Generation to Generation: African Americans- The Perpetual Search for Accepted Identity or Servile Socioeconomic Standard?: Final Exam

President Obama in Rosa Parks' iconic Montgomery, AL bus
on the 57th Anniversary of the event via the White House Twitter
December 2nd, 2012

"Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and hopefully, we shall overcome," said the late, great civil rights activist, Rosa Parks (emphasis added). On December 1st, 1955, Parks took a stand against prejudice versus African Americans by sitting in a seat on a public transit bus that was originally designated for whites only. Parks, like many before her, hoped that by her actions, the future could be fairer for people of her race and there would be more opportunities accessible. The photo of President Obama sitting on the Rosa Parks bus on the 57th anniversary is a significant artifact in American History because it demonstrates that despite their previous bondage, the perpetual search of African Americans for an equal voices continues to this day in hopes of making the future more just.

Sojourner Truth

In the image above, President Obama, the first black President, is sitting on the iconic bus, which was one of the first symbols/ attempts of African Americans at equal rights. He is posed in the same position as Parks was, hands clasped together on lap, looking out the window to the viewer's right side. I interpret the direction of his face, with a determined expression, as thinking about looking forward to the future, where hopefully, based on Parks' own words, it will be fairer. The photographer took the image of Obama sitting alone on the bus to make sure he was the main subject and focal point. Also, I think the image displays how while the US has gone very far, there is still room to grow in the future.

Speaking of women in the plight of African American freedom, one of the first was Sojourner Truth. Truth, a slave turned abolitionist, had herself professionally photographed in what was called a 'carte-de-visite' in the 1860's. In the daguerreotype print, Truth is shown dressed well and as a 'free woman in control of her own image'. On some of Truth 'carte-de-visites' her quote, "I sell the shadow to support the substance," is printed. I interpreted the shadow as being slavery and the substance as the abolition of slavery. She is pictured with her arms flexed at her sides and defiant for equal rights. In comparison to the image of Obama, while she is not looking to the right, like Obama was, Truth is looking straight at the camera, which was a big step for the time, considering how blacks were usually photographed looking up, down or away, as if unimportant and unfocused. In this image, Truth is pointing to a portrait of her grandson, who served in the Union army. I think that Truth wants to say that black soldiers are a good first step, but what does the future of possibilities hold?

The image of Obama above presents him in a public transit bus. Transportation is often used as a metaphor for moving forward, getting somewhere and accomplishing a goal. The 20th century play, Jitney, by August Wilson, takes place in a black jitney cab station. The boss, Becker talks to his son, Booster, about the plight of wanting the next generation to be more successful than the previous, "I tried to fix it so you didn't have to follow up behind me, so you could go on and go further. So you have a better life. I did without so you could have," (44). The previous generation sometimes has to make sacrifices and do 'without' so that the next could help the cause, similar to how Rosa Parks had to be arrested in order for people like Obama to be able to become President.  

Parents want what is best for their children. The famous ballet choreographer, Bill T. Jones, described in a podcast about how his father, "completely out of work and broken" had a very insignificant job in a factory far away and "was a poor black man with no car, and no picked him up." In the analogy of transportation as a means of moving forward, no one helped Jones' father reach his metaphorical goal of providing for his family, and giving his children hope. This has happened in the past many times for African Americans. The rich people at the times of Jones' childhood (about the 1960's) were predominantly white, and probably owned more cars than black people did. Sometimes African Americans have to fight the system alone, because at the end of the day, Jones' father did make it to work, on foot, which made the accomplishment all the more meaningful.

President Obama, in his book, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Racism and Inheritance, said that "my identity might begin with the fact of my race, but it didn't, couldn't end there." African Americans are Americans after all, and deserve to be given the same rights as anyone else in the United States. While there is still more work to be done, the efforts of figures like Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, August Wilson, Bill T. Jones, and President Obama have proudly shown what it means to not only be American, but to inspire others races as well in the next generation and beyond.