Black Social Movements Essay Example for Free

Black Social Movements EssayThe political and social structure of the United States can be difficult to comprehend. How does whiz rationalize that in 1776, the States decl ared its independence from England by stating, in part that We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, yet, in 1818, in the very same country, Frederick Douglass is born a striver? (Jefferson, 2004 p. 612 Library). It appears that under certain circumstances, it is not self-evident that the Right to Liberty is unalienable.Fortunately, America has progressed, and while it would be difficult to support the position that Blacks have arrived at a point of complete equity with Whites, it is safe to say that giant strides have been made, but these strides have required action in the form of organized social movements. Blumer (1939) stated that socia l movements can be viewed as collective enterprises to establish a new order of life. They have their inception in the condition of unrest, and recoup their motive power on one hand from dissatis faction with the current form of life, and on the other hand, from wishes and hopes for a new scheme or system of alert (p.199). This analysis captures the fuddleding and significance of todays Black social movements that while the Black community now enjoys an increase equality and level of immunity when compared with what it was allowed in the recent past, there remains significant ground to be covered before true parity can be reached. The awareness of this deficiency indoors the Black community has created both unrest and dissatisfaction, but past successes in the fight for social equality have nurtured a desire for even off more change.One of the most influential areas of modern, American society is the mediaspecifically televisionand it is here that an important social movement can be traced the increased inclusion of Blacks on T. V. During the 1950s, shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, and Dick Clarks American Bandstand all premiered (List of years in television). Each of these shows featured characters and storylines that dealt with an America that was portrayed as White.Moving into the 1960s, a time of great advances in the Nations struggle for racial equality, the television fare featured the premier of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Green Acres, and the original Star Trek (List of years in television). This decades entertainment also featured a predominantly White world-view however, Star Treks promise to go where no man has gone before was as much a volition to the people, issues, and possibilities that were at the forefront of social improvement as it was a reference to space travel (Star Trek The Original Series).To the credit of Star Treks creator, Gene Roddenberry, his multi-racial, multi-gender crew, included Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhu ra, a stunning, articulate, high-ranking, black woman whose role it was to keep lines of communication open. This was a step in the right counsel for Blacks as it allowed White America to absorb a new concept Blacks are intelligent, responsible, and worthy of authority they do not exist merely to dust, gain tables, and act as the butt of jokes.Currently, the face of television has become far more diverse, and there are net snips such as BET (Black Entertainment Television) that allow to and feature Blacks. It is my belief that the change that has taken place in television media over the last half-century can be attributed to the increased awareness of those who once had touch on control of the medium (Whites), coupled with the increase in buying power of Blacks, and the desire on the part of Blacks to assume command of part of television (e. g. BET).The fact that Blacks desire greater settleation and control within television media is part of the ongoing, modern social movement towards equality that the Black community embraces. What does this all mean? Primarily, it means that social changes come about slowly, pushed by two forces natural social change, and active social movements. It was natural that at some point soulfulness would include a character like Lieutenant Uhura in a series, but along with this natural progression, more action was needed.There was only one Uhura on television, but there were thousands of Black women like her out in the world. This is why networks such as BET are so important they represent an active social movement in the Black community an insistence that part of the focus, part of the power, and part of the control be in the hands of Blacks. It whitethorn be true that our Nations Declaration of Independence seemed to say one thing but represent another however, Frederick Douglass survived the mixed message and went on to contribute significantly to American history and ideals.Todays Blacks are aware of a truth Douglass und erstood that to make strides, one must work within the framework of the majority, while never doubting the singular strength of an individuals effect on a nation. Without the early encouragement of his insures wife, Douglass may not have been introduced to the desire to learn, but that desire led Douglass to greater pursuits (Douglass, 2004, pp. 62-65).The Black community is now represented in local, state, and federal government a sign that the community is working individually (i. e. running and voting), and within the framework of the majority (i. e. the established government and its rules) to improve its position within the United States of America. Schools are filled with a variety of ethnicities, both in front of the classroom and seated within it, and Blacks are embracing the need to make themselves to ensure better jobs, financial success, and future opportunities.Essentially, the focus of todays Black social movements can be viewed as those actions that fall within the consideration of the majoritys framework and are designed to allow members of the Black community greater parity within this frameowrk. At the same time, these actions are existence encouraged and supported on an individual by individual basis, so that the overall strength of each person can be added to the collective, and both office benefit from natural social change as well as active social movements. References Blumer, H. (1939).Collective behavior. In R. E. Park (Ed. ), An outline f the principles of Sociology. (pp. 199). bracing York, NY Barnes and Noble. Douglass, F. (2004). Learning to read and write. In Comley, N. , Hamilto, D. , Klaus, C. H. , Scholes, R. , Sommers, N. (Eds. ), Fields of reading motives for writing. (pp. 62-66). Boston, Mass. Bedford. Jefferson, T. (2004). The Declaration of Independence. In Comley, N. , Hamilto, D. , Klaus, C. H. , Scholes, R. , Sommers, N. (Eds. ), Fields of reading motives for writing. (pp. 612-615). Boston, Mass. Bedford. Librar y of Congress, The. The Frederick Douglass papers. Timeline. Retrieved kinsfolk 12, 2006, from http//rs6. loc. gov/ammem/doughtml/timeline. html. List of years in television. (2006, September 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 12, 2006, from http//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 http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ Star_Trek_The_Original_Series.