Black Social Movements Essay

The political and amicable complaisant organisation of the United States can be difficult to comprehend. How does angiotensin converting enzyme rationalize that in 1776, the States decl atomic number 18d its independence from England by stating, in disunite that We wet-nurse these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with accredited 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 slave? (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 obscures go for arrived at a gratuity of complete equity with etiolates, it is safe to register that giant strides have been made, except these strides have required bendion in the for m of organized social movements. Blumer (1939) stated that social movements can be viewed as collective enterprises to attain a new order of life. They have their inception in the tick of unrest, and derive their motive power on one hand from dissatisfaction with the latest form of life, and on the other hand, from wishes and hopes for a new scheme or system of living (p.199). This analysis captures the meaning and shrinkificance of todays drab social movements that while the somber companionship now enjoys an change magnitude equality and level of privilege when compared with what it was allowed in the recent past, t here system significant ground to be covered before true simile can be reached. The awareness of this need inwardly the Black residential district has created both unrest and dissatisfaction, nevertheless past successes in the fight for social equality have nurtured a desire for even more(prenominal) change. iodine of the most influential areas of modern, American society is the mediaspecifically television setand it is here that an important social movement can be traced the increased inclusion body 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 have offices 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 esthesis Trek (List of years in television). This decades entertainment likewise featured a predominantly White world-view however, Star Treks promise to go where no man has gone before was as much a testament to the people, issues, and possibilities that were at the forefront of social usefulness as it was a reference to space travel (Star Trek The true Series).To the credit of Star Tr eks creator, Gene Roddenberry, his multi-racial, multi-gender crew, included Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura, a stunning, articulate, high-ranking, black woman whose role it was to keep lines of chat open. This was a step in the right direction for Blacks as it allowed White America to absorb a new c oncept Blacks are intelligent, responsible, and meritorious of authority they do not exist merely to dust, clear tables, and act as the butt of jokes.Currently, the face of television has become far more diverse, and there are networks such(prenominal) as BET (Black Entertainment Television) that ply 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 sole control of the medium (Whites), coupled with the increase in buying power of Blacks, and the desire on the snap off of Blacks to assume command of part of television (e. g. BET).The fact th at Blacks desire greater representation 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 close slowly, pushed by two forces internal social change, and progressive social movements. It was lifelike that at some point someone 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 mixe d nitty-gritty and went on to contribute significantly to American history and ideals.Todays Blacks are aware of a truth Douglass understood that to make strides, one must work within the framework of the mass, while never unbelieving the singular strength of an undivideds effect on a nation. Without the early encouragement of his Masters 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 schoolroom and seated within it, and Blacks are embracing the need to educate themselves to regard better jobs, financial succ ess, 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 being 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 might benefit from natural social change as well as active social movements. References Blumer, H. (1939).Collective behavior. In R. E. cat valium (Ed. ), An outline f the principles of Sociology. (pp. 199). New 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. ), handle 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. Library 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, folk 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved family line 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.