How did August Wilson demonstrate integrity through action and creation in his lifetime?
Structure- Define or give your perspective on Integrity: What is it?
Relate your definition to August Wilson
Provide two examples that support your definition
Do not use personal pronouns
Second Blog
What are your thoughts on Segregation?
Since our class conversation focused on the former practices of Segregation in America, August Wilson's 1957 environment, and how some neighborhoods today are dominated by one social-economic or ethnic group, attempt to explain your perceptions of American Segregation in the 1950s and today.
Create three paragraphs exploring the following:
What factors, in your mind, promoted the belief and practice of segregation during the 1950s?
How could the environment of the 1950s effect a Black woman's/ man's perception of equal opportunity?
What remains of segregation in America today? How are neighborhoods shaped? Does environment predict the future for individuals?
26 comments:
August Wilson is the definition of integrity. He shows independence from the panthers of the fifties and sixties. Not a man to fight he shows the struggle In his own way, with words. The way he writes is like a holy spirit is guiding the flow of his words, his pen speaking the truths of the struggle. He is a predecessor of Martin Luther King Junior. Peace is his name and his game. Immediately after getting his first typewriter he began a quest to search for the best rhymes to suit his career. From a renowned poet to a reveled playwright August Wilson shows integrity through his conquest of the dramatic world of the 50’s and 60’s.
Back in the 50's and 60's in the United States blacks and white were separate entities of a country. There was no separate but "equal" whites got the best of times, blacks got the worst. The KKK was gathering strength and the black panthers were coming out. The streets were racked with racial and ethnic violence. The cops and the government backed the whites, who backed the blacks? The environment shows that no black man or black woman with half an eyeball could see that there was no equal opportunity. There were segregated schools, segregated restaurants, buses, trains, housing projects, and bathrooms, even water fountains. There was no equal part to the phrase "separate but equal" there was just the separate part.
Segregation today is not as out in the open as it was back in the 50's and 60's. Blacks and whites hang out together, get married, and share restaurants, even bathrooms. Today the segregation needs to be analyzed to find the racism in it. Like how people live with and hang out with the PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. Look at the AHS lunchroom, the white kids sit together and the METCO kids sit together. They would mix together if they knew each other but they do not because there is no time. The kids from Boston come at 5 and leave at 3. There’s just no time.
In some ways environment/setting does indeed predict the future for certain individuals. Growing up in the housing projects in Harlem for instance would be a hard thing. Public school with a good education would be difficult to find, along with being surrounded by drug dealers, and gang violence. Joining in with the way things are being done would seem like a good idea. Growing up in the suburbs with money, and an education would make getting a job easier than growing up in the projects.
First blog:
Integrity is a truthful meaning of have the ability to change. Going through his own experience makes August write his creation of books. Physically going through the experience makes a whole new perspective of writing. He probably uses his characters as him and how the African Americans go through bad times. The book Fences is about racism. Through his characters, he might have talked about his experience through the characters. Not only in his books show integrity but his ability to work. August has gone through many heartbreaking experiences, and he has been on his own a lot. He has changed in a way to make him succeed and show what an African American can do.
Second blog:
During this time of “unequal”, blacks were treated like dirt. They didn’t get respect and they didn’t have the equal right than the whites. On buses, blacks had to sit in the back and whites got the front, that is not fair and they didn’t have choice. Not only buses, but everywhere wasn’t equal. It pretty hard to see that so many blacks were treated this way, it made the economy worse because all this segregation wasn’t making the world a one world. If the 1950 was a different story, then maybe the world would be different and maybe the world would be better…
Seeing that an environment can change someone, the environment during the 50’s was probably very bad and it did affect the black’s perspective of equal opportunity. If a white had all the luxury they could have and a black had barely anything, then, it shows that they weren’t equal. Whites just assumed that blacks were poor and they couldn’t deserve the same things as them. But nowadays, blacks live in normal houses/environments and they are trying to blend in. It really shows that in the 50’s it seems that the blacks weren’t even living. The world is trying its best to unify everyone.
America today still has segregation but it has changed a lot from the past. Neighborhoods are much diversified nowadays and it had grown very big, but still some neighborhoods are still very picky and there is still a lot of segregation through some people. Personally, the environment won’t predict the future for me, the world is changing so much and it has allowed many cultures to unify and change as a world. If each and every person does a job to help different cultures combine, then it the future many people would like to see more backgrounds and learn new things.
