(ThyBlackMan.com) The American Dream can be considered a beautiful concept, and a cornerstone ideal for Americans. It is the idea that people are created equal, have the right to liberty, the right to pursue happiness, and none of these things should be withheld due to where one started. This concept is one that implies that anyone that is willing to work hard can raise there standard of living. The American Dream is a rags to riches opportunity has made many want to come to America. The ideal of the dream is different than of many other countries, and there are those that would risk all they have to get to America in search of The Dream.
There are many examples of different groups of people coming to America and obtaining their ideal of the American Dream. However, for African-Americans this Dream is a bit different. All people in this country have faced adversity in their quest to obtain the American Dream, however the adversity for African-Americans is woven into the fabric of the nation itself. That leads one to wonder, outside of financial gain, can African-Americans truly obtain the American Dream? Or are we to always, as Malcolm X would put, have some relationship to the American Nightmare?
To get a handle on what can be achieved one has to take an honest look at the limitations that are present. Financial gain, though in the hands of a few, is something we can agree upon in terms of what might be achievable. However, there is more to The American Dream than money. We must look at the rights of a citizen, what is deemed as humanity…and how that is levied towards African-Americans. It’s are to make a dream a reality when one is still fighting for the basic right of being seen as a human being. For those that feel this might be a moot point, consider the police brutality cases as of recent that ended in the death of African-Americans. We aren’t speaking of prejudice…but cold blooded racism at it’s worst; Unfortunately these encounters are not new, but have been ongoing since arriving here. This can be difficult to understand if you’ve never been deemed less than human on race alone.
The American Dream, in it’s totality, should be a realistic goal for any American that is willing to work heard to earn it. We’ve been shown too many times that no amount of education or financial success can protect us from the provocation that comes with being African-American. The problem with this ideal is, African-Americans have blatant proof that no matter how hard they work there is a glass ceiling that separates them from the fullness of the American Dream. Regardless of what other groups would say, as the African-American experience makes some uncomfortable and defensive, there are entirely too many receipts…too much proof that speaks to a particular uphill battle that the descendants of the enslaved in this country face. One must frame the situation in these terms since the battle between the ideal of The American Dream and African-Americans can be traced back to enslavement. Why keep bringing up the past you ask, because there are remnants of that time that we still endure…and it is at the heart of the question of whether we would ever have access to The American Dream in all of it’s fullness.
I want to say if we as a people continue to work hard, fortify education, build up our community, and strive for excellence we can most certainly obtain the American Dream. However, too many African-Americans know this to be a false statement. It’s the “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” that is the issue. Too many of us know that on any given day we can become targets for no reason other than that we exist. Too many of us know that we won’t get fair treatment in too many employment situations. Too many of know of the racism that one can face in trying to buy or sell a home. Too many of use have faced blatant racism in the halls of higher education. The anxiety that too many African-Americans succumb to at the very site of law enforcement is arresting in itself. That’s just one example that one can tangibly imagine. All of this can lead one to feel that we are still fighting for the totality of The American Dream.
As a people maybe we should consider redefining what The American Dream means to us. In doing this we can create realistic ideals, while continuing to fight for the equality we seek. Taking this approach might help our mental perspective as well. We would be defining a dream that includes us, and that is a very positive endeavor. We all have the right to define happiness. If African-Americans decide what The American Dream is for them…they aren’t bound by the version that was never meant to include them. In this space The American Dream would be something to strive for…as it would finally be fully obtainable.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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