Comment les Afro-Américains obtiennent-ils leur reconnaissance? (document en anglais)

At the beginning of the year we have study the theme places and forms of Power and most particularly the recognition of African Americans. Power means the ability or official capacity to exercise control, authority.

How African Americans have achieves recognition?

First I will see the struggle of white people to maintain power; then the struggle of African Americans to conquer power and finally the continuity of the fight for recognition.

From the beginning of the XVII century to today century whites people beats to maintain power. We call this “white supremacy”. It represents the belief that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds and that therefore whites should politically dominate non-whites. These beliefs contrast with the principles expressed in the country’s founding documents like the declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) which says that “All men are created equal. For decades racism and white supremacy has been common attitudes. White supremacists did not believe blacks should have any rights. For example, in some parts of the United States, many people who were considered non-whites were disenfranchised, barred from government office and preventing from holding most government jobs. This attitude began to change after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Union troops started to fight for the abolishment slavery; many felt that blacks deserved equal rights and equal protection, even if they were not considered socially equal. This event is the beginning of the struggle of African Americans to conquer power.

This struggle could be violent or non-violent and took different forms: in literature, music or visual art. There were a lot of deeds from African Americans but the most significant and famous for me is the story of Rosa Parks. She was an African American civil rights activist. She is famous because she refused to give up her seat to a white man in 1955 because she was exhausted of the treatment that she and other African Americans received every day of their lives. Rosa was arrested and convicted of violating the laws of segregation. At the same time, local civil rights activist initiated a boycott of the Montgomery bus system until Rosa Parks was free. To complete I can also quote the speech “I have a dream” of Martin Luther King another African American civil rights activist, delivered in 1963 during the March on Washington. In this speech he called from an end of the racism in the United States. Conquequently to this several events the condition of the African Americans has advanced even if today the recognition isn’t total.

Indeed, the fight for recognition still continues. Although there is some African Americans in politics as Barack Obama and Colin Powell and that, in 2010, over 80% of African Americans at least have an high school diploma it stays some problems and inequalities. For example, of the one hundred senators, only one is African American in 2010 and while almost 25% of whites graduated from college today, this is true for only 13% of blacks. Quotas of blacks people increased these numbersbut imbalances persist.

To conclude, the history of African Americans had been long and difficult. After the struggle of white people they had to fight to conquer power, but this fight isn’t finished.

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