First blog
Integrity is standing up for what you believe in, standing up for what’s right. August Wilson was a man of great integrity. August wrote about what he saw to help change America and the segregation that was occurring in America at the time. One person who displays integrity was Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson had to deal with adversity in being the first African American baseball player. He paved the way for others today to play the game of baseball. Another person who displayed integrity was Willie O Ree. Willie was the first African American hockey player in the NHL. He had to struggle through adversity in a game that is still a predominately white sport. Fans did yell racist remarks at him but he still continued to play and help break the racial barrier of hockey.
Second Blog
Segregation was promoted a lot earlier in United Stated history. Segregation was legal and was called separate but equal although everyone knew that it was not equal. A lot of people were scared of change and were ignorant to the African American race. Groups like the Klu Klux Klan made it okay to treat African Americans poorly. This helped promote segregation. Also in the eyes of the United States government it was legal. America turned a blind eye on segregation for awhile and this caused segregation to continue for a long time.
Segregation can obscure people’s view points on what is fair and not fair. An African American man living in the 50s or 60s would not have the same view points at equal opportunities as white people in the 50s and 60s. They most likely felt that they were getting cheated. They could see white man living large while they barely had anything. African Americans were not viewed as equals at this time so they probably felt like they were not getting treated as equals.
Segregation still remains today in the United States. In most of the cases it is not because of a hate for one race. It is mostly because you socialize who you are comfortable with and with people who have the same experiences as you do. People want to live with people who are the same as them, its human nature. That is why there are still neighborhoods today that have predominately one race of people in them, like South Boston or the North End. People want to be with other people like them. Segregation today is more unnoticeable today because you don’t see places that say whites only or blacks only. Segregation still exists today because people choose to be with others like them.
First Blog:
Integrity is a hard word to define. However it can be agreed upon that people who demonstrate having integrity are often people who have a strong will. People of integrity have strong believes which they uphold, they fight for what they believe in, and though they may face perilous times they learn to uphold their believes through the difficult times. August Wilson is a prime example of a person that contains integrity. He was a courageous man that was not afraid to fight for what he rightfully owned. He had a strong set of believes in the equality of people for all races. As a result of what he believed in, he underwent many harsh treatments from fellow Americans. When he was just a young boy he faced many prejudices both from his neighborhood, which was predominantly white, and from his school, where he was forced to leave due to the fact that he was the only black student in the school. All these experiences helped to shape August Wilson, but instead of weakening his will, they only made them stronger. He saw the hardships which the black man had to face and that made his resolve to solve their problems even stronger. August Wilson was able to fight racism by doing something that he loved, write. Instead of simply writing about what was popular during his times, August Wilson wrote about what he was passionate about. Racism was the main topic of many of his plays, and today he is renowned for them. August Wilson is the epitome of a person possessing integrity. He had a strong set of believes which he fought for, and he allowed his life and experiences to make his stronger, not weaker.
By: Fitret Yitayew
Second Blog
The belief of segregation is simply fueled by the fact that we are all humans. It is in our nature to segregate other groups. Humans are animals that thrive upon the company of others. We create families, communities, cities and countries simply to feel that we are a part of a group. To say that we are American, or black or white or Hispanic. Every human has a mind to think with, and at some point we begin to question the world around us. Soon, the questioning turns to our own identity. We begin to wonder who we are and what our purpose is. Humans, because of their natural ability to think intelligently, at some point in their lives begin to have an identity crisis. Instead of searching within ourselves for these deep questions, or striving to create an identity for ourselves, we instead choose to find these answers in a simpler way. We compare ourselves to others. We look for distinctions that make us alike to others. When we find these distinctions and we group together and create shadows of identities for ourselves. I am black, I am white, or I am a man are all idiotic statements that say nothing about a person at all. Simply because a person shares characteristics with a certain group, does not make their identities the same as members of that group. These are the factors that fueled the segregations during the 1950’s. It was all simply because of human nature.
