Barack Obama A More Perfect Union - 1090 Words

We may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction. Barack Obama’s speech â€Å"A More Perfect Union† (Nov. 17, 2008) captivates our nation with its thought out structure of the division and inequality in America. Obama successfully used allusion and repetition. Along with personal anecdotes to identify with the audience. Opening with We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.† conveys an image of the constitution for the purpose of the speech; what comes next is â€Å"Two hundred and twenty one years ago,† an opening that places him in the tradition of Lincoln at Gettysburg and Dr. King at the Lincoln Memorial â€Å"Five score years ago.† Concentrating on the nation’s misunderstanding and†¦show more content†¦Giving the nation confirmation that he understands the role of history as well as the present-day concerns affecting our nation. Obama uses imagery and allusion, when describing t he countless ways that racism is displayed in our society. The imagery of race and racial conflicts within communities; bringing to light the prejudice and first hand experiences of racism, majority of the American people are aware of the racism dilemma we have as a nation. Obama said â€Å"the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table.† Later he proposes a solution, that it is essential for the African American community to stop becoming victims of and accept their past. Giving the African American community the inspiration to be more positive; being able to identify with Obama’s judgment of race within their community. President Obama also acknowledges a similar issue with the white community. â€Å"Most working and middle-class white Americans dont feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race†¦. As far asShow MoreRelatedBarack Obama s A More Perfect Union1460 Words   |  6 Pages Harsh Kumar Mr. Dowlen 3rd period Barack Obama’s â€Å"A More Perfect Union† Biweekly Journal Summary: President Obama’s, â€Å"A More Perfect Union†, speech conveyed many of his beliefs concerning racism. Obama is the son of a white woman and a Kenyan man, and just because of his race people are either with or against him. He begins his speech by talking about the founding fathersRead MoreBarack Obama s A More Perfect Union 999 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.† Barack Obama begins his moving speech with this message, trusting that new and renewed ethnic views will form in our nation’s voters. In March of 2008, Barack Obama was in the depths of his campaign to become President of the United States. The preaching given at that time, called â€Å"A More Perfect Union† revealed his thoughts about racism and equality in America. Throughout the time since that speech, many voters and politicians have given theirRead MoreBarack Obama s A More Perfect Union1580 Words   |  7 Pagesdoors can be opened. Not only can that result in the idea of change but actually show evidence of it. But this act cannot be done alone. It requires more than one to stand together to complete this challenge. With voices heard and actions done, Senator Barack Obama believes that this can be accomplished while giving his speech â€Å"A More Perfect Union†. Obama argues that the problems we have today are from the past. He states they still remain because we allow them to control us and the world we live. InRead MoreAnalysis Of A More Perfect Union By Barack Obama Speech1178 Words   |  5 PagesDo you believe that the U.S. needs to be more â€Å"united† to be able to become better as a country? Former president, Barack Obama does. â€Å"A More Perfect Union† is the name of a speech given by Barack Obama in 2008 for his presidential campaign. In his speech, Obama builds an argument on how United States citizens must come together and look past racial and ethnical differences in order to better our country. Throughout his speech, Obama states various reasons to support his argument. Some of the manyRead MoreLetter From A Birmingham Jail And Barack Obama s A More Perfect Union1304 Words   |  6 PagesIn Martin Luther King Jr. s Letter from a Birmingham Jail and Barack Obama s A More Perfect Union, both leaders discussed many of the same issues. The big theme in both was about race in the United States and becoming a much more unified nation despite our race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Both of these leaders also touched on the fact that in order to solve the problems in this country, we must be unified and work together. One quote that really stood out to me in Letter ofRead MoreRacial Formation Within Hegemony And Common Sense1673 Words   |  7 Pagesunderstand how the force and the consent plays a major role within each party or community in the United States of America. Now, in the title, â€Å"A More Perfect Union,† author Barack Obama emphasizes that race has diverse stories in which it proves that we still hold common hopes in understanding society as a whole through common sense in racism. Barack Obama’s speech proves several ideas about race by comprehending how he became the president and how society interacts around the topic in which MichaelRead MoreBarack Obam A Black Man From Kenya And A White Woman From Kansas1311 Words   |  6 Pages Barack Obama was born in Hawaii to a â€Å"black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas† in 1961. (Austin 460) Obama moved quite a bit in his early years. He lived in Hawaii, Washington, and Jakarta, Indonesia. He had a strong relationship with his grandparents and mother who provided stability for him to feel comfortable to adapt to the new environments. His father was not present for most of his life. Barack was smart and a good