Gladwell touches on outlier groups including star athletes, remarkable business tycoons, and ethnic groups. Gladwell conveys to readers that success is more complex than one may think, it is dependent upon a variety of factors most people tend to overlooks.
In conclusion, throughout Boyle’s book we get a glimpse of how the Reconstruction Era was a failure through the story of Ossian Sweet. Sweet worked diligently his entire life to get where he was, and he was on a path for quite a successful life. Unfortunately, the time period of the Reconstruction Era was catered towards white individuals and not people of color. Therefore, no matter how successful one is, the color of their skin will always cement them as the subordinate race, and we saw this with Ossian. Even though he won the case, his success didn’t matter anymore.
The two stories illustrate that African-Americans are not given an equal chance in terms of gaining opportunities for a successful life. However, it may be possible that one key factor among all can develop a whole problematic image on success and why White Americans think of the African-American society as to not having the capability for a chance towards success. At the time, the economy could have been at a huge disadvantage for the African-Americans because majority of them did not have the chance to rise up from it in terms of creating revenue for themselves. The whole world around them built this image and it is hard to come out of when no one can give opportunities for them to improve and grow. Harlon L. Dalton expresses how unfair the
“Behind every success, large or small, there is a story, and it isn't always told by sex or skin color” (page 2, par. 15), Fortgang, T (2014). Some people base their success on their racial background. “Checking My Privilege” by Tal Fotrtgang was written in an effort to voice his opinion on this matter. In his essay, Tal Fortgang says, “I actually went and checked the origins of my privileged existence, to empathize with those whose underdog stories I can’t possibly comprehend. I have unearthed some examples of the privilege with which my family was blessed, and now I think I better understand those who assure me that skin color allowed my family and I to flourish today”
He comments on how people of color are more likely to be victims of foreclosure; many companies offer loans at very high risks rates and typically target the minority group. Second argument that Hyghey makes is the inequality in Education that many African Americans receive in both private and public schools. Today the number of Latinos and Blacks earning a college degree has increased dramatically “between 2000 and 2010 forty-eight percent more blacks held at least a bachelor’s degree”(U.S) , unfortunately society has created many obstacles that has stopped the African American community to continue their education. The inequality that many of this students revived has prevented them from learning and integrated with white community “stark differences in the resources and quality of predominantly White and non-Whites school still exit”(p), students who graduated from a prestige school and come from a middle class family are more likely than other racial groups to go on to college . Other argument mention in the essay argues that dominate African American community is being effected thru the mass media, stereotyping in television, and movies against the black community has increased
In this era of colorblindness, it is not acceptable to talk about race nor class. Conversations about class, Alexander argues, tend not to be talked about because one tends to see class as a reflection of one’s character. With that, the premise of American ideology is the idea that if one can work hard enough it is guaranteed that one will make it—AKA meritocracy. Hence, when one does not have the “proper discipline” nor “drive” to move from the lower to upper class—it is a reflection of one’s moral character. Alexander maintains that what is missed in this debate is that Blacks are not free to move up at all; yes they also do not have the same opportunities and are plagued by poverty, but they are prevented by institutions to move up.
Throughout Stephen Steinberg’s book the Ethnic Myth, multiple examples of how different ethnicities achieved economic ability and how others did not is discussed. He analysis a variety of different immigrant groups and how more than their cultural values played into whether or not they were successful in America. The following information in this paper will provide an example using black Americans as part of the “culture-of-poverty”. “The wronged are always wrong…” (New Republic, June 24, 1916) is the opening statement to chapter four and is associated with why the Negro is blamed for their own misfortune.
" Even being the most educated person graduating in his time, this black young man would be beaten out of any possible job by any white man who wanted it. The discouragement brought from the little to no economic freedom blacks had compared to whites must have been nauseating to the black people looking for
If the blacks became good and hard workers who knew the ways of the middle class, the whites would want to treat them equally and will start gradually treating them with equality on their own. Both men saw their different methods as the correct method, and sometimes attacked the other
Due to traditional norms and gender roles, Baker's sisters were not given the same opportunity to attend college as his brother. Baker's African American friends also faced systematic bias and discrimination that made it hard for them to go to college or move up in their jobs. These stories show that not every person has the same obstacles to realizing the American Dream and that systemic hurdles to opportunity and social mobility still remain in American
In which we had to think carefully and cohesively about the characters and their backgrounds. Although Harper Lee proves the point that social prejudice was a highly regarded prejudice. Harper Lees’ novel helps us to become more aware of prejudicial situations that occurred in the
One of the kids Scout, learns a valuable lesson from his actions. A lesson to be learned from this novel is to do not judge anybody from their looks or social status. Social status was not mentioned much is this novel but, still do not do it. Do not think that just because somebody has different colored skin, that they are harmful or worthless.
In both story I have found a connection between how race has a direct effect on their identity. Starting off with “How it Feels to be Colored Me” by Zora Neale hurston like when she was comparing herself to "a brown bag" filled with all kinds of random things, and by comparing other people of various races to other bags similarly filled with different stuff, Hurston is basically saying that it really doesn 't matter what color we are on the outside--we 're all filled with basically the same things (the same thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc.) and that this essential similarity that transcends race is probably how we were made to be by God ("the Great Bag stuffer "). Basically, then, Hurston is saying that even though her own experiences
Social inequality is overlooked by many. It affects so many of us, though we have yet to realize how extreme it is. Lee argues in this novel how much stress social inequalities put on the black and white races throughout the 1930s. Although, social inequalities did not just affect different races, it also affected poor people and family backgrounds. These are proven in the novel multiple times through Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the Cunninghams when the book is looked at more in
(Lee 269). This shows conflict between classes because white people are giving black people a hard time. Black people were perceived as the lowest class and throughout the story people would treat them as if they were dirt. Being in the lowest class, they would have to do all of the terrible work. They never had a chance to get a good job and be successful because of the white people.