The environment of the 1950’s helped shape the perspectives of a colored person greatly. We are all humans and are all capable of feeling the same depth of emotions. However often times people forget these. They tend to look at a person and make ignorant assumptions about that person. In the 1950’s people of race were unable to get the same opportunities as others. They were treated unfairly in all aspects of life. They were prejudiced against in school, work, and every day life. This of course took a great toll on the minds of blacks everywhere. In addition to feeling a sense of inferiority and helplessness towards the conditions they had to undertake, blacks also had a different perspective of life than whites. They saw that no matter how hard they worked and strived for a better life, a lot of it would be in vain because the better houses, the better jobs, and the better schools would always be reserved for others, and never for them. Their perspective on equal opportunities was simply this, they would never get them unless they fought every battle and were persistent in their fight for equality.
Segregation in America is inevitable. America is a melting pot of many different races and nationalities. It is only natural that people would want to group themselves with those who they are most alike with. As a result of this prejudices arise and even if it is not as visible, it is still there. This is evident when looking at the different neighborhoods in America. Back when suburbs were beginning to form in America houses would be deliberately given to only white families. As better schools began to move to the suburbs blacks were left with the poorer and worst neighborhoods to live in. Although there are better housing opportunities in today’s times, segregation has not ended by a long shot. Neighborhoods continue to be divided by race and blacks continually get the shorter end of the stick. The environment of both blacks and whites shapes them as people greatly. A person growing up in a rich well educated neighborhood has a greater chance of continuing into college and becoming successful; whereas a person growing up in a crime ridden, poor, and uneducated neighborhood can look forward to a life of crime and violence. It is true that individuals can rise above the standards set for them, but it is also true that circumstances and environment shape a person to who they will become.
By: Fitret Yitayew
First Blog:
Integrity is what drives people to accomplish. It is what makes personality and completeness. August Wilson is a prime example of this highly strived for characteristic. Throughout his life he created heartfelt and touching plays about the relationships between black and white America. Integrity is demonstrated clearly through all of his plays. One example of integrity would be how even when his plays were about the harsh conditions that the black community was constantly put through he would hire white producers and managers, even though it would seem to be awkward.
Second Blog:
Racial separation was at its prime in the 1950’s. Ever since the civil war ended the two races still had struggles. The relationship between the two races was like that of to kids that had been in a continuous struggle, and finally when they were forced to make peace they had no intentions of being friends. For even after the war the black community was still discriminated against and deprived of the luxuries given to the white people. Thus segregation was created from the mere unwillingness of the white community to accept the black race into their daily lives.
In the 1950’s the idea of equal opportunities for the black and white race was nothing but a dream. This inspiration was overrun with the dominance of segregation. It was around the time of the 1950’s that the black community was finally standing up for itself and demanding entry to white schools and the privileges given to whites. It was then that segregation showed itself strongest. The majority of the white population opposed this initiative of blacks joining them in their lives merely because this was something new for them, and it frightened them of the idea of change.
Segregation in the present is nothing like that of the 1950’s. In order to even find a glimpse of this you must look in very uncommon places, for example a high school lunch room. Those of who are a part of the METCO program are separate from the kids that live in the town. Although, them sitting at different tables does not necessarily suggest the idea of segregation. For the kids in METCO have very limited time to make friends out of their own group. Another spot of possible segregation would be the limited or the surplus of blacks in a town. It is very rare to find a neighborhood in which it is completely divided equally.
Integrity is a valuable characteristic that shows a set of moral standards. If one holds integrity, then it is their goal to do what they feel is best not only for themselves, but for everyone around them. August Wilson’s actions are prime examples of integrity. Throughout his life as an African American, August Wilson was faced with difficult choices. Either he could feel bad for himself and give up all hope for a good life, or he could use his inner strength to overcome his obstacles and change the views of the world. Fortunately for humanity, August Wilson used his experiences and his integrity to teach the world a valuable lesson. One way in which this was done, was by living his life to the fullest. August Wilson did not let anything stop him from being successful. The second method that was used to change the world was by writing his thoughts and his feeling in many of his brilliant plays. Through all that was done by August Wilson in his life time, if there is one thing that you can say about him, it is that he possessed great amounts of integrity.
Segregation has always been an important issue throughout the world. This was especially true during the 1950’s and 1960’s in the U.S.A. The division between ethnic groups could be caused by many things. For example, the comfort zone of every person could be to blame. All people are comfortable with a certain group of people. The differences in beliefs and in skin color just give a reason for discomfort. What has been seen though does not support such a simple explanation. It is more likely that segregation is caused by a feeling of superiority. As a majority, the white people of the world felt that they had ultimate superiority over the minority ethnicities. The mistreatment and the segregation of the minority groups virtually pulls the world apart.
