Racism

Racism is defined as discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race. Many civil rights activists such as Colin Powell, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X expressed their beliefs about racism and each of them became leaders of their time. Editor John Chaffee chose to include essays and autobiographies from these leaders in his book. Nonetheless, he didn’t choose stories that involve the violent and prejudiced times each of them went through. None of them talk about abusive action happening or even occurring in the past. With the excerpts or essays only including a little racial bias, it causes readers to believe these leaders never experienced the harsh effects of racism during their time.

Secretary of State Colin Powell talks about the effects of racism in an excerpt from his autobiography My American Journey. However, only this piece is chosen out of the biography, most likely leaving out parts about the real effects and issues of racism he dealt with. This forces readers to believe nothing exceptionally racist ever happened to Powell, or that he ever really felt severely discriminated against.

Colin Powell graduated from the City College of New York with a degree in geology, where he participated in ROTC. He then went on to serve the Army for thirty-five years. In this excerpt Powell wrote about a specific time during his army years when he had to go down south to Georgia for the first time. He wrote about what he was allowed to do as a black man in public. “I could go into a department store and they would take my money, as long as I did not try to use the men’s room. I could walk along the street, as long as I did not look at a white woman..”(11) There is never any indication of what would happen if he did look at a white woman, or use the men’s room. He only states what he couldn’t do, never saying anything about what effect would occur.

Also, Powell went to a drive-in hamburger place one night, and a waitress came out telling him that she didn’t understand why, but she couldn’t serve him. She offered to pass him a hamburger out the back window but Powell drove away in fury, still confused about racism. “I could see the faces of the owner and his customers in the restaurant windows enjoying this little exercise in humiliation.” He was clearly embarrassed, but he doesn’t say what would have happened if he had gone into the restaurant. The readers of the book don’t think anything drastically racist ever happened to Powell, because only this excerpt is chosen.

He talked about not giving into rage about the whole ordeal, and looking forward to succeeding in his army career. “Nothing that happened off-post, none of the indignities, none of the injustices, was going to inhibit my performance.” “I occasionally felt hurt; I felt anger; but most of all I felt challenged.” Racism affected Colin Powell but he chose to use this anger to motivate him. He felt racism wasn’t a black problem but rather an American problem. He wrote in a tone of agitation to express what was being done at the time, but continually noted that it wouldn’t affect him. Most likely Powell struggled through extremely racist times, but not in this excerpt. Chaffee chose this excerpt and therefore readers believe Colin Powell didn’t endure hard times, and what he went though was good because it motivated him.

Martin Luther King Jr. dealt with racism all his life but used his intelligence from what he learned and speaking ability to inspire his followers. Once again, Chaffee chose to include another story that doesn’t involve the real racism, only a man speaking about changes and the future for black rights. In his speech, “I Have a Dream,” King spoke of America’s creed that was enabled through the Emancipation Proclamation one hundred years ago. He spoke of the future, how things will be different under God with freedom of race. “The Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.”(182) African-Americans were treated much worse than how King describes it in this speech. In other stories or events, he would most likely talk about the violent racism and prejudice that occurred. Chaffee chooses to leave out these stories, giving readers the impression that King never endured the true effects of racism, he only spoke about overcoming it.

Martin Luther King Jr. was most definitely a gifted civil rights advocate who became famous for his speeches. He often used peaceful marches and demonstrations to promote black rights. He spoke to inspire all his listeners, and was a very provocative speaker. “Now is the time to make real the promises of Democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”(182) King spoke