Compare The Challenges In America During The Late 20th And Early 21st Century

Challenges During the Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries in America

America faced many hardships throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning” she details the struggles that we have faced as well as ones we have created such as racial and cultural division. She states, “You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought, Sold, Stolen, Arriving on the nightmare Praying for a dream.” Angelou describes the mistreatment of these ethnic groups and tribes, and how they hope to live a better life where they are treated equally. Angelou suggests that they can find this here in America but reminds us that we must accept each other so everyone can achieve a fair and peaceful life. We cannot be at war with each other, we are all the same, we are human. Angelou says “So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew The African, the Native American, The Sioux, The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the

Blanco says, “Our ground, rooting us to every stalk of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands digging trenches, routing pipes and cables …”. This quote shows us some of the many things that blue-collar workers have provided for us. America relies on a number of things that the working class has brought to us like plumbing and electricity. However, as we entered into the 21st century new technology and the formation of the internet led to a decline in the need for blue collar workers as well as a decrease in their pay grade. This brought a multitude of hardships to these workers and their families. Blanco uses his poem to remind us of their work that has gotten us so far in life. He states, “Thank the work of our hands: …”. His poem calls for America to acknowledge and appreciate the working class and all they do for