Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur - Free Essay Example

African-Americans have always been treated unfairly in America, and over the past 100 to 200 years, it has gotten better, but there is still a lot of struggle that the Black community, specifically Black men, deal with in 2018. Two well known poets, Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur, focused specifically on the struggle of the Black community. Though Hughes was mainly active from the mid 1900s to the mid 1960s and Shakur more recent, from the 90s, these poets shared the same sentiment. Through their poetry, Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur demonstrate the theme of the struggle of the black community, specifically black men, in America. For many, understanding the black experience in America is near to impossible unless, of course, you are black. Black people have had to fight and protest for everything that a non person of color was given, mainly freedom, education, and the right to vote. Some examples being the Selma march led by Martin Luther King, Jr., the race riots in the 1960s and the early 90s that came about from police brutality, and more recently the protests/riots and development of Black Lives Matter to fight how blacks are being murdered by mostly white police officers. Blacks have always wanted to be seen as equal and instead are seen as dangerous, scary, unintelligent, and lazy. African-Americans as a community are treated differently, but within recent years it seems as if black men have been more on the chopping block, especially with police brutality. Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur speak out about this unfair treatment through their poetry. Hughes and Shakur focus on the poverty and oppression on the black community, with Shakur focused more on police brutality. This makes sense based on when the two were born and what they personally experienced at the time. Both poets simply expressed that they want African-Americans to be seen as equals, and even when they are gone, they want their message to live on so that future generations can view themselves as something more than a stereotype. Langston Hughes (1902-1967), was born in Missouri to his parents, but was raised by his grandmother because his parents were constantly working; his father not even in the states. Hughes passion for writing started when he was very young. Because he was alone a lot, Hughes read a lot of books and listened to the stories his grandmother would tell him. His grandmothers stories were based on her life, and revolved mainly around race. This inspired Hughes to take his writing from his own life as well, and a lot of this can be seen in some of the first plays Hughes wrote. Hughes and his father viewed race very differently, and this was emulated in Hughes play Mulatto, which reflects his own relationship with his father (Darwin T. Turner 297). Scholar David Roessel writes that Hughes mentions in his autobiography, The Big Sea, My father hated Negroes. I think he hated himself, too, for being a Negro. Hughes loved his people and this was one of his main reasons for moving to Harlem, to be around more black people, and this is where a lot of his more well known poetry was written. Langston Hughes purpose behind his poetry was to bring attention to the state of Blacks (Leon Lewis). This is seen in Hughes use of imagery and symbolism in his poetry, one of which being Theme for English B (1951). In this poem, a young black student at an all white college is given an assignment by his white professor to write one page about themselves or their truth. Lines 27 and 28 read So will my page be colored that I write?/Being me it will not be white. (l.l. 27-28). These lines show the dilemma of a black student trying to figure out if he will be honest and put his black truth down or write something he knows his instructor wants to see. The student is letting his professor know that if he wants the truth of a black man in America, it will not be white washed [to conceal or cover up]. Then in lines 29-33,But it will be/a part of you instructor./You are white†/yet a part of me, as I am a part of you./Thats American. (l.l. 29-33), the student is telling his professor that he, the student, is just as much a part of America as he, the instructor, is and that they should not be treated or looked at differently. In lines 34-36, Sometimes perhaps you dont want to be a part of me./Nor do I often want to be a part of you./But we are, thats true! (l.l. 34-36), the student is expressing that even though blacks and white should not be seen differently, they are. The whites clearly do not want to be a part of the blacks and with the way blacks are getting treated by whites, they do not want to be apart of the whites either. However, they are still apart of each other, whether they like it or not. Finally in lines 37-40, I guess you learn from me†/although youre older†and white†/and somewhat more free/This is my page for English B. (l.l. 37-40), the student is showing his instructor that even though he is the student, he is teaching the teacher about the black truth. Telling his instructor that white people are more free is his truth. For black men in America, there is not as much freedom as whites. This is where the reader understands that what they read is what the white professor will read. This was the black students page. Though this poem was written in 