student. Barack attended some of the most prestigious universitiesRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of A More Perfect Un ion 1162 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis Essay â€Å"A More Perfect Union†: Obama, Race, and the Necessity to Unite Philadelphia, March 2008. Neither that city nor year suggests a crucial event in American racial history. It’s not Birmingham in 1961, or Washington, D.C. in 1963. However, on March 18, 2008, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon-to-be President Barack Obama, a black man with an African father, took the stage and delivered a speech that would paint the racial landscape ofRead MoreA More Perfect Union - Summary772 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å" A More Perfect Union† is a speech delivered by the presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008. The speech was a response to the controversial comments about race segregation in America made by his former pastor J. Wright. Obama revealed his personal history as a man of color, living in the United States. He encouraged the nation to end the racial division, to overlook all the issues and unite to form A More Perfect Union . Read MoreMLK vs. Obama1461 Words   |  6 Pages Martin Luther King Jr. vs. President Obama Martin Luther King Jr. and President Barack Obama have both written and performed their fair share of speeches throughout their respective lives. The two speeches that are being compared are President Obama’s â€Å"A More Perfect Union† speech and Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† letter. President Obama spoke this speech while his was campaigning for the presidency in February of 2007, while his was running against Senator Hillary

Autobiography Of An Ex Colored Man Essay - 1449 Words

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored, Still-Clueless Man The narrator of The Autobiography grows up his whole life thinking that he is white. It is not until one fateful day in school where a teacher indirectly tells him that he is black that he finds out. This revelation, which he himself describes as â€Å"a sword-thrust† (Johnson 13), suggests a transformation, a great change, a development in the Ex-Colored Man’s racial consciousness in the future. However, as M. Giulia Fabi says, â€Å"[The ECM’s] proclaimed loyalty to his ‘mother’s people’ is continuously undercut by his admiration for and identification with mainstream white America† (375). She also indicates how when contrasted with previous passers, â€Å"the Ex-Colored Man’s oft-noted cowardice,†¦show more content†¦However, if he’s unaware of it, then it could happen again in the future and he, having learned nothing from his past because of this obliviousness, will still be unaware of it in the future. Addi tionally, he is unable to see the ways in which his relationship echoes that of slavery as well as his mother and father’s relationship (Somerville 397), which subtly illustrates his ignorance. Another consequence that result from this lack of â€Å"race consciousness† is his interaction with black music and culture. As Robert B. Stepto argues in â€Å"Lost in a Quest,† the ECM is â€Å"caught†¦in a kind of illiteracy that argues that technique can pass for art†¦[mistaking] the modulation and exploitation of race rituals along the color line for proper relations between artist and audience† (368). Additionally, Stepto argues that the ECM, â€Å"alienated from the deepest bonds of his race†¦learns to play music without reference to who is ‘in the other room’† (368). Ragtime, as Edward A. Berlin states in Ragtime: A Musical and Cultural History, derived from â€Å"the ‘coon song,’ a Negro dialect song frequently, but not always, of an offensively denigrating nature† (205). As someone who has â€Å"dreams of bringing glory and honor to the Negro race† (Johnson 26), it is very problematic for the narrator not understand the cultural and racial significance of the music he wants to play. For himself, he fails to gain any real understanding and he becomes, as Stepto says, â€Å"aShow MoreRelated Racial Identity in The Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man Essay1327 Words   |  6 Pagescommunity in his novel â€Å"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man.† One does not only read this book, but instead one takes a journey alongside a burdened mulatto man as he struggles to claim one race as his own. In Johnsons novel, the young mulatto boy is at first completely unaware of his unique circumstance, and lives life comfortably and oblivious to the oppression of the black race outside of his home in Connecticut. He is characterized as a bright, quick learning young man whose talents do not ceaseRead MoreThe Autobiography of the Ex-Colored Man: The Ability to Pass Essay1120 Words   |  5 Pages The Autobiography of the Ex-Colored Man: The Ability to Pass The Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man depicts the narrator as a liminal character. Beginning with an oblivious knowledge of race as a child, and which racial group he belonged, to his well knowing of â€Å"white† and â€Å"black† and the ability to pass as both. On the account of liminality, the narrator is presenting himself as an outsider. Because he is both a â€Å"white† and â€Å"black† male, he does not fit in with either racial group. In the autobiographyRead MoreAutobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Book Review Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesKevin Rance HIST3102 Pratt 8 September 2011 The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man Book Review The novel, The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man by James Weldon Johnson shows a