The Act's of Racism in the 20th Century Essay Example
The Act's of Racism In The 20th Century Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou were very well known authors of the early
20th century. Most of their writings were concerned with racism and equality. During that time period there was much evidence that African Americans had been treated unfairly, unjustly, and as if they had been beneath the whites. Segregation of schools, churches, bathrooms, and stores were only a few of the many things wrong with this ere.
Racism was very apparent in the two short stories "Graduation" and "One Friday
Morning". In one of these, a young girl is put down because of the color of her skin, and in the other, a whole class and audience were made to feel lower than they should have. In Langston Hughes short story "One Friday Morning" a young girl by the name of Nancy Lee was denied an art scholarship because of the color of her skin. When she first learned that she was going to receive a reward for one of her pictures, she became very excited as any young girl her age would have been. Her vice principal Miss O'Shay was also very excited for her. She wanted Nancy to speak at a ceremony in honor of this art scholarship. Friday morning came, and what was thought to be an adventurous day filled with lots a happiness, turned out to be the exact opposite for Nancy Lee. Just before she was about to give her speech in front of the whole school for what she had accomplished, her vice principal called her into the office to give her some bad news. Miss O'Shay said,
"When the committee learned that you were colored, they changed their plans"(851). She was treated very differently, and this caused her to have a different outlook on the atmosphere in which she was living. The scholarship being taken away from her, for this reason was unfortunate because she had worked hard to be recognized in the contest, and had succeeded in winning it, only to have it taken away form her because she was not a young white girl.
20th century. Most of their writings were concerned with racism and equality. During that time period there was much evidence that African Americans had been treated unfairly, unjustly, and as if they had been beneath the whites. Segregation of schools, churches, bathrooms, and stores were only a few of the many things wrong with this ere.
Racism was very apparent in the two short stories "Graduation" and "One Friday
Morning". In one of these, a young girl is put down because of the color of her skin, and in the other, a whole class and audience were made to feel lower than they should have. In Langston Hughes short story "One Friday Morning" a young girl by the name of Nancy Lee was denied an art scholarship because of the color of her skin. When she first learned that she was going to receive a reward for one of her pictures, she became very excited as any young girl her age would have been. Her vice principal Miss O'Shay was also very excited for her. She wanted Nancy to speak at a ceremony in honor of this art scholarship. Friday morning came, and what was thought to be an adventurous day filled with lots a happiness, turned out to be the exact opposite for Nancy Lee. Just before she was about to give her speech in front of the whole school for what she had accomplished, her vice principal called her into the office to give her some bad news. Miss O'Shay said,
"When the committee learned that you were colored, they changed their plans"(851). She was treated very differently, and this caused her to have a different outlook on the atmosphere in which she was living. The scholarship being taken away from her, for this reason was unfortunate because she had worked hard to be recognized in the contest, and had succeeded in winning it, only to have it taken away form her because she was not a young white girl.