Many Americans would say that Martin Luther King Jr would’ve been grateful for the advantages minorities possess today? But has mental and physical freedom really benefited minorities today? Have his dreams of a non-discriminatory America really been brought to fruition?Robert Mertain a Functionalist coined the terms manifest and latent functions. Manifest being intended results and latent being unintended results. Apply this concept to Dr. Kings “I Have A Dream” speech. Dr. King intended(manifest) for minorities to be legally accepted in the United States of America. He did not intend(latent) for social freedom to be granted to minorities yet and still they remain segregated. It was not his intention that minorities have access to educational systems but fail to obtain a degree. Was his focus directed towards the root of the problem? Think about it while I answer my own question. Yes and no. In his time yes African Americans thirsted for knowledge, they were willing to be antagonized on a constant basis to obtain racial equality. However there is a difference between his time and ours. This difference being that most if not all minorities realized there was a problem, they formed together and made efforts to try and correct it. Today we fail to see the root of the issue as to why minorities are mentally slaves though politically free. I will be taking a stab at solving this jigsaw puzzle, looking forward to it! Sociology studies the social factors that affect an individuals success or failure in life. Social factors play a huge role in how an individual speaks, receives information, learns, thinks, and a host of other characteristics. The theory that deals with Civil Rights the most is the conflict theory. This theory speaks about how people in a society fight over scarce resources. Corporations have conflict with their workers, over who is dominant, scarce resource being money. Countries go to war over a disagreement, the scarce resource being power. This Sociological approach can be used to explain how the social injustice of the past can be seen in different forms today. For example, post slavery African Americans struggled to find their place in society. Those who wanted to be involved in politics, obtain jobs, just to be accepted into the American society, they needed to rapidly assimilate into European culture. Including straightening their hair, dressing and speaking as the white Americans did. Today African Americans are still required to act in this way in order to receive corporate jobs, attend private schools, or even to join the Army. Recently the Army officials have placed a policy on all female soldiers, called the AR 670-1 Banning many hairstyles they felt were inappropriate. African women believed this policy to be prejudice against them because many of the “natural hairstyles” AA women wear were banned. Sgt. James of the United States National Guard put up a petition against it that has received seventeen thousand signatures.
Many Americans would say that Martin Luther King Jr wouldve been grateful for the advantages minorities possess today? But has mental and physical freedom really benefitted minorities today? Have his dreams of a non-discriminatory America really been brought to fruition?Robert Mertain a Functionalist coined the terms manifest and latent functions. Manifest being intended results and latent being unintended results. Apply this concept to Dr. Kings “I Have A Dream” speech. Dr. King intended(manifest) for minorities to be legally accepted in the United States of America. He did not intend(latent) for social freedom to be granted to minorities yet and still they remain segregated. It was not his intention that minorities have access to educational systems but fail to obtain a degree. Was his focus directed towards the root of the problem? Think about it while I answer my own question. Yes and no. In his time yes African Americans thirsted for knowledge, they were willing to be antagonized on a constant basis to obtain racial equality. However there is a difference between his time and ours. This difference being that most if not all minorities realized there was a problem, they formed together and made efforts to try and correct it. Today we fail to see the root of the issue as to why minorities are mentally slaves though politically free. I will be taking a stab at solving this jigsaw puzzle, looking forward to it! Sociology studies the social factors that affect an individuals success or failure in life. Social factors play a huge role in how an individual speaks, receives information, learns, thinks, and a host of other characteristics. The theory that deals with Civil Rights the most is the conflict theory. This theory speaks about how people in a society fight over scarce resources. Corporations have conflict with their workers, over who is dominant, scarce resource being money. Countries go to war over a disagreement, the scarce resource being power. This Sociological approach can be used to explain how the social injustice of the past can be seen in diffrent forms today. For example, post slavery African Americans struggled to find their place in sociaty. Those who wanted to be involved in politics, obtain jobs, just to be accepted into the American society, they needed to rapidly assimilate into European culture. Including straightening their hair, dressing and speaking as the white Americans did. Today African Americans are still required to act in this way in order to receive corporate jobs, attend private schools, or even to join the Army. Recently the Army officials have placed a policy on all female soldiers, called the AR 670-1 Banning many hairstyles they felt were inappropriate. African women believed this policy to be prejudice against them because many of the “natural hairstyles” AA women wear were banned. Sgt. James of the United States National Guard put up a petition against it that has received seventeen thousand signatures.
