The Limits Of Your Ambition: An Innocent Country

I’m going to give you two quotes and I just want you to think about them while you read this paper. One is quite long and the other is rather short because it’s just a part of the quote. "This innocent country set you down in a ghetto in which, in fact, it intended that you should perish. Let me spell out precisely what I mean by that, for the heart of the matter is here, and the root of my dispute with my country. You were born where you were born and faced the future that you faced because you were black and for no other reason. The limits of your ambition were thus, expected to be set forever. You were born into a society which spelled out with brutal clarity, and in as many ways possible, that you were a worthless human being. You were
not expected to aspire to excellence: you were expected to make peace with mediocrity. Wherever you have turned, James, in your short time on this earth, you have been told where you could go and what you could do (and how you could do it) and where you could live and whom you could marry. I know your countrymen do not agree with me about this, and I hear them saying 'you exaggerate.' They do not know Harlem, and I do. So do you. Take no one's word for anything, including mine- but trust your experience. Know whence you came. If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go." (Page 7 and 8). “...And who, at the same time, as a human being, is far freer in a strange land the he has ever been at home. Home!" (Page 54). What is home really? Is America the ultimate dream that it’s supposed to be? When I think of home I think of happiness, love and family. They say home is where the heart is, but my heart isn’t here. My home wouldn’t kill its black men, women or children.
My home wouldn’t be the same as it was 40 years ago when this book was written. Us as a nation in my eyes haven’t made much progress with bettering ourselves for the future. From 1st to 8th grade I’ve pledged to a flag that is supposed to belong to my home. Liberty and justice aren't for all because if it was Emmett Till’s killers, Freddie Gray’s killers and so many other black men, women, and children who died would have justice. I get it the system is setup to see everyone in the black community fail, but it shouldn’t be like that. White people shouldn’t be benefiting off of what my ancestors did for them. This isn’t some activist complaining kind of paper it’s just how I’m feeling being a young woman in America. What has really changed in the 40 years of this book being written? According to PBS Newshour blacks have come a long way in 40 years. I don’t necessarily agree with all of their points but everyone has their own personal opinions. The percentage of blacks living in poverty has gone down from 29% to 27% not much, but I guess it’s a start. It states in the article that I read “With full equality with whites in economics, health, education, social justice and civic engagement set at 100 percent, the National Urban League said this year’s equality index for blacks stands at 72.2 percent, compared with last year’s 72 percent. For Hispanics, it’s 77.8 percent compared to 2015’s 77.3 percent.” I don’t believe
this is true at all especially in education, health, and social justice. I’ve grown up not learning about my history correctly. The education for whites compared to blacks is nothing is anything equal. Yes, some schools give equal opportunities to all their students, but they are held to very different standards. For example, my friend was telling me how she’s the only person of color in her honors class. Teachers don’t push their students hard enough or hardly at all, My chem teacher last year recommended me for a standard bio class, but knew I could do honors. She told me that she thought I couldn’t handle the pace of an honors class. It shows me