The american dream is “the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone’ (Investopedia). One of the greatest debates today is about the American Dream; is it still achievable? Although some people might not agree, the American Dream is still possible. With enough hard work and determination, anyone is capable of living the American Dream. The American dream is being capable of controlling your life. Being able to making decisions for your personal benefit are things are things that not everybody in this world is guaranteed. This was the reason many moved here in like seventeen and eighteen-hundreds. …show more content…
Some people wanted to be able to practice their own religions and beliefs. Some people in the early nineteen-hundreds moved here in search of jobs and the possibility to live a life where they could make money. This dream is still alive. Many people from different countries look to America as an opportunity to live a life that they want. No one but themselves will control what they do and how they live. Being able to control yourself and all your choices is what the American Dream is all about. Not always was the American Dream always achievable for everybody. Back in the 1960s for example there was a greater push for equal rights among African Americans. This movement commonly known as the Civil Rights movement had changed America forever. “The civil rights movement encompassed the fight against racial segregation in the United States, demands for full voting rights for African Americans, and the drive to end legal discrimination based on race” (ABC-CLIO, Civil Rights Movement). Black people were never given the same chance as white people to succeed in the American Dream. Blacks were forced to live under restricted rules which kept them from living the lives which they desired. Being denied simple things such as the right to vote, sit where they would like on a bus, and being able to get a job wherever they had desired had created a major issue. It wasn't until 1965 that the Voting Rights Act was passed giving the blacks the rights to vote. “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 attempted to ensure African Americans access to the polls in the wake of a whole series of legislative mechanisms—poll taxes, the all-white primary, literacy and understanding tests, and grandfather clauses—employed by whites to prevent African Americans from exercising their constitutional right to vote”(ABC-CLIO Civil Rights). So even when they were given the right to vote, they were not truly free. They felt their lack of rights impacted their lives and incapability of achieving the American Dream. One of the most famous men responsible for the Civil Rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. Born into a time of segregation MLK had a hard time growing up like other white kids did. He attended Booker T Washington high school and later attended Morehouse college. He pursued a major in sociology which helped him obtain his ability to encourage and lead people in the movement of equal rights. He became a baptist minister and became an assistant pastor to his father. “In 1948, King went north to Chester, Pennsylvania,, where he entered Crozer Theological Seminary as one of six African-American students among some 90 whites. At Crozer, he first became acquainted with the Social Gospel movement of Walter Rauschenbusch and the works of Mohandas Gandhi, who had been assassinated in early 1948. He graduated with a bachelor in divinity degree in 1951, having been president of the senior class, the top student, and winner of a graduate fellowship” (ABC_CLIO MLK). Being part of the Crozer helped him get into Boston University and studied Philosophy. “The previous year, however, King had been called to his first ministry at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama a strictly segregated city like any other in the South” ABC_CLIO MLK). While becoming known for his protests in the south, Rosa Parks was arrested for violating the bus policy and not moving to the back of the bus for a white man. This was when MLK’s name was truly made in the south. He became so famous the FBI had created a record on him. “From the outset, the FBI maintained that those organizations were either run by communists or were ripe for significant communist infiltration. During the SCLC's formative years, the FBI used covert means to obtain information about King and other members. In 1963, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy authorized the FBI to wiretap King's telephone. By the time King was assassinated in 1968, the FBI had collected more than 16,000 pages of information on him without his permission” ( ABC_CLIO endangered civil liberties). He was the man who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This costed Montgomery, Alabama thousands of dollars when the blacks refused to ride buses who made up for nearly ¾ of the people who took the bus. It was until the government noticed how strong the movement MLK had led that they abolished the rule of segregation on the buses. MLK would go on to be elected as the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SClC). He practiced the teachings of Gandhi, and civil disobedience. He supported the movement of Civil rights so much he agreed to be arrested in Birmingham where he wrote his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. He led famous movements like the Walk on Washington where he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. Being a very influential man, MLK had spread the need and desire for equality. He felt every man no matter his or her race deserve a chance at succeeding. The American Dream should be able to be accomplished, not just based on race. Although MLK was assassinated on April 4th, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee, he set the guidelines for blacks to gain their rights. If it wasn't for MLK, blacks wouldn't have the same chance they do today to succeed in living the American Dream. One of the greatest examples of achieving the American Dream is Oprah Winfrey.
