PERSONAL REFLECTION

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Although the situation with rights of African Americans has seriously improved in the US since the times of Martin Luther King and 1963 March on Washington , African Americans still face a number of challenges in society . They continue to face obstacles in education and employment that prevent the full realization of their potential and translation of this potential into achievements . They also face problems on the personal , psychological level as they face animosity and discrimination by prejudiced people . As times goes by , the African American community will continue to

improve strategies for coping with racist attitudes and realizing their potential to the maximum

The obstacles that faced African Americans since the time when slavery was abolished included discrimination , poverty , and lack of access to important institutions such as policy-making bodies , educational establishments etc . Discrimination persisted both in employment , where African American employees often faced impediments from racists , and in provision of services . There are , for instance , allegations that African Americans have a smaller chance to obtain a mortgage loan or end up with a higher rate . The pressure placed on employers and companies to reject discriminatory practices through affirmative action only partly solved the problem . A large set of problems emerges out of widespread poverty and low socioeconomic status in the African American community that perpetuate themselves as poor people face obstacles in access to good educational facilities , health care , and other benefits that can spearhead development of a community . Persisting high criminalization and imprisonment rates in African American neighbourhoods also decrease the scope of opportunities for youngsters . In addition , coming from an African American community , one faces limited opportunities for building a reliable network of colleagues that would support their professional advancement

However , over the years African Americans have also been able to achieve great progress in their advancement . Gaining political clout , they effectively campaigned for recognition of diversity and introduction of affirmative action policies on the nation-wide level , followed by similar policies in many institutions . Companies , universities , and colleges now think it a must to have African Americans in their midst to provide a good balance of cultures in their midst . This development was paralleled by spread of African American institutions such as Black student unions that connect people with the same background . Doing so African Americans rely on the concept of self-help that was once advocated by Booker T . Washington

Black women have made a serious contribution to the development of their race and forwarding its interests . The remarkable deed of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on the bus to the white man , setting the spark to the already ripe environment for the civil rights movement , was one out of many contributions of the African American women to the liberation of their people . Earlier , a similar action was made by the Suffragette Ida Wells-Barnett who organized the Alpha Suffrage Club in Chicago and refused to march in the back of the Suffragist parade in Washington , D .C . Black women did not...