The environment during the 1950’s could have easily shaped how the black men and women viewed their own rights of equality. For example, with all of the opportunities that they were missing due to their ethnicity, the African-Americans should have felt deprived of their basic rights of life. From their living conditions, to the treatment that was given to them, the minorities deserved much better lives than they got.
Still in America today, segregation is an ongoing issue. In schools and in neighborhoods, the division between ethnicities is inevitable. Everywhere, it can be seen that there are clear divisions between racial groups. In some parts, neighborhoods are built around certain ethnicities. Some members of the minority groups are lucky enough to be able to get out of those neighborhoods. They are lucky because the environment around them can shape their entire lives. For example, if someone is raised in a high crime area, they would be more likely to follow what they see, and they may end up getting in trouble. A good environment would have the opposite affect. If you are raised in a respectable area with good people around you, you would be more likely to live a happy and productive life.
First Blog:
Integrity is a moral value based on honesty, respect, and trust between people. It is the moral value that shapes the society of each and every day. August Wilson is a man who shows integrity through his plays. He has brought out the truth of the world in the form of theater. Thus giving respect to those who have been harmed by the social injustice of the 50's and 60's. By representing the African American's of his days, he created a trust. By helping the community through his plays, Wilson proved himself as a man of integrity.
Second Blog:
As human beings, we accustom ourselves to certain environments. When someone different or different looking than you enters your environment, it is a weird thing. It is difficult for someone to accustom themselves to a change in their environment. Most people will stay with the people they are most comfortable with. And the only way to restore your environment is to segregate the change. The people did this in the 50's to the African Americans just because they looked a little different. This could be a reason for segregation at the time.
In the 50's, the African American's were told of the concept "Separate but equal". Basically this concept said that Black and White people should be separate but treated equally. This was not the case of the world. African Americans were treated not even close to equal to White people. Concepts like this must have changed the perception of black men or women. Being so discriminated against must have made them lose thought of opportunity. They probably thought that no white man or woman would hire them just because of the color of their skin. This is a loss of opportunity for so many African American's.
Segregation of Black people today is not as apparent. There are those who still segregate them, but very few. African Americans are equal today. Though segregation is still apparent in our world today. A good example of this would be the seating arrangement during lunch at school. Those who act or look the same sit with each other and not with anyone else. There are the "usual lunch tables". This still happens probably because of the same reasons as back in the 50's. People are comfortable with those who are similar, so you stay with them. Neighborhoods are shaped the same way, people live most comfortable in an environment similar to their personality.
1st Blog:
Integrity is the quality of being honest, truthful, respectful, and responsible. Throughout his life, August Wilson displayed this quality through not only his writing but through his decisions and actions. Wilson clearly felt very strongly against the social injustices that African Americans faced in America, and wanted to do something about it. He displayed integrity by trying to change people through literature, as opposed to violence and vengeance. He did not seek to punish America, only to change the way Americans viewed blacks by giving them a unique insight into the African American experience.
2nd Blog
Racial segregation was nothing new in the 1950’s. Racial discrimination had been occurring since the colonial era, starting with the slave trade. During that time period, slaves were treated as property, not people. Generations of white slave owners saw them as less than human. They had lived their whole lives treating blacks like that. They knew nothing else. So when slavery was abolished, they did not know what to do. They simply went about treating them as animals. This treatment continued, because nobody really put a stop to it.
In the 1950’s segregation was still going strong. As an African American in the 50’s, one would probably have grown accustomed to segregation and racism on an everyday basis. That is the type of treatment you would expect, because of your race. You probably would not have been able to get a good job. It was not equal opportunity, but if you got a job, you would be grateful for any opportunity. If you did not get a job, then there would be a very strong resentment of the injustice.
In today’s world, blacks and whites are basically equal. But there are still remnants of segregation. Blacks still tend to live with blacks, and whites with whites. This is not always the case, but often it is. Our political system is still dominated by whites, even though we have recently elected our first African American president. It is obvious that race, while no longer a huge factor, is still important. If racism was truly gone, Barrack Obama’s Inauguration would be nothing out of the ordinary. But because of his race, it is much more than just a presidential inauguration. It is viewed as a step forward for our nation.