Born on January 29,1924 in Kosciusko, Mississippi born to a poor family who split apart, Oprah was forced to live with her grandmother. Being a very intelligent girl, Oprah had skipped first and second grade. At the age of six, she moved to Milwaukee Wisconsin with her mom and became very interested in reciting poetry at African American social functions. “When she visited her father in Nashville when she was 12, Winfrey won $500 for a speech she gave at his church. That very night, she made up her mind that she wanted to "be paid to talk."”(ABC_CLIO Oprah). If times weren't tough enough for a black girl, Oprah was sexually assaulted by a trusted man in the family. After moving back with her father who was a strict man with education, Oprah had won an Elks club Oratory contest. This led to her getting a job at a local radio station everyday for a half hour. The way she talked, people really enjoyed and she became more and more popular. She went on to be a co anchor on the ABC in Baltimore, later being promoted to local updates during Good Morning America, and then hosting a Baltimore morning talk show. However this wasn't enough for Oprah she desired to take the American Dream even fuller. She took over AM Chicago and made it her own show wither her own style which created over a $150 million in its first year. By 1989 The Oprah Show was bringing in over $300 million dollars a year. Being a complete natural at what she did Oprah was able to complete her American Dream. Oprah had conquered the battle against discrimination, continued to push herself even past the rape, and managed to achieve her goal. “Worth $1.5 billion dollars according to Forbes magazine, Winfrey spends countless amounts of her own money helping the less fortunate” ( ABC CLIO Oprah). SHe is one of the greatest success stories known to man and even tries to help others achieve their
dreams. The American Dream is seen to be hard to achieve in present time America. However if we thought it was hard, we should think back to the times of segregation and the inequalities between blacks and whites. MLK had dedicated his whole life towards pushing for the equal chance for blacks and whites to succeed. He believed blacks deserved an equal chance to achieve the American Dream. Oprah Winfrey was able to do that. If it wasnt for the Civil Rights push by MLK Oprah might not be as famous as she is today. Now that Oprah was able to achieve her American Dream and is worth $1.5 billion, she tries to spread the dream and help others which are less fortunate. Some see the American dream as being able to support yourself, others see it as equal living, and others see it as becoming rich. All of these are possible if you work hard enough and have a goal. If you have a dream, just let America do the rest. The American Dream is achievable.
The American Dream is something that anyone no matter their background, social standings, or ethnicity can improve their life through hard work.
The term “American Dream” is defined as an idea which believes that all people have the possibility of prosperity and success. The idea first came from James Adams, a noted American writer and historian. He claimed, “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.” Therefore, the core concepts of the American Dream were closely linked to hard work and opportunity.
Oprah Winfrey is as American entrepreneur and a popular talk show host. She was born on January 29 1954 in Kosciusko Mississippi. She was the result of a broken teenage relationship and teenage pregnancy so as you can imagine it had quite an impact on her development as she grew up. Against all odds she became a very successful woman and is currently worth 2.8 billion USD.
The American Dream. What is it exactly? Well, it is the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. However, can everyone really achieve it? Yes, anyone can achieve the American Dream with enough hard work and dedication to pursue a good life. In order to maintain the American Dream there are some important ways to achieve it. Such as: a strong work ethic, a good education, and being determined.
First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bill without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1). “At the core of the concept is the individual’s responsibility to aim for and achieve the American dream by working hard and taking advantage of the freedom offered to them by the country” (“The American Dream” 1). “A recent nationwide survey from LearnVest found that 43 percent of Americans today feel the dream is attainable for everyone - and about the same percentage feels that it’s within their grasp, personally,” notes Camille Noe Pagan. “For American Dreamers today,” states Nicole, ...
