The political and societal construction of the United States can be hard to grok. How does one rationalize that in 1776. America declared its independency from England by saying. in portion that “We keep these truths to be axiomatic. that all work forces are created equal. that they are endowed by their Godhead with certain inalienable Rights. that among these are Life. Liberty. and the chase of Happiness. ” yet. in 1818. in the really same state. Frederick Douglass is born a slave? ( Jefferson. 2004 p. 612 ; Library ) . It appears that under certain fortunes. it is non axiomatic that the Right to Liberty is inalienable.
Fortunately. America has progressed. and while it would be hard to back up the place that Blacks have arrived at a point of complete equity with Whites. it is safe to state that elephantine paces have been made. but these paces have required action in the signifier of organized societal motions. Blumer ( 1939 ) stated that “social motions can be viewed as corporate endeavors to set up a new order of life. They have their origin in the status of agitation. and derive their motor power on one manus from dissatisfaction with the current signifier of life. and on the other manus. from wants and hopes for a new strategy or system of living” ( P.
199 ) . This analysis captures the significance and significance of today’s Black societal motions: that while the Black community now enjoys an increased equality and degree of privilege when compared with what it was allowed in the recent yesteryear. there remains important land to be covered before true para can be reached. The consciousness of this demand within the Black community has created both unrest and dissatisfaction. but past successes in the battle for societal equality have nurtured a desire for even more alteration.
One of the most influential countries of modern. American society is the media—specifically television—and it is here that an of import societal motion can be traced: the increased inclusion of Blacks on T. V. During the 1950’s. shows like I Love Lucy. The Honeymooners. and Dick Clark’s American Bandstand wholly premiered ( List of old ages in telecasting ) . Each of these shows featured characters and plot lines that dealt with an America that was portrayed as White.
Traveling into the 1960’s. a clip of great progresss in the Nation’s battle for racial equality. the telecasting menu featured the Prime Minister of The Dick Van Dyke Show. Green Acres. and the original Star Trek ( List of old ages in telecasting ) . This decade’s amusement besides featured a preponderantly White world-view ; nevertheless. Star Trek’s promise “to go where no adult male has gone before” was every bit much a testament to the people. issues. and possibilities that were at the head of societal betterment as it was a mention to infinite travel ( Star Trek: The Original Series ) .
To the recognition of Star Trek’s Godhead. Gene Roddenberry. his multi-racial. multi-gender crew. included Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura. a arresting. articulate. high-ranking. black adult female whose function it was to maintain lines of communicating unfastened. This was a measure in the right way for Blacks as it allowed White America to absorb a new construct: Blacks are intelligent. responsible. and worthy of authorization ; they do non be simply to dust. clear tabular arraies. and act as the butt of gags.
Presently. the face of telecasting has become far more diverse. and there are webs such as BET ( Black Entertainment Television ) that cater to and characteristic Blacks. It is my belief that the alteration that has taken topographic point in telecasting media over the last half-century can be attributed to the increased consciousness of those who one time had exclusive control of the medium ( Whites ) . coupled with the addition in purchasing power of Blacks. and the desire on the portion of Blacks to presume bid of portion of telecasting ( e. g. BET ) .
The fact that Blacks desire greater representation and control within telecasting media is portion of the ongoing. modern societal motion towards equality that the Black community embraces. What does this all mean? Chiefly. it means that societal alterations come about easy. pushed by two forces: natural societal alteration. and active societal motions. It was natural that at some point person would include a character like Lieutenant Uhura in a series. but along with this natural patterned advance. more action was needed.
There was merely one Uhura on telecasting. but there were 1000s of Black adult females like her out in the universe. This is why webs such as BET are so of import: they represent an active societal motion in the Black community ; an insisting that portion of the focal point. portion of the power. and portion of the control be in the custodies of Blacks. It may be true that our Nation’s Declaration of Independence seemed to state one thing but represent another ; nevertheless. Frederick Douglass survived the assorted message and went on to lend significantly to American history and ideals.
Today’s Blacks are cognizant of a truth Douglass understood: that to do paces. one must work within the model of the bulk. while ne’er doubting the remarkable strength of an individual’s consequence on a state. Without the early encouragement of his Master’s married woman. Douglass may non hold been introduced to the desire to larn. but that desire led Douglass to greater chases ( Douglass. 2004. pp. 62-65 ) .
The Black community is now represented in local. province. and federal authorities: a mark that the community is working separately ( i. e. running and voting ) . and within the model of the bulk ( i. e. the constituted authorities and its regulations ) to better its place within the United States of America. Schools are filled with a assortment of ethnicities. both in forepart of the schoolroom and seated within it. and Blacks are encompassing the demand to educate themselves to guarantee better occupations. fiscal success. and future chances.
Basically. the focal point of today’s Black societal motions can be viewed as those actions that fall within the context of the majority’s model and are designed to let members of the Black community greater para within this frameowrk. At the same clip. these actions are being encouraged and supported on an person by single footing. so that the overall strength of each individual can be added to the collective. and both might profit from natural societal alteration every bit good as active societal motions. Mentions Blumer. H. ( 1939 ) .
Corporate behaviour. In R. E. Park ( Ed. ) . An outline degree Fahrenheit the rules of Sociology. ( pp. 199 ) . New York. New york: Barnes and Noble. Douglass. F. ( 2004 ) . Learning to read and compose. In Comley. N. . Hamilto. D. . Klaus. C. H. . Scholes. R. . & A ; Sommers. N. ( Eds. ) . William claude dukenfields of reading: motivations for composing. ( pp. 62-66 ) . Boston. Mass. : Bedford. Jefferson. T. ( 2004 ) . The Declaration of Independence. In Comley. N. . Hamilto. D. . Klaus. C. H. . Scholes. R. . & A ; Sommers. N. ( Eds. ) . William claude dukenfields of reading: motivations for composing. ( pp. 612-615 ) . Boston. Mass.
: Bedford. Library of Congress. The. The Frederick Douglass documents. Timeline. Retrieved September 12. 2006. from hypertext transfer protocol: //rs6. loc. gov/ammem/doughtml/timeline. hypertext markup language. List of old ages in telecasting. ( 2006. September 11 ) . In Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 12. 2006. from hypertext transfer protocol: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ List_of_years_in_television. Star Trek: The Original Series. ( 2006. September 11 ) . In Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 12. 2006. from hypertext transfer protocol: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ Star_Trek: _The_Original_Series.
