Over the course of many years, African Americans have influenced communities in many ways. African Americans have been used as slaves and segregated. After overcoming these struggles, they later were granted freedoms and rights. Many African American individuals have overcome these hard times and worked hard to achieve their dreams. Misty Copeland, Patricia Bath, and Madam C.J. Walker are courageous African-American women who have overcome racial stereotypes because of their determination to pursue what they love; Misty Copeland’s determination led her to pursue dance, and Patricia Bath and Madam C.J. Walker were strong, African American entrepreneurs. African Americans may use many things to express their culture. Women often style their hair in various ways. Some of these …show more content…
Some include Hiram Revels, the first African American to serve in the United States Senate, Loretta Lynch, the first African American female attorney general, and Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States. Misty Copeland is an example of an African American who has not let a stereotype steer them from their aspirations. Misty Copeland was born on September 10, 1982, in Kansas City Missouri. At age 13, Copeland began her ballet studies. Her dance instructor embraced her ethnicity. “[My dance instructor] Cindy believed that ballet was richer when it embraced diverse shapes and cultures. There would be times in my career when I would struggle to remember that, but I would eventually come back to that conviction, that the stage on which I performed was brighter for having me, even if some in the audience or dancing beside didn 't always agree” (“Misty Copeland