The "American Dream"....?!?!?!?
 

With all the posts that are going on in here and elsewhere on Greekchat, I started thinking...

Given the fact that many children/teenagers are having kids at early ages, the increase in single-parent families, increase in high school dropouts, shoot for that fact, middle school dropouts, sperm thieves (see the SGRHO forum for details http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif) etc. does the idea of the American Dream still exist?

Back in the day, that "dream" meant that everyone would have 2.2 kids or so, a house, a dog, a car, and a white picket fence and live happily ever after.

Now, that we are in the 21st century, is this still a reality? Or is there a NEW AMERICAN DREAM out there? If so what is it? Are we still striving to reach that dream?
Or was it EVER a dream?

Just curious...

[This message has been edited by AKA2D '91 (edited February 06, 2001).]

I think there is still a "dream" but it means different things to different people, and everyone has a different idea of how to obtain it. I believe it was and still is a reality, but the motivation and determination must be present. Maybe it has to be adjusted for the world we live in today, but I think the basic concept is still alive and well.

Even in today's society, we have witnessed or heard of people in similar situations (teenage pregnancy, high school drop-outs, living in poverty, etc.) who have beat the odds to lead successful lives and obtain their dream. So, it is still possible. I think we just need to go back to helping each other more and get back to some good old-fashioned discipline and respect.

I've thought about this question ever since I first saw it posted, and I thought I had an answer...but it wasn't until last night that a real answer came to me. I went to this speech by Dr. Claud Anderson (wrote Black Labor, White Wealth; Dirty Little Secrets about Black History; Powernomics. In his books, he discusses the brutal realities of Black America, and provides economic means by which we can and must improve our situation.
He writes: "...on the eve of the Civil War, records indicated that more than 50 percent of free blacks were paupers; all free blacks collectively held less than one-half of one percent of the nation's wealth...A century later, in the 1960's an era consierd by many as "great decade of progress for blacks," more than 55 percent of all the blacks in America were STILL impoverished and below the poverty line. And, blacks barely held one percent of the nations wealth." (Black Labor, White Wealth, p 13).
The American Dream, was meant to be just that--American (meaning that Blacks were not intended to participate). Now as African descendents in America we have to take the ideals of that dream, and interpret them for us. The American dream (society, really) is individualistic...rugged individualism to the extreme really. But if we take the other ideals of that dream (like self improvement, prosperity, etc) and apply them on a COMMUNITY basis, I think it can happen.

What do the rest of you think?

You are correct in your assessment however descendents of Afrikans in amerikkklan are only allowed to just dream, if that. My Soror Maya Angelou wrote a poem entitled, "Dream Deferred". And if you know something about how humans dream, most of the time we forgot what we were dreaming. So really, the question is are we suppose to just "forget it"???

Although I haven't read this book, it would be nice if we could use europee-on ideology to change ourselves, but for the masses of Black folks, that ideology seems not be working.

I guess I am just a conspiracy theorist... Somebody planned for some crazy stuff like this to happen. Ask yourself (generally speaking) this question: are you gonna LET THEM tell you what you are to dream or are you gonna go against their "grain"???

So, for me, I've decided that I ain't gonna be one of the impoverished black folks. I'm gonna be one of the rich ones! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/tongue.gif

And when I say rich, not only am I talking about material wealth, but more like spiritual wealth...



[This message has been edited by AKA_Monet (edited February 09, 2001).]