What Is It Like To Be African American

What’s it like to be African American? What is it like to be constantly judged because of your skin color? The novel A lesson before dying took place in the south in the year of 1948. African Americans were still slaves and forced to work on plantations. At this time blacks had separate facilities they had to use aside from whites. The book shows the struggle that African Americans went through, the struggle where no one would believe you or even try to side with you. A young boy’s life gets taken because he is accused of murder but he was innocent all along. Why was his life taken so easily? Why was he taken away from his family for something he simply did not do? Most of these questions still remain unanswered even ‘til this day. Life today for African Americans is not great but it is so much better than it was. Today people actually want to hear your side of the story. Many have sacrificed to get us to where we are in life today but, was the …show more content…
Jefferson died somewhat a hero to the African American community. The course textbooks mention Dr. Martin Luther King who was a huge hero to the black community. Dr. King was a minister and a big civil rights activist. He was born on January 15th, 1929 four years before Ernest Gaines. King was famous for his motivational speeches he was a reason that segregation ended. Martin’s most famous speech was titled “I have a dream”. In this speech, he says “I have a dream that one day right there in Alabama little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers”. Unfortunately, he was assassinated in the year of 1968. King died but his legacy still lived on. Even today he is still remembered as one of the most influential people that fought for an important cause. Jefferson and King were not so different, both died as a hero for their people. Sacrifices are for the strong and giving up is for the