Rudi
First Blog
Integrity is the ability for one to stand up for what they beleive in. It is the truth, and is also staying true to your morals and ideals. August Wilson displayed great integrity throughout the course of his entire lifetime. He stood up for his fellow African-Americans, and he demanded equal rights for all colors of the rainbow. He stayed true to his ideals even though he could get in big trouble for it. When he co-founded the Black Horizon Theatre, he took a huge step forward in the black community. He followed through on helping his kind, and it greatly benefited them. Also, when he wrote the book Fences, he was standing up for what he beleived in, and he tried to get the entire world to understand were he was coming from, which is integrity.
Second Blog
Segregation is a horrible thing. It gives some ethnic groups or religions a greater opportunity than others. Although it is not nearly as in effect as it was back then, it is still taking place today.
Back in the 1950's, segregation was thought to be the right thing because nobody was speaking out against it and nobody was told off or anything like that. Since then we have had people such as Marting Luther king and Barack Obama that have proven those people wrong.
Back in those days there also was not equal opportunity. Blacks grew up in slums and could not aford to go to good colleges. They were discriminated against, and treated very inhumanely. Now that America is starting to right their mistakes though, we are becoming more and more equal.
The environment that one grows up in is a large part of determining who they are, but it is not their absolute fate. If one grows up in a very poor and rough neighborhood, it will be very difficult for them to be able to do what they want in life, but it will still definetely be possible for them to acheive it.
first blog
Integrity: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty, Integrity can be characteristics an individual posses; August Wilson is one of these people. He has shown triumph through some of the darkest times of US history. His plays and writings show how hard times were for African American people. He has been able to help change peoples thoughts form that of a racists to understanding situations from different perspectives. People that hold this strong characteristic often fight for what they believe in which is exactly what Wilson did. He showed Americans that people should have equal rights and be treated the same.
blog 2
Back in the 50’s and 60’s African American people were struggling. Everything in their lives were unequal and segregated. Everyone in the US besides the African American population sided with the “white” people. People in the USA were scared to change America’s ways. Nevertheless, things did begin to change and it caused many issues that we still deal with today.
Everyone today is treated as an equal and every US citizen has the same rights. There is no segregation put in place. However, it still happens without people even realizing. People are drawn to people who have the same interests and goals not necessarily about race, religion ECT. People often just associate with who they feel comfortable around.
Growing up in Roslindale/ West Roxbury I experienced many types of people and segregations. Parts of Roslindale are majority black/ Spanish. West Roxbury is mostly white people. I went to a private school and there was some diversity but not much. outside of school I did dance and other activities and experienced different types of people. Nevertheless, I would always ask myself why groups of people of the same race religion would live together. My moms answer was always the same when I asked her they feel comfortable around each other. Which is what I honestly believe although there is no segregation laws anymore you often see people choose to live near people with the same ethnicities. People do not choose to live this way because it has to be like this but just because people feel happy and safe with those who are alike.
First Blog:
Integrity is not only having a just code of morals, but being able to follow that code in the most difficult situation's. August Wilson demonstrated his integrity and brave behavior during tense time in the 50's and 60's. After dropping out of school, August Wilson could have given up on himself.Although he decided to power though the hard times and follow his dreams. He bought a typewriter and began to write plays. This was just the beginning for August. As his plays began to gain more meaning they became more popular His plays educated many people about the suffering of the black community and that time. During a time of hate, August Wilson was able to make something of it, Augusts ability to use the right judgment in a time when so many other were using the wrong judgment demonstrates his integrity.
Second Blog:
The belief and practice of segregation goes way back to the founding of America. As Slaves began to come into American culture, whites began to believe that they were superior to not only black but anyone else who was not white. Following the Civil War, there were very high tensions between blacks and whites. Even though technically they were free, they did not have equal rights nor did the whites view the blacks as equals. These views carried on into the 1950's and where ignored until groups like the black panthers started to have more influence and racial tension grew.
Environment would have shape a black mans perception of equal opportunity in the 1950's. When a white person lives in the safe haven that is the suburbs, it is easy for them to locate a well respected school, that offers a good education and is safe. Although due to the fact that blacks were put down for so long ghettos formed. These were, and still are, very dangerous. This is because blacks were ignored for so long, no one took the time to watch over these places and clean them up. For a black man or woman were to live in one of these places, especially in the 50's, it would be next to impossible to find a school that is safe and offers an education equal to the school in the suburbs.
