My African-American Dream

At 21 year old, I identify as a Black African-American female in the lower income tier of Gainesville Florida. Due to my beliefs in a divine God and Jesus Christ, I am a Christian. All my life, I have been told by many to be proud of the skin that I was in because my ancestors and people like us were brave and courageous people who fought for what we as Black African Americans have now such as freedom. To understand how deep my lesson of wearing my skin proud, I have to make it known that I am Haitian, and as a little girl, I knew of Haiti’s history, of my ancestors’ fight for freedom, of the pride I should take in knowing that such people were part of our past. Than coming to the U.S, it was a different set of people that fought for freedom,

Women weren’t allowed to go to school, but now, here I am, in my senior year of college, about to get a bachelor’s degree. Every now and then, I would hear a comment from a man such as “Women belong in the kitchen” and I would be reminded that not so long ago, many of the things I do now, I wouldn’t have been able to do them. Society wasn’t so kind to Women in general, let alone a Black African American woman. Due to my status as a college student and not going working full time, I fall in the lower income category. As a college student, many would applaud that I work while going to school Full time. As the mother of an infant however, it is frown upon as people assume you to be relying on the government help and therefore taking advantage of the tax-payers dollars. Still, I am encourage to not only work but to keep going to school and that is a big change from the “mothers needs to stay at home and take care of their children mentality that was popular back in the days”. Also, in today’s society, I am less likely to be refused service or help due to my economic

For example the civil rights movement and the many gender equality movements. I now benefit from the less racial segregation, less discrimination due to low income and more gender equality of today’s society. However, currently speaking, if I was a Caucasian woman in the higher income tier, I feel that things would come a little easier to me such as opportunities in different fields, or in the job force; while I would still encounter some blockage because of my gender, I would however not have to deal with the many violence that still occur to African Americans today. The struggles are not as harsh and it has gotten a whole lot easier to be an African American woman even being of low income; however certain things still does not come as easy as it does to others of certain gender, race and socioeconomic status. In conclusion, the history that comes with both being black and a female is very well known and while there has being numerous progress, through everyday interactions and obstacles, I can sometimes feel the way of the