedom and pride, given to us by our founding fathers and the hard work of many men and women before us. Through the years many people have come here seeking fame, wealth, family, or even just freedom-they came seeking their dream, their American Dream. Many still do today, including my dream of being absolutely free, not to an extent where you are able to take the freedom from others, but to be able to do what you want to do and have nobody tell you no. Today, I believe the American Dream does still exist, and while achieving it may not be as easy for one as it is for the other, it can still very much so be achieved.
I am first going to give an example of someone who despite challenges and setbacks, strived for their …show more content…
Due to many amendments to the Constitution, and many movements through history, we have achieved at least some sort of sense of equality among all citizens of the U.S. I am going to, once again, look at Rathger’s essay, “They Live the Dream”, but instead of looking at Kesler and her victory on a monetary level, we are going to look at Wayne Ward Ford and his success on a racial and political level. “Wayne Ford was in eigth grade when a teacher asked the class to write their obituaries”, when the teacher got to him “He… came up with a curious response.” Ford stated that “he would be active in politics and in charge of a community center” (42). Here we can see that even as a little kid, Ford’s determination to do something that hadn’t been done was exceedingly high. He worked long and hard and eventually he got a chance, “he accepted a football scholarship” which got him into “[a] nearly all-white Minnesota College” where he battled racism. “After graduation, Ford turned to politics. Today… he’s the only black member of the Iowa State Legislature and the founder and executive producer of Urban Dreams, a nonprofit community program for at-risk youth” (43). Here we see him achieving his dreams as a child due to hard work and the overcoming of obstacles. “He got accepted into a… Minnesota College” where he battled racism. “After graduation, Ford turned to politics. Today… he’s the
I am first going to give an example of someone who despite challenges and setbacks, strived for their …show more content…
Due to many amendments to the Constitution, and many movements through history, we have achieved at least some sort of sense of equality among all citizens of the U.S. I am going to, once again, look at Rathger’s essay, “They Live the Dream”, but instead of looking at Kesler and her victory on a monetary level, we are going to look at Wayne Ward Ford and his success on a racial and political level. “Wayne Ford was in eigth grade when a teacher asked the class to write their obituaries”, when the teacher got to him “He… came up with a curious response.” Ford stated that “he would be active in politics and in charge of a community center” (42). Here we can see that even as a little kid, Ford’s determination to do something that hadn’t been done was exceedingly high. He worked long and hard and eventually he got a chance, “he accepted a football scholarship” which got him into “[a] nearly all-white Minnesota College” where he battled racism. “After graduation, Ford turned to politics. Today… he’s the only black member of the Iowa State Legislature and the founder and executive producer of Urban Dreams, a nonprofit community program for at-risk youth” (43). Here we see him achieving his dreams as a child due to hard work and the overcoming of obstacles. “He got accepted into a… Minnesota College” where he battled racism. “After graduation, Ford turned to politics. Today… he’s the