There is still much racism going on in the world today, only it is on much smaller personal levels, and much of it is by a combination of choice and chance. For many whites, if they happen to be sheltered in a prominently environment, then are exposed to a dangerous ghetto that is dominated by a black population, they may cross the street if they see something/someone that makes them nervous, this has to do with the fear of the unknown and doing what you are comfortable with. This can be seen in the lunch room of Arlington High School. As discussed in class, people tend to be segregated by race.Although this is by choice and chance.It is by chance that most of the kids of the same race grew up together and are now friends, although it is by choice that people choose to sit with their friends.
Blog One
Integrity is the ability to possess independent thoughts and ideas, and use them to benefit others, or promote change. August Wilson is a man who upholds much integrity. Wilson endured one of the most tragic struggles in U.S history, and did not give into hate groups around him. August displays independent thinking, as he chooses to create plays and works of literature to try and demonstrate what is happening around him, rather act out violently and irrationally. Wilson did have strict beliefs that racism was unjust, he just chose to be different. He was not a panther, or a member of one of the numerous hate groups, he was August Wilson, influenced by nobody.
Jimmy Rose
Blog Two
Although only 50 odd years ago, the United States was a very different place. Blacks were not seen as people, but parasites. They were not given the proper respect they deserved, and were also punished. Blacks had to use separate bathrooms, water fountains, and buses among other things. The scariest part of all of this is that the government allowed it all to happen, which truly shows the depth of the racism that was occurring. Simply put, white's did not feel comfortable around blacks, and they had the government to back up this ridiculous idea.
In today's world, segregation is not as blatantly obvious as it was back in the 50's. Nowadays one must search for segregation, but it is not always something so subtle. The KKK and other groups still exist, but they are much weaker. America has come a long way since the 50's, as now blacks and whites can co-exist peacefully. The hypocrisy I seem to find in this is that when a black person and a white person get in a fight, argument, etc. it is immediately inferred that the white man is racist, or at fault. We are all equal, are we not? Why is it that the white man has to always be the antagonist of the scenario. People seem to forget that racism is not limited to white people.
Environment plays a huge role in segregation. At AHS, the METCO program has very limited time to socialize with the other kids. It is hard to contemplate the amount of inconveniences they have, such as having to wake up at 5, leave right after school ends. I do not believe there is any racism at AHS, and the segregation is not fueled by hate, but rather fear. Arlington students and METCO students alike are both afraid of the unknown, and it takes a lot of integrity to brake that seemingly invulnerable barrier.
Jimmy Rose
Blog 1
Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. August Wilson shows us integrity by creating beautiful plays even though he was assaulted by thousands of racist remarks and attitudes towards him. He didn’t care the harsh words even made him a stronger person and made his plays even deeper. He possessed integrity because he didn’t hate whites for what they had done to him. He just accepted them for who they were. He wasn’t racist towards whites. That is a true sign of integrity.
Another way he possessed integrity is writing plays about how blacks should be equal even though he was mocked and harassed for it. He stould up for what was right, in this case racial and social equality. He was a man that possessed great integrity and he is an amazing person.
Blog 2
Beliefs in the 1950s about segregation were a great deal different than they were today. Whites and blacks were completely segregated. There was a great deal of tension between the whites and the blacks. The whites felt that they were the superiors and that if the blacks were allowed to be around them and intermingle with them that they will become poisoned with black ideas and black things. The reason why people felt like this is that they were conforming. They didn’t have enough confidence to say hey I’m going to go to the black restaurant or I don’t care which water fountain anybody drinks out of. They just followed what everybody else was doing because they didn’t have much integrity. A person with integrity would say hey I don’t care black or white or green or purple everyone is equal even though they could be persecuted for saying that. People thought that whites created the country so blacks should have the same rights.
Black men and women during the 1950s obviously thought that equal opportunity was a joke. They weren’t allowed to do thousands of things the whites could do. They were treated poorly and couldn’t get good jobs because the whites wouldn’t want to hire a black person. Blacks of the 1950 thought that equal opportunity was just a play by the government to make it seem like blacks were equal but in reality they were incredibly far from equal.
There is economic segregation today. Although it is not done by race most
Blacks are in the same economic situation due to the parents not being able to attend schools back when there was segregation hence not allowing them to get top jobs with well paying salaries. Environment most of the time predicts what a person will be in the future. For instance would you think if you had to guess who would be the big hedgefund ceo a preppy kid from some upscale town or an inner-city kid. 99 percent of the time it would be the preppy kid but sometimes inner-city kids get amazing jobs like that but that is rare. They don’t get the jobs because they aren’t evolved in that lifestyle. There involved in a lifestyle of poverty. Everyone around them is struggling.
