A) Economics - employment, wealth, etc
African Americans continue to experience disparities and disadvantage in the areas of wages, unemployment, and access to financial and/or social capital. Progress has certainly been made, which should not cloud the millions of success stories and overall progress in attaining equality. However, it is also important to pay attention to the causes of ongoing disparity and consider what types of policies, programs, or attitudes need to be changed. As Thernstrom & Thernstrom (1998) point out, the media has perpetuated a myth that the majority of African Americans live in poverty. While African Americans remain disproportionately poor versus their white counterparts, the majority of African Americans are not poor and increasing numbers are entrepreneurs or in other positions of power that enable future generations to lay the foundations for a better future.
B) Politics—power, access
Having a black president was momentous, initiating discourse on the role of race in American public life. Although the nation failed to capitalize fully on the potential that Obama’s presidency offered, younger generations finally have a sense of hope that their future includes access to the avenues of power and influence in the society.
C) Art/Culture
African Americans have driven the nation’s arts and culture, particularly as the roots of most American forms of music. The readings on Jay-Z further highlight how hip-hop has permitted black ownership of creative power in unprecedented ways.
D) The Franklin & Higginbotham text is designed to inspire wonderment and encourage readers to take action or participate somehow in the uplifting of the entire society. Chapters 22 and 23 of the book focus on progress and positive outlooks. I would question how the #blacklivesmatter movement can become a beacon of hope, as resistance and suspicion of the movement epitomizes the resistance to change and the entrenchment of racism in America.
References
Franklin, J.H. & Higgenbotham, E.B. (2011). From Slavery to Freedom. McGraw-Hill.
Thernstrom, A. & Thernstrom, S. (1998). Black progress. The Brookings Institute. Retrieved online: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/black-progress-how-far-weve-come-and-how-far-we-have-to-go/