Winfrey’s early life was filled with arduous hurdles from the beginning, she was raised in a small podunk town in Mississippi that was anything but safe for a young girl, but on top of that she was raised by a single mother who was not around nearly enough. However the most formidable part of her upbringing was, she was sexually abused by ‘family friends’ and relatives on multiple occasions starting from the age of just nine. At twelve she was sent away to middle Tennessee to live with her father, there she realised her passion, she began giving speeches in front of her church and ultimately came to the conclusion that she wanted to speak for a living. Without her parents divorce Winfrey might have never figured out her passion of speaking to people until it was too late, this was a hidden advantage in the making of her success. However all too soon she had to leave the comfort of her father’s home where she could pursue her interest and journey back to her mother, where she was sadly yet again
Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration to many all around the world. She did not have a very good home life up until the age of 14. She was abused as a child and did not see her mother very often because she was a housemaid who was gone almost every day all day. Vernon Winfrey, Oprah’s father, was a big service in her life when it came to keeping her in a nonviolent manner. Oprah also had her career going for her when she became Miss Black Tennessee at age 17. When Oprah became Miss Black Tennessee she was offered a radio broadcasting job and a full scholarship to Tennessee. Oprah had quite a few talk shows yet she made the most money off her own show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and now has her individual network called The Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah Winfrey’s influential style greatly impacted those who came after her in the entertainment industry.
"I think the American Dream says that anything can happen if you work hard enough at it and are persistent, and have some ability. The sky is the limit to what you can build, and what can happen to you and your family," expressed Sanford I. Weill. The American Dream is still alive and obtainable. Many people have a definition of the American Dream that is obtainable in their minds. People all have unique individual lives.
The American dream is the idea held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity.
When daytime talk show programs first appeared on television in the 1950s, they mostly consisted of celebrities gathered around a coffee table discussing secrets about trivial things, such as how to make the best sponge cake. It is unlikely that these shows promoted positive changes in the lives of their viewers in any substantial way. In the early 1970s, Phil Donahue introduced a new variety of talk show. His show was characterized as "an exercise in sociopolitical discourse," but was, in actuality, more successful for its coverage of titillating issues than important ones (Moorti sc 2-3).
"The American Dream" is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguish by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. The American Dream is often something that humanity wonders about. What is the American dream? Many people discover success in a range of things. There are many different definitions of the American Dream. However, the American Dream embraces prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era.
In modern society, the American Dream has become all about making money and less about doing what makes you happy (Gathright). Although the American Dream was built on the foundations that anyone, no matter who they are or where they came from, could achieve it, the truth is that there are several factors that determine someone 's chances of obtaining the dream, including race, gender, and social status. Your backgrounds play a big role in determining whether you will be able to achieve the "American Dream".
Today, women are entering the leadership sphere, which is mainly occupied by men. Many women leaders believe that people perform best when they feel good about themselves and their work. An effective leader creates results, reaches goals and deadlines, and quickly recognizes vision and objectives with high level of quality and productivity. To accomplish these, a leader should have special qualities like able to motivate others, specific and technical skill set, clear sense of purpose, mission, clear goals, focus and commitment. Over the years, women have proven themselves to be successful leaders as men. For instance, Oprah Winfrey, one of the most successful and famous African-American women in history to have made a huge impact and difference
The American Dream is a circumstance for every people in America to believe what they can do for their own and take advantage of every opportunity that gave them the chance to live in the country. That advantage will lead to a fact that life only flows on how the world has gone on, and on how the citizens of America reacts to it. Every person in America has a different perspective on life, to the point when they will look for a solution on how they will approach for their dream to live comfortably. American Dream is a dream that makes people experience challenges in life due to diversified circumstances present in the country.
For most people growing up is filled with memories of joy and happiness. A childhood should be filled with affection and care, but Oprah did not always feel those things. Oprah did not have such a great upbringing, but despite the odds she rose up and became who she had wanted to be. Oprah had dealt with many accounts of sexual abuse, the lack of attention from her mother, and moving from place-to-place for most of her early years (Fry, web). Not only was Oprah faced sexual abuse, but she also became pregnant from one of the instances (Fry, web). This made things even more difficult for the young Oprah.