By ALEX WORCESTER
BLOG #1
Why is integrity important
Integrity means being honest with yourself. Actions, beliefs, and values equal integrity. Integrity leads to high levels of self esteem and self respect! So the key components of integrity are honesty and congruency. When your actions are congruent (the same as) with your beliefs and values, then you have integrity. When they are not you lack integrity. During August Wilson’s teen years, he had moved from the Hill to a then predominately white working-class neighborhood, Hazelwood (Pittsburgh), in the late 1950s. There, they encountered racial hostility. Wilson was the only black student at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School in 1959; threats and abuse drove him away. due to racial taunts and discrimination, culminating in a professor's disbelief in his writing ability and accusation of plagiarism, he dropped out of high school at age 15Despite the fact that Wilson made such extensive use of the Carnegie Library to educate himself that they later awarded him a degree, the only such one they have awarded. Wilson, who had learned to read at age four, began reading black writers there at age 12 and spent the remainder of his teen years educating himself by reading Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, Arna Bontemps, and others. Despite the fact that Wilson is half German, he has always identified "black" because his mother "instilled [. . .] black pride and culture" into him. In a1988 interview with Bill Moyers, Wilson stated that he chose the "black route" over the "white route" because his "cultural environment" was black, and it was from this culture that he shaped his ideas about the world.
BLOG #2
Throughout world history, one race has often viewed itself as greater superior to another. The sense of superiority among others created the concept of segregation; the legal or social practice of separating people based upon their race or ethnicity. Although segregation was often perceived to occur in the South, the unjust concept was found in every section of the United States at one time or another. Segregation was a major impediment to unity throughout the country during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Even so, the separation of races led to the Civil Right’s movement. The concept of segregation was formulated because there were no more slaves after the Civil war. In addition to opening up public accommodations to African Americans and other minorities, the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 instituted the hotly debated "cutoff" of U.S.Government funds to governmental programs that practiced discrimination. Even today, fifty years after laws were passed to outlaw segregation children in school are still segregated in their own way. Today it's not because there are laws saying that we have to be segregated, it's something mentally that is keeping us apart from each other. In school cafeteria's most black and mixed kids today sit on one side of the cafeteria and the white kids sit on another side. Even in today's society there are "black neighborhoods" and "white neighborhoods". There is no one saying to stay away from each other, it's just something we do naturally. In our town we segregate each other by having our own "end" of town. The majority of white people live in the north end, the black people live in the south or west end. In our school there is a mixture of whites, blacks, Asians, and Mexicans that walk through these halls together every day as friends and classmates. There are interracial relationships in this school as well. Still, even today, some people think in a racist way that offends people. In today's ghettos, poor black families live in horrible living conditions. Most middle-class families live in suburbia. In the late 1960's most urban black people were locked into deteriorated and almost completely segregated ghettos. Public housing funds were unavailable at this time, even though people were trying to develop public housing. Still, since the 1970s, there is a growing black middle class that is competing with the white majority for jobs and other resources. Also in the 1960s racial separation was partly created by the location of schools. White school boards that made decisions could be accused of allowing this segregation because they selected sites for new schools. Housing segregation intensified when whites looked for homes in area by "good white schools." As Americans, we should realize that there are no longer laws requiring that different races should be segregated from each other. We are all equal and we should all have the same opportunities to live, work and live together in one community, instead of feeling we should all stay on different sides of town.
First blog
Integrity can also mean "to hold together", such as structural integrity. In this case, it can refer to keeping oneself. August undoubtedly went through various abuses, but he lived through them and got past it all. That seems no different than a sturdy plane surviving a storm, or a person stranded in the wilderness not going insane.
Second blog
Racism is thinner than it was. It's just stupid to hear it still exists these days. Segregation does exist in a way, but now it's more money related and based on immigration.
Back in the 50's, most blacks were poor, so the dominant whites used that as an excuse to put them in the poor neighborhoods. However, the blacks were not given much of a chance to rise in society. This along with the poverty, dampened the spirits of the people.
