The Idea of Progress : African Americans

MYTHS AND HEROES

The notion I am going to present is myths and heroes. First of all, says of a myth, a distorted or idealized representation of something or someone which incarnates a universal aspect of the human condition and which is forged in the collective consciousness. A hero can be define as a famous person thanks to her acts. People can identify their selves to the hero which carries values and is a model.

Let's take the example of African Americans to talk about the notion "Myths and Heroes".

How do myth and heroes affect our lives? And how did they evolve in the time?

We will see in a first part, what are the different types of heroes and afterwards we will concentrate on the ordinary heroes.

In the world of super heroes, African Americans characters have been under-represented over the years. Comics often reflect the countries they were created in. The major comics companies like Marvel and DC work to create a diversity in their characters. Black Panther was created in 1966 by Marvel Comics, the first black superhero recognized for his courage, his strength and his engagement. This hero is a symbol of the fight for the racial equality. From there, the number of black heroes multiplies: The Falcon, Strom (the first black female superhero) …

Some historical figures have put their mark on their time and achieved outstanding deeds despite the cultural, social or political context. Martin Luther King known as the most important activist in the fight for blacks' rights, had the same principles of non-violence movements as Gandhi. MLK is a hero because he fought for his convictions. In the end he gave his life for the fight. He is also a hero because thanks to his actions the world was able to become a better place and he has trained the crowd to fight alongside him. His actions have taken root in the collective memory and have been transformed into myth for those who do not remember it directly.

Sadako give a new definition of a hero: "Its now used to describe any person who does something unusual. He can be an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure spite of overwhelming obstacles. By definition a hero is an everyday person who acts beyond her duty to help others often sacrificing herself in the process". Indeed, in the actual society, the ancient and fictive superheroes disappear for the benefits of new ones, more ordinary, maybe more accessible and more real for sure. When we ask a little boy about what he want to do when he will be older, the current answer is fireman or policeman. These people are nowadays considered as heroes without cape nor powers giving their help to people in difficulties.

Oprah Winfrey is also considered as a hero because she became one of the most influential people in United States and has touched people worldwide thanks to her TV role and being the first black journalist in the south of the country broadcasted into 144 countries.

To conclude, we can be said society needs heroes to

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