Understanding of How African Americans Have Prospered

Throughout the history of the United States, many ethnic groups, as well as women, were denied the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, although in the Declaration of Independence, it states that “All men are created equal”. One specific group that was denied their rights as human beings were African Americans. Although the Declaration of Independence also applied to African Americans, they were dealt with in an ill manner.

One of the ways that the freedom and liberty of African Americans were limited was through the Jim Crow laws. The term “Jim Crow” comes from an 1828 “Jump Jim Crow” song and dance done by a white man Thomas Dartmouth, who wore black makeup to appear to be African American. This theatrical performance poked fun at African Americans by depicting them as uneducated animals. The Jim Crow laws were used to segregate African Americans and other minorities from Caucasians legally in a “separate but equal manner”, according to the rulings after the Plessy vs. Fergusson court case, although it was anything but equal. The Jim Crow laws separated these ethnicities in schools, restaurants, public transportation, and virtually any other public area. Of course the African Americans received an inferior version of the places that were “White only”. African Americans were also enslaved under their will. African Americans were forced to work in places that required hard labor such as plantations and were often tormented for no apparent reason by their “master”. They were also sold as property. They also were not aloud to learn how to read or get an education because the whites’ feared rebellion if the African Americans gained too much knowledge.

The most influential person that helped African Americans achieve life, liberty and happiness was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He accomplished equality for African Americans without using violent actions. He was a wonderful public speaker that convinced millions of African Americans and abolitionists to fight for equality with words and not violence. He led protest marches that were often broken up by the police with high pressure hoses and tear gas, although this never stopped him from marching thousands of people the next day. Martin Luther King Jr. is known internationally for his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. This speech talked about a world where all races could live in peace and harmony. Over 200,000 civil rights supporters gathered to hear him speak. The efforts of the Black Panthers also helped African Americans reach freedom. The Black Panther Party was an African American group developed in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton that encouraged blacks to fight for civil rights and defend themselves against racial cruelty with violence only if attacked first. To clear things up, they were not a group set on violence, they were the complete opposite. They often protested for a ban on weapons. The Black Panthers started a movement that spread all over the United States.

African Americans for the most part have achieved equality today, although they are still ostracized in certain areas. African Americans still have a harder time getting a job in the United States, yet they also have gained many advantages. There are many historically black colleges that offer grants and scholarships that pay for most of tuition. African Americans are also credited for many inventions such as guided missiles, IBM computers, and the pacemaker. African Americans can now take part in government and it is possible that we might have the first African American president of the United States. There are still racist groups such as the KKK that still view African Americans as inferior yet they do not have as much power as they used to. In my opinion, African Americans have gained life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the United States.