Obviously, America was not sharing its opportunity. Blacks could not be hired for certain jobs, and endured other cruelty. Not many could take that, and that's part of what started the Civil Rights movement. Now this time and age is completely different, and hopefully it gets better.
Blog Response 1
To have integrity is to have the ability to follow your own personal morals and sets of rules. Using his own experiences, August Wilson wrote plays that addressed inflictions on his morals and of the black population. Through his works, August Wilson showed his integrity by creating a media that people of color could to relate to. Secondly, August Wilson expressed his integrity by allowing white men and women to produce and show his plays.
Blog Response 2
During the 50’s and many decades before that blacks in America were treated as an inferior to other races. This racism was built off the basic human trait of dislike for those that are different. Throughout history, people of hated, disliked, and even feared those who looked or acted different. For these reasons, whites in the U.S separated themselves from African Americans through slavery and later segregation.
The environment of the 1950’s for blacks was horrid and dismal. They were viewed by the public as lower forms of the human race and were treated as such. Blacks received inferior education and less financial aid as their white neighbors and therefore were not able to reach their full potential. As a result, the right to equal opportunities and the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were denied to blacks.
Today African Americans still deal with the recurring problem racism. It is evident in cities across the county where still blacks live in lower-class poorly funded neighborhoods while whites enjoy luxurious houses. Until we as a people can learn to understand and appreciate each other there will always be racism
Integrity is being honest and standing by your morals. August Wilson did just that his whole life. He believed that fighting wasnt the answer and no matter how hard people attempted to push him into it he always stayed out and let his feelings out in another way, in his writing. August Wilson shows his challenges in his lifetime through his works and is very honest through it. Because he always stood by his morals and he was always honest, August is the definition of integrity.
In the 1950's people were ignorant. People believed that what a person looked like on the outside judged the whole person. Because of this ignorance people were afraid of different types of people. Segregation was only done because people were ignorant and did not want to accept that just because people were different outside they didnt have to be bad inside. Ignorance was the main reason for all the reacism in america and as time went by people became less ignorant to the fact that race doesnt matter.
A black person's environment in the 1950's could effect their perception of equal opportunity in many ways. In the 1950's an african americans perception of equal opportunity would be completely different than today;s perception of equal opportunity. in the 1950s equal opportunity would be being able to eat in the same area or drinking at the same water fountain. Today equal opportunity would be living in the same neighborhood, equal jobs, and equal education opportunity. Segregation and racism effected the perception greatly. Because people practiced these believes equal opportunity had to be slimmed down and had a different perception than today.
Segregation still remains today. It remains in education, living conditions, and even in job opportunity. People who are put in bad neighborhoods normally grow up to be a product of that neighborhood, which means that they normally dont go far in life. neighborhoods are shaped so people are grouped with their own kind normally in life. Because of this, people segregated from normal life to us are forced to pass up opportunities to better themselves.
Blog 1:
Integrity comprises perceived consistency of actions, values, methods, measures and principles. A value system's abstraction depth and range of applicable interaction are also significant factors in determining integrity due to their congruence with empirical observation. A value system may evolve over time while retaining integrity if those who espouse the values account for and resolve inconsistencies.
Between a man's choice in integrity and wealth, Wilson shows how the human race will take the two as callatoral. During the time of when Wilson was a child, the choice of integrity versus wealth was very hard to choose because the options for African-Americans were very limited. To some, if integrity was traded for wealth, than that person would be considered a traitor, yet to some, it was the only way to provide for their families.
August Wilson, an African-American playwright, is a finite definition of integrity. Although August was born in a time period chock full of segregation and racism, he never let racial slurs define who he was and who he wanted to be. Oftn in the 50's and 60's, the people that were being abused because of race fought back hostily. But instead of using violence to defend himself, he took out his rage and anger through his writing. Integrity can be portrayed in many different ways, but most realize it as adhering to a code of moral values and sticking up for what you believe in.
Segregation has and will always be a very touchy subject to some people. It is derived from a human evil that all of us have, but few display it publicly. Racism in the fifties and sixties was created by the differences in skin color. First impressions can do a lot, so when somebody is different than another, it can cause harmful discrimination.
Rasicm and segregation can forever tharnish a persons opinion about themselves and the people around them. Back then there was a saying that blacks and whites were'seperate, but equal' or first above equals'. Now we know for a fact that this is not true and caucasions were well favored above African Americans which if totally wrong.
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