Not only in the Army can this form of prejudice be seen but also in our school system. Recently a twelve year old by the name Vanessa Vandyke was told she would be expelled from her private school if she did not if she did not cut her hair. She refused because she felt her hair was apart of who she was a representation that she was different.
Situations such as these show case histories significance when attempting to understand the problems of today. The military announced that they will be renouncing the AR 670-1 and refoming the policy. While Vanessa Van dykes school changed their mind about expelling her. These immediate recreations were a great example of the political leverage minorities posses today, but the fact remains that these decisions were only reformed because the media was involved. If minorities truly had actual political power these situations would never have went on…
Now that thats said lets move on to
Civil Rights Activists (past to present)
When speaking of Civil Rights in the late 1800s there is one individual I feel strongly influenced to refer to. W.E.B Du Bois was a conflict theorist his works have been profoundly beneficial to the African American people. His most popular theories being double- concousness, the veil, and the ten percent theory. Du Bois began the N AACP in the hopes that he can influence civil rights in a non-violent way. He believed people could work together in order to create a more equal society for all. Working with black and white people the NAACP had been able to accomplish many great political feats. Just like Martin Luther King Jr who was also apart of the NAACP he was a great political activist.
Present
I dare to ask the question, where are men like these today? Men who stood up for not just their own race but society as a whole. The University graduates, or the new representation of the American dream Rags to Riches? The true political crusaders fighting for minority equality? Men and women who brought politics to the streets and spoke in a language they can actually understand, explaining to minorities their true place in society. Then began brainstorming ideas on how they can come together and change it. Leaders who offered opportunity for jobs to the uneducated, not just money. Do not be deceived into thinking I see welfare as a negative, I understand that welfare can mean the difference between life and death for some. Although I believe a reform should be in order but thats a different theme for a different blog. Anywhoo what I mean is the twentieth century is lacking true activism in Civil Rights politics today.
Not only in the Army can this form of prejudice be seen but also in our school system. Recently a twelve year old by the name Vanessa Vandyke was told she would be expelled from her private school if she did not if she did not cut her hair. She refused because she felt her hair was apart of who she was a representation that she was different.
Situations such as these show case histories significance when attempting to understand the problems of today. The military announced that they will be renouncing the AR 670-1 and reforming the policy. While Vanessa Van dykes school changed their mind about expelling her. These immediate recreations were a great example of the political leverage minorities posses today, but the fact remains that these decisions were only reformed because the media was involved. If minorities truly had actual political power these situations would never have went on…
Now that thats said lets move on to
Civil Rights Activists (past to present)
When speaking of Civil Rights in the late 1800s there is one individual I feel strongly influenced to refer to. W.E.B Du Bois was a conflict theorist his works have been profoundly beneficial to the African American people. His most popular theories being double- consciousness, the veil, and the ten percent theory. Du Boise began the N NAACP in the hopes that he can influence civil rights in a non-violent way. He believed people could work together in order to create a more equal society for all. Working with black and white people the NAACP had been able to accomplish many great political feats. Just like Martin Luther King Jr who was also apart of the NAACP he was a great political activist.
Present
I dare to ask the question, where are men like these today? Men who stood up for not just their own race but society as a whole. The University graduates, or the new representation of the American dream Rags to Riches? The true political crusaders fighting for minority equality? Men and women who brought politics to the streets and spoke in a language they can actually understand, explaining to minorities their true place in society. Then began brainstorming ideas on how they can come together and change it. Leaders who offered opportunity for jobs to the uneducated, not just money. Do not be deceived into thinking I see welfare as a negative, I understand that welfare can mean the difference between life and death for some. Although I believe a reform should be in order but thats a different theme for a different blog. Anywhoo what I mean is the twentieth century is lacking true activism in Civil Rights politics today.
1865-1914 was a period of reform all over the United States from The Homestead Act, to the transcontinental railroad ,the Gilead Age, progressive era, and so on. At this time many factors of American life was changing but one factor remained constant, the discrimination and oppression of minorities. Now today minorities are a large portion of the impoverished in America. While the world is advancing all around them the proletariat way of thinking proliferates among them….
The enlightenment 