Overcoming Societal Oppression in 2005 - Essay Example

A Lesson Before Dying: Overcoming Societal Oppression in 2005 Ernest J. Gaine's famous novel, A Lesson Before Dying accents the tension inherent among African Americans across the country during the 1940s. Gain's accentuates the ways in which the black exodus from the South alienated many African-Americans from their Southern heritage and roots, leaving them stranded in a world where one was expected to look, talk, and act white in order to be successful. However, maintaining those connections with one's roots in the South, often meant having to tolerate a world notorious for Jim Crowe laws and racial segregation which endured until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. During this time, racial divides permeated all sectors of American society, but these divisions were most acute in the rural South where the oppression of social norms, laws, and customs further separated African-Americans from the American Dream. Though the Civil Rights movement and new legislation has carried society a long way in terms of civil equality, many groups still face oppression today in 2005. Many homosexuals fight a battle against hatred and civil oppression that parallels that of the civil rights struggle suffered by many African-Americans. On a smaller scale, young adults across America, and more specifically community college students right here in Los Angeles, still face oppression by social expectations, civil laws, and social customs. Some community college students live at home and commute to school in order to lessen the financial burden. But, many college students must work and support themselves while paying for college with financial aid and student loans. With rising rent and housing costs, working one's way through college is a difficult prospect at best even under favorable circumstances. But, many students find themselves in a Catch-22 when it comes to income, financial aid, and health insurance. A student working a minimum wage job will not be able to support himself while attending college. If a student makes a decent income and is able to cover his own living expenses, then he is unlikely to qualify for the financial aid he will need to cover expenses. Many grants and loans are based on income, and if you make enough money to house and feed yourself, chances are you will not qualify for a government grant or a low interest loan. In this respect, societal expectations seem to work against the hard working individual who seeks to further his education by working his way through college by making it a near impossible or futile endeavor. Furthermore, college aged people in America comprise one of the largest groups of people not covered by health insurance. Having surpassed the age requirements to be covered under their parent's insurance policy, college students must provide their own health insurance. Some colleges have student healthcare plans with reasonable costs, but many colleges and universities do not. Most students are unable to maintain a job with benefits while attending college, because they are unable to work full-time, and they do not want to compromise their financial aid by making too much money. With individual private insurance rates nearing the price of college tuition, many students simply can't afford coverage and are forced to take a gamble with their health. Even though college students are forced to pay taxes and social security, they will likely not enjoy the benefits of the investment, and this is an unfair policy of oppression and exploitation. In A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson's struggle to "die like a man" comes to represent the struggle for civil equality and standing up for what is right. Jefferson became a symbol of racial injustice, and he found himself with the unique opportunity to stand up for his community. College students can take a lesson from Jefferson, and learn to stand up for their rights. Many community colleges still employ practices of selective acceptance based on race, age, and nationality. These practices are designed around the foundations of "affirmative action" which is a policy that was intended to help overcome the effects of past discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as women and minorities. The Equal Employment Opportunities Act of 1972 set up a commission to enforce such plans, and affirmative action swept the nation initially in the work place and public schools, and later carried over to public and private universities as well. Originally, these policies were intended to be a catalyst for racial equality and were met with much praise. But, today, in 2005, affirmative action has outstayed its effectiveness and is nothing more than a racial quota designed to keep work and school looking heterogeneous. What began as a good idea, has resulted in racial profiling, reverse discrimination, and lower standards in colleges across America. It is unfair that a student is granted or denied admission based not on his academic achievements or field of study, but on the color of his skin. Today, white students are denied admissions when colleges have not filled racial quotas. And, standards are sometimes lowered to ensure these quotas are met. A policy such as this does not benefit anyone in the academic community, and both Caucasians and African Americans are outraged by these practices and demanding changes. In A Lesson Before Dying, Grant tells Jefferson "I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be." Today, American college students are still fighting to do just that. African Americans want to be held to the same standards as everyone else, and Caucasians want to be afforded the opportunity to get into college based on their merits rather than being denied based on their skin color. Though America is making strides in the effort to fix affirmative action and racial quotas, there is still a long way to go. Social Customs often favor one group over another, and college students often face age discrimination in local communities. With the emergence of joint-enrollment, college students are getting younger and younger. Some students are not old enough to vote, and many students are not old enough to drink. Therefore, students have little voice in local community government, and some colleges do not provide forums for student government. Today's college students are vastly under-represented in politics, and until recently, the 18-22 year old vote was largely unsolicited. It was popularly believed that young adults are not interested in government and politics and therefore resign their voting rights. In reality, young college students are increasingly interested in national politics and social reforms, but frustratingly they find themselves with few candidates that adequately represent the voice and needs of the young adult community. College graduates are younger these days, and upon leaving college, they often find themselves in a job market hesitant to gamble on young guns just out of college. Many graduates face age discrimination as they compete for high-paying jobs that demand high standards of education. Most employers prefer older, more experienced candidates when interviewing for vital positions, and the well-groomed, highly qualified, recent graduate is frequently overlooked. Age discrimination is a form of oppression founded on social customs that suggest one must pay his dues and follow the lead of his elders. These ideas are simply archaic and ineffectual in a world where technology is exponentially increasing and today's youngster is often more techno-savvy than his parents. Many social injustices existed during the time in which Ernest J. Gaines' famous novel was set. Grant was enlisted by Miss Emma to help Jefferson die like a man, rather than a "hog." During racial inequality in the Deep South, African Americans were sometimes viewed as less than human or even animals. Jefferson had to rise above this notion to help his community understand that a black man is a man with pride, dignity, and feelings, no less than a white man and far more than the animal he had been reduced to. Young adults are sometimes perceived as less than adult and are often overlooked or viewed as a public nuisance in many communities. Like Jefferson, college students should work hard to rise above the stereotypes and demand a voice and representation in society. Gaines's novel examines the difficulties facing African Americans in the rural South during the 1940s, but the historical content covers nearly a century. Between 1910 and 1970, more than six million blacks left the South. During this time, the Civil Rights Movement did much to increase civil equality among the races. But, these strides did not come without blood, sweat, and tears. Jefferson's struggle in the novel parallels the paramount effort, determination, and persistence made by many African Americans during the Civil Rights movement. The road was long, but the benefits of staying the course were innumerable. College students can learn a lot from Gaines's novel. Discrimination and oppression still exist in 2005 even though it has taken on new forms and faces. No fight worth fighting is ever easy, and if college students want to change society, they must stand for their rights and use their voices. Works Cited Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. Vintage Press. New York, NY. September, 1997. Read More