Johnson

What evidence does LBJ offer as proof of the widening economic gap between black and white Americans? How does he explain this gap?

During his speech at Howard University in 1965, Lyndon Johnson expressed his desire for equal outcome policies directed at African Americans. He made clear in this speech that in order for America to be all that it claimed to be, it was “not enough to open the gates of opportunity; all our citizens must have the ability to walk through those gates.”

Throughout his speech, Johnson made multiple references to the struggles of the Negro community in America, primarily economic ones. He observed that there was a widening gap between black and white Americans and gave multiple pieces of evidence as well. He mentioned the rapidly growing unemployment rate for black men, the drastic difference of a black man’s income in relation to a white man’s income (African American families typically made only 53% of an average white American family), and the growing poverty of the African Americans.

Johnson gave two reasons as to why this was. The first was that Negroes were trapped in gateless poverty. They were essentially born poor in a society that was largely apathetic about their struggles. They were in no way able to acquire the necessary skills needed to have a decently paying job. Through no fault of their own, the black community was shut out of the rest of society by a towering, indestructible wall with no way of getting past. The second reason Johnson gave dealt with the past of the black community. It was because of “the devastating heritage of long years of slavery; and a century of oppression, hatred, and injustice.”

The cartoon illustrates his sentiments in that in the beginning, the white child used the black child, held down by shackles, to get to where he wanted to go with no concern for his companion’s well being. No matter what the black child did, said, or felt, the white child continued to climb up to the top of where he wanted to get to. By the time the black child was finally able to stand, the white child was up at the top, apologizing for his earlier actions, saying that he now knows better. But when the black child asks for help, the white child refuses, stating he got there on his own, not even acknowledging the help of the black child. The first three frames represent slavery and the ascension of whites to the top of the economic ladder. The fourth frame represents the freedom of the African Americans, and the final two represent the whites failing to reciprocate the (unwilling) assistance of the blacks, despite the fact that the whites would not be where they were had it not been for the blacks. More than that, the sixth frame highlights the arrogance of the whites, not even acknowledging the actions of their past and building up their own deeds to the point of pompousness.

Robots

According to C. Wright Mills, Americans during the 1950s were Cheerful Robots. Using his excerpt, what you've read in the text, and heard in class, why is that description fitting (don't just repeat or rephrase what's in the Mills article).

In the 1950’s, life in America was based on the desire for perfection. The average American desired little but the perfect spouse, a paying job, and wonderful little boys and girls to keep up the same routine. Americans typically did not want to be special. They did not want to reach above and beyond. There was very little room for unconformity. And so the American men donned their (very similar) work outfits, went to jobs they may or may not have enjoyed, and returned home to their wives and children for meals and evening activities. The American women would stay at home and do household chores, help raise young children, and prepare dinner for their husbands when they returned home.

On the outside, mostly every family was the example of perfection. There were smiles as the men returned from work in their nice cars to their nice homes. When a man and woman married, everyone looked upon them as the “perfect couple.” And every day would bring about the same routine, one that inspired peace and happiness within the nuclear family. However, while the surface glistened with happiness, that happiness did not likely exist at all on the inside. There was no room for individuality. Dreams did not matter unless they were dreams that conformed to society. If one was unhappy with how his or her life was going, he or she would not be allowed to show it lest they be looked down upon by their family and friends. There was no room for unhappiness in this falsely ideal world. And so people went on with their everyday routines. Cheerful on the outside with nothing to show for it on the inside.

As an added note, when I read this prompt, I thought of the movie and novel entitled Revolutionary Road. I thought the movie, at least, depicted the cheerful robot idea quite accurately and really gave the feel about how unhappy people of this era could be.

Rights

Read the excerpt from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The U.S. did not immediately ratify the Declaration. What policies and practices within the U.S. conflicted with many of the principles of the Declaration?

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was spawned after the atrocities committed during World War II. When the actions done by Nazi Germany became apparent after the War, the world community stated that the newly formed United Nations Charter did not fully define the rights it swore to uphold. Then came the Declaration itself, which was approved with flying colors. However, despite the justice and fairness that came with the document, the United States did not immediately approve the Declaration, and has yet to approve the second part even today.

It is a well known fact that even though America preaches about equality, the nation’s actions have not matched its words. Not now, and certainly not decades ago. And even though the founding fathers declared all men had been created equal, the nation they created under that philosophy never stood by that declaration.

In the time the Declaration of Human Rights was written, racial and gender minorities were still struggling to earn the rights outlined in the documents. The second article of the Declaration states that “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” At this point in time, America was still at a stage in which discrimination against all minorities was simply a way of life. Blacks were widely considered unfit for a white society and women were considered unfit to live a “man’s life.” Were America to ratify the document, a few potentially undesirable things may have happened. Either the country would continue as it had and lose the respect of other nations for not following through on their pledge or the government would have to pass legislation to improve the standing of all minorities. And to the average American, of course, that could not be allowed to happen, lest the country be infested with the less fit. Sadly, this is a mindset that is still around to this very day, and doesn't really seem to be fading much at all.