story of a man with mixed blood of white and coloured. Throughout the story, the man is conflicted with his heritage, sometimes accepting his coloured heritage and at other times rejecting his coloured heritage and passing himself off as a white man. The main character travels all around the United StatesRead MoreEssay about Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and Jews Without Money877 Words   |  4 PagesAutobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and Jews Without Money To be a minority is a very difficult task. Fighting daily prejudices and trying to establish a unique identity that fits into society at the same time is often one of the hardest things for a â€Å"different† person to do. Deciding one’s daily activities and then watching the repercussions of those activities can be discouraging at times. In the novels, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, and Jews Without Money, two characters, theRead MoreAdoption Are Beating The Adoption Odds By Cynthia D. Martin1035 Words   |  5 PagesNoble. N.p., 30 Nov. 8319. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. 1a. Three books and authors dealing with the subject of urban violence are Don’t shoot: One man, a street fellowship, and the end of violence in inner city America by David M. Kennedy, Street Wars: Gangs and the future of violence by Tom Hayden, and The Fallen by Paul Langan. Kennedy, David M. Don t Shoot: One Man, a Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America. Alibris. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. Hayden, Tom. Street Wars: GangsRead MoreThe Identity Of African Americans1758 Words   |  8 PagesRace was a primary factor used to shape the identity of African Americans which was seen through their culture. Race is portrayed through the narratives such as The life of Frederick Douglas by Frederick Douglass and the Autobiography of an Ex-colored man by James Weldon Johnson. In both the narratives, they state they are slaves due their race. First, this idea is supported in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass when he states in the preface, â€Å"he was a slave â€Å"too (Douglass 325).Read More James Weldon Johnson Essay654 Words   |  3 Pageshe was a proponent. While Johnson was a highly celebrated and versatile literary figure, his most well known work is The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man . Even though this title suggests that this work was his own story, it was actually a novel, the first African-American one to mask itself as an autobiography. In this novel, the illegitimate son of a southern white man and his mulatto mistress struggles to find his identity and place in the world. Being light-skinned, he does not discover hisRead MoreJames Weldon Johnson s The Autobiography Of An Former Colored Man And Nella Larsen s Passing3489 Words   |  14 PagesThe Theme of Passing, Racial Prejudice and Internalized Racism in James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and Nella Larsen’s Passing The concept of racial passing refers to the occurrence in which an individual is able to transcend racial boundaries. During the Harlem Renaissance, the term â€Å"passing† meant to signify mixed race individuals who were light skinned enough to pass as white and mingle freely within white society, almost completely undetected. This was significantRead MoreOn James Weldon Johnson’s â€Å"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man†2065 Words   |  9 Pageselevations which would not have happened otherwise. Ruotolo points out in her essay â€Å"James Weldon Johnson and the Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Musician†, the narrator earns a living in order to attend college by playing Beethoven’s Pathetique sonata to a white Connecticut audience† (Ruotolo 252). While in Florida, Ruotolo goes on to say, the narrator gives piano lessons so that he may be able to interact with the better class of colored people in that area. Why the narrator chooses Beethoven’s PathetiqueRead MoreJazz Music Of The Time1559 Words   |  7 Pagesjazz bands in the area. He popularized the skill of scat, or improvisations, over top of some never-before-seen rhythmic stylings. Cab Calloway dazzled audiences with his vast range and mastery of scat. â€Å"The Hi De Ho Man†, as he soon became known, was often seen as a charismatic man with a love for his craft. Unlike the other two musicians, Calloway grew up comfortably in a middle class household where his parents actively supported his skills through private lessons. His breakout solo, â€Å"Minnie the

How strong was Nationalism in the Second Reich Free Essays

In 1871, Bismarck unified Germany; however this great achievement did not mean that his job was done. Now, the ultimate threat for him was a revolution, so he needed to make sure that everyone was reasonably happy in the new unified Germany. The constitution of the German Reich was created on 19 April 1871. We will write a custom essay sample on How strong was Nationalism in the Second Reich? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This aimed to please the upper class, middle class, working class and the German states. The upper class were pleased by the fact that they would be ruled by a German Emperor (William I) who was also the King of Prussia and Supreme Commander. This way, they could maintain an element of autocracy and social hierarchy. The Federal Council could over-rule the Reichstag if it wanted to so this helped to avoid democracy, again, pleasing the upper class. Having a constitution would please the middle class as it enables democracy to a certain extent. They would have been pleased by the fact that the constitution allows the middle class suffrage and in turn, gains them more power. Gaining the vote and power within the constitution also pleased the working class. Twenty-five confederal states made up the Federal Council, meaning that Prussia did not overrule everyone; this pleased the other German states. Prussia was only allowed seventeen representatives; however, the council had the power of veto, if they were supported by 14 votes. This meant that it would take only 14 of the 17 representatives of Prussia to overrule the other states. The careful planning of the constitution helped to encourage nationalism, as everyone in it was kept quite happy. The middle and working class got elements of democracy whilst the upper class had elements of autocracy. However, it was more absolutist than it appeared to be. Bismarck and Prussia still had subtle control over Germany. How did the government encourage the people to be good Germans? Nationalism throughout Germany was encouraged in areas such as education, industry and the monarchy. The writings of Heinrich Von Treitschke were very influential to the German people. He believed that Germans were driven by ideas such as nationalism rather than being practical. The acquisition of power was the key to a successful Germany, â€Å"only the truly great and powerful states ought to exist.† As he was such an influential writer, it was causing nationalism to grow amongst the German people. Treitschke also believed in conformity and wrote that â€Å"the individual has no right to regard the state as a means for attaining his own ambitions in life†, meaning that people should do as they are told by their government, and not revolt (like the French did.) Both the acquisition of power and conformity had created a replacement to absolutism known as authoritarianism. His writing showed that nationalism was becoming more and more conservative. To be a good German, you had to pure blooded and a militarist. Treitschke taught that war was a good thing and it makes you a better person. â€Å"The sacred power of love which a righteous war awakes† is an example of what he wrote about war. Germany was founded through three wars, so to Germans it must seem a very good thing. However, this all changed after WWI. Nationalism was also being encouraged through education. Textbooks would contain phrases such as â€Å"the ideal bearers of civilisation with an innate superiority and pureness of blood.† Introducing to children the ideas of the Aryan race. How serious was opposition to nationalism? The main opposition to nationalism consisted of the Catholic church, workers and women. Problems with the Catholic church arose because Bismarck tried to control the country through education. However, for Catholics, their education lies in the hands of their religion so what they were taught by their religion was very different to what Bismarck wanted to teach them. In 1870, the Vatican Council adopted the doctrine of papal infallibility, meaning that whatever the pope said or did was right, and no one was allowed to question it. This was a problem for Bismarck as he continued to try to gain control over German education. He passed many laws such as the May Laws (1873) which forbade catholic inspections of schools, but by 1887, a bill was passed to give the Church its old independence. The Catholics won the Kulturkampf so they proved to be a threatening opposition to nationalism. Socialism of the working class was the most serious form of opposition to nationalism. The social democrats were similar to communists in the sense that they wanted the abolition of classes and class rule. Bismarck tried to prevent them from growing, by introducing anti-socialist laws, but they continued to grow even faster. By 1912, the SPD were the largest party in the Reichstag with nearly 4million votes!! Bismarck even attempted to encourage working class nationalism by introducing state insurance and pension, however, this was simply mocked by socialists. They called it ‘state socialism.’ The social democrats continued to be the largest party in the Reichstag up to the outbreak of WWI in 1914. Another form of opposition to nationalism was women. This was not as serious as the Suffragettes in Britain, although it still posed a threat to nationalism. Women were seen as second class citizens who were oppressed by the ruling classes, generally men. The women’s movement achieved very little under Bismarck, however, they managed to get the right to get involved in politics. It was the most low key of the three main threats to nationalism, as it was not as significant as the Socialists or the Catholics. Out of the three, the biggest threat to nationalism seems to be the Social Democratic party, as they managed to become the largest party in the Reichstag, meaning that they would have quite an influence over parliament. However, the Federal Council could just simply dissolve the Reichstag if they felt it was necessary. How to cite How strong was Nationalism in the Second Reich?, Papers

Cultural - Traditional - Artistic Context from Ramayana - Free Essay

