Myths and heroes : the American Dream

INTRO

The notion I’m going to deal with is Myths and Heroes

A myth can be a popular belief or a tradition or a false notion.

A hero is a person who is admired for his or her achievements, as a superhero an icon.

Regarding this notion, I’m going to speak about African-Americans and the American Dream.

Indeed we will talk about the myth of the American Dream which is the equality, the liberty, and the pursuit of happiness according to the Declaration of Independence. And in this particular case, I’m going to speak about the African-Americans who tried to follow this myth.

Therefore, we may wonder if the African-American did had access to the American Dream.

First of all, I will concentrate on the segregation , then I will analyze the civil rights heroes before finally focusing on Barack Obama’s achievement.

DÉVELOPPEMENT

My first document raises the problem of segregation.

In the American Declaration of Independence, we can read the words : “all men are equals” and “they have the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”. But during the 1927’s (nineteen twenty seven’s) flood in Louisiana, African-Americans were queuing up for food while above their head a poster was showing a perfect American family living the American Dream.

It is a relevant illustration of the black people who suffered from the segregation and were totally excluded from the dream.

My second document is a newspaper article which deals with the racist laws.

In the 50’s, a lot of African-Americans were struggling against the segregation Jim Crow Laws which were established in the South East of the country. Some of these people became civil rights heroes.

Like example, Lillie May Bradford who was charged w/ disorderly conduct for sitting in the whites only section on a bus in Alabama. Or Rosa Parks who was arrested for refusing to leave her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Alabama too.

This act became famous as it was the beginning of the end of segregation. Indeed, a bus boycott was organized by Martin Luther King who were the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. And in 1964 (nineteen sixty four), the racist laws were abolished.

This shows the progress of African Americans in their conquest of the American Dream and their will to have the rights they should have had the day they were born

Last document but not least, “A dream come true” a speech delivered by Obama in Chicago from the night of his first election, November 4th 2008 (two thousand eight).

In this speech he reminds us that everything is possible in the USA because of the American Dream and its values. This election was very important since Obama was the first black president in his country. He also alludes to the courageous people thanks to whom such changes have been possible. Finally, he ends by referring to some major events in the history of segregation.

In many respects, this document

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