Question: Write an essay that examines the cultural, traditional, and artistic context of the text and painting from the Ramayana book. Research and explain at least one cultural reference in either the painting or the text that helps better understand the significance of the story. Compare the content of the painting and the text to explain how the artist interprets the source material in a unique way. Compare the painting and the text to explain how the change in medium affects the way certain key scenes or events from the text are represented. Follow the basic format of a five-paragraph essay, where each of your body paragraphs addresses one of the three main topics mentioned above. Include a conclusion paragraph that re-emphasizes the importance of culture, tradition, and artistic medium in understanding the two works. Answer: Introduction Ramayana is an oral tale. It plays an important role in Hindu literature. It's been carried out in many forms such as reciting in ritual contexts, song, dance and theatre, paintings. Painting was an important part of that period. Paintings depicted their whole life. It gives us a glimpse to understand their political, social and cultural life. Here we will discuss how painting helps us in understanding it more significantly. Even the Ramayana guides us. It depicts the ideal relationship of husband, brother, wife and king. Cultural reference in painting that helps to understand better the significance of the story Dasharastra was the king of Ayodhya. He had three wives but was childless for a long time. After a long time Rama, Lakshman, and Shatrughna was born. Vishnu was chosen to demolish Ravana. The picture depicts that throughout the story Rama and Lakshmana were Vishnu's companion. They both received instruction as well as supernatural weapons to destroy Ravan.Many of the paintings described the entire activity of Rama. The picture shows the birth of the four sons and the celebration, another picture also depicting Bharata asking for Rama's footwear (Ghosh, 2012). The paintings give us the deep history of Ramayana. A painting helps us to know more about the story. Without the contribution of painting, it would not have been possible to know much about the history of that era. Paintings give us a direct impression of knowing the incident. Paintings are of great archaeological sources (Filliozat, 2012). The most famous painting depicting the Battle of Lanka gives us much information about understanding the Ramayana. The painting showed us how attempts were made to rescue Sita from Ravan. The Lanka Bridge was made by building a bridge. Here Hanuman played a great role. Rama and Lakshmana with their allies proceeded towards the shore. The Rama was successful in rescuing Sita. Ravan was killed by Ram. This incident creates an impression on human society that evil can be destroyed. This is the symbol of the power of good over the devil (O'Brien, 2012). On the basis of this the festival Diwali is celebrated throughout the world. Comparison of the content of selected painting and the artist interpretation of the source material in a unique way In art, word, phrase, an image can showcase different meaning to the artist or viewer. It's a human nature that we see things from a different perspective and interpret differently due to our behavior. The photographer Vasantha half French and half Sri Lankan viewed Ramayana as an epic story that changed his life (Saini, 2014). He used the word "A Myth of two Souls '' his project on the ancient Hindu Poem to bind together a personal allegory. In this project, he uses a combination of text and photographs, even original extract from the epic to related the present events with Ramayana. He used paintings as well as many documents for reflecting the importance of the story in the modern world. He used to travel a lot in searching and interpreting Ramayana in different ways. He came to a conclusion that Ramayana has changed irrevocably. He mentioned that the epic tells us many adventures things as well as gave a description on the exile of Rama. It's the story of courage, friendship, loyalty and justice. It has attached deep religious significance (Kumari, 2014). Throughout the centuries, the artist are inspired by the religious importance attached to the epic. Comparison of the selected painting The Ramayana has grown from a fictional account to a religious scripture. It direct us and gives us a lesson that how a person should live with a noble heart. There are some paintings found that gives a better glimpse of inter-linkage of the paintings and text. Many times political-social culture influences writing. In paintings, there is a greater scope to express them. Visual paintings are hard to create. In Ramayana, there are lots of paintings found that narrated the whole event, but the text is not totally supporting it.There is a painting show casting Sita after been kidnaped by Rama (ADHAM, 2012). The perspective of looking at the painting raised many questions on a part of Sita. The portrayal and description were not the same. Instances are been found that the medium of presenting affects the actual presentation of the piece. The painting and text has a different impression on the viewer. Conclusion The paintings are a great source of history. The painting in Ramayana draws our attention to the great epic attaching the religious significance. The paintings are a source of learning. By looking at the painting, many events of Ramayana was depicted beautifully. The paintings are a great source of learning. Reference List Ghosh, S. K. (2012). Ramayana in the North-East India. Filliozat, P. S. (2012). From epos to metaphysics: the fate of ramayana in sanskrit literature. Comptes rendus des seances de l academia des inscriptions belles-lettres, (1), 359-369. O'Brien, K. (2012). Acri, Creese and Griffiths (eds): From Laka Eastwards: The Ramayana in the Literature and Visual Arts of Indonesia. xvi, 259 pp. Leiden: KITLV Press, 2011. 29.90. ISBN 978 90 6718 384 0. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 75(03), 606-607. Saini, S. (2014). Crisis and response in Ramayana (Valmiki), shahnama and hiad: a comparative study. Kumari, G. P. (2014). Study of Science Fiction in Modern English Literature. ADHAM, N. (2013). Devils of drought in shahnameh and ramayana: a comparative study.