1951, the words and message Hughes wanted to convey with this poem still holds true to today. Blacks are treated differently than whites and even though we all live in the same coun try and should still have the same rights, blacks are seen as less than. It makes you wonder if things have actually changed or if we have just gotten better at covering it up. Blacks are mainly treated differently when it comes to the justice system, specifically concerning police brutality. Another poet who made a career out of bringing attention to this topic was Tupac Shakur. Tupac was passionate about police brutality, and how the police treated black people, and this is evident in his lyrics and imagery. Tupac Shakur (1971-1996) was born in Harlem, New York to his mother Afeni Shakur, who was a Black Panther, and was arrested while pregnant with Tupac. She defended herself in court and beat her own case. Tupac was raised around people with strong convictions about black struggle. Along with his mother, his step father and godfather were not only apart of the Black Panthers, but held high positions of leadership in the organization. Tupacs biological father was not in the Panthers, but respected their message and how they looked out for each other. Even though Tupac was conceived through a one night stand, he believes that because he was formed from black love, his life and legacy should be about the advancement of black people. Tupacs message was for black people to never stop fighting and to not accept the limitations that are being put on them. In Tupacs poem/song Changes (1998), he uses strong imagery to give the reader a peek into the way life is for the blacks in the ghetto. This is first seen in lines 2-5, I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself/Is life worth living should I blast myself?/Im tired of bein poor and even worse Im black/My stomach hurts so Im lookin for a purse to snatch (l.l. 2-5). Tupac used the imagery of the typical black experience in the ghetto. Waking up in the morning is something we can all relate to, but imagine waking up and the first thought you have is that your life is so horrible that you contemplate suicide. Then in addition to that feeling, you are hungry but there is no food, so in order to have money to eat, you have to resort to robbery. This also relates to line 67, And I aint never did a crime I aint have to do (l.l. 67). Tupac is expressing through this line that in the ghetto, most crimes are committed because they have to be. In an interview with Tanya Hart, Tupac made a crucial point that relates to line 67 by saying, How can a white person give the money to the ghetto and they scared to come to the ghetto? (Shakur 10:16). Blacks are not being given any money or opportunity because no one wants to help the ghetto, so blacks in the ghetto have to result to crime to meet their basic needs; food, water, shelter. Blacks being forced into crime obviously leads to police brutality because when you commit a crime, you get caught by the police. Tupacs issue is that the police do not care to know why the crime is being committed, they do not see the criminal as a person. The police just want to arrest the criminal and feel like they are doing something good, when all they are doing is really contributing to the problem. This proven through lines 6-7, Cops give a damn about a negro/Pull the trigger kill a nigga hes a hero (l.l. 6-7). The police are supposed to be seen as people who are there to help, but when they are just killing off blacks, it pushes blacks to be angry. When you see your people being treated that way, it allows you to see who your enemy really is and makes you want to fight back. With this type of treatment going on, how are black people supposed to view themselves? If you treat someone a certain way, sooner or later they will start to believe that they are who they are being treated as. So if a group of people are being treated like criminals and treated as if they have nothing to offer to the world but that [crime], what do you expect? Tupac understands this because of his personal experiences with police and his familys experience with police. Police are constantly treating blacks unfairly in plain view, and no one cares. This is shown in lines 42 and 43, It aint a secret dont conceal the fact/The penitentiarys packed, and its filled with blacks (l.l. 42-43). The imagery in those lines are g iving the reader an image of jail and how black men are the most incarcerated. When black men feel constantly under the radar, it lessens their self view and makes them feel like they can never truly rest because they feel like they have to be on their best behavior at all times. Tupac expresses this feeling in lines 77 and 78, And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped/And I never get to lay back (l.l. 77-78). This line shows the image of never getting a chance to fully relax and be okay because black people are always worried about themselves or their people. Tupac Shakur simply wanted change for his people and wanted the black experience to be known and used strong imagery in his poems to do that. Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur were both very similar in their message and how they wanted to convey that message. Both poets wanted more for the black community. They wanted blacks to be equal, and understood the anger behind the protests and the riots. In an interview with Abbie Kearse, Tupac makes a great analogy about why black people are so angry with how we get treated. The interview takes place in a hotel room and Tupac says, If I know that in this hotel room they have food every day, and Im knocking on the door every day to eat, and they open the door, let me see the party, let me see like them throwing salami all over the..I mean just like throwing food around but they telling me theres no food in there.Im standing outside trying to sing my way inWe are hungry please let us in, we are hungry please let us in. After about a week, that song is gonna change to We hungry, we need some food. After two, three weeks its like you know, Give me all the food or we breakin down the d oor, After a year its Im pickin the lock comin through the door blastin. (Shakur 1:58-2:37). This analogy is so good and relates to Hughes poem Harlem, What happens to a dream deferred?/Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?/Or fester like a sore†/And then run?/Does it stink like rotten meat?/Or crust and sugar over†/like a syrupy sweet?/Maybe it just sags/like a heavy load./Or does it explode? (Hughes 170). The last line of that poem goes hand in hand with Tupacs food analogy. After all these years of trying to do it the right way or the nice way, how else are we supposed to attack the problem? When is enough enough? Both poets understood the anger and hurt of being treated less than and wanted more. Another similarity between Shakur and Hughes was that they wanted blacks to be seen as more than entertainers. Hughes realized this at a young age and noticed that whites were only fond of blacks if they were being entertaining, but as soon as the blacks wanted to speak u p or sounded intelligent, they got shut down. Tupac also pushed this idea and wanted more blacks to go to school and demand respect with their intelligence and not be another rich athlete or entertainer. Lastly, the main similarity between Hughes and Shakur is that they wanted to leave a legacy for younger black generations to keep fighting for equality. They both knew that the best way for anything to change was to leave behind an encouraging message for those to come. In conclusion, because of people like Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur, we have groups today like Black Lives Matter that fight for black people to be seen as equal, and carry on the message that black people are more than criminals and should have the same respect as white people. Shakur and Hughes loved their people and wanted nothing more than to see black people overcome the typical stereotypes. I relate to this message on a personal level. As a black woman, I am constantly thinking about how I come off to people. I have to watch how I react to things that are said to me sometimes because if I go off, then Im perpetuating the angry black woman stereotype. The few times I have been pulled over by a cop, I have to make sure my hands do not move until the officer tells me to get my I.D., and even then Im scared that they think Im reaching for something. I live it every day, and it is hard to not be angry or act like everything is fine because it is not. It is not okay that black peo ple or people of color are blatantly treated differently for the same thing a white person does, and we have no choice but to keep fighting for that equality until something changes. I believe that was what Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur wanted for their people, and they used their poetry to get that message across the best way they knew how. They took their personal struggles and the injustices that they saw, put it in their poetry using strong imagery to allow non-black people to try and understand the black experience in depth, and used that to leave behind a strong legacy to empower the black communities of today to not accept what they are being given, but to fight for more.

Should Prostitution Laws Be Legal - 1304 Words

Most people morally oppose the profession of prostitution because they consider it to be a taboo. While others believe that it is their right and personal freedom to choose what to do with their life and body. Recently, the debate about how laws should address prostitution legally has become a subject of legislative action. Prostitution itself is not a criminal offence under the Constitution, but there are certain laws under the Criminal Code that discourage it and makes it unlawful. For example, these sections made activities such as communicating for the purposes of prostitution, living off the avails of prostitution, and keeping a common bawdy house illegal. However, in the recent landmark case of Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford (2013), the constitutionality of these three laws was questioned. In this case, three former sex workers argued that these prostitution laws that were initially meant to protect them, put their safety at risk. More specifically, they argued that the ir section 7 right to security of the person, had been infringed upon by these prostitution laws. They claimed that striking down these laws that decriminalize prostitution can result in ensuring the security of sex workers. In response, the Harper government introduced Bill C-36, Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act in 2014, which sought to decriminalize parts of the existing prostitution laws. The constitutionality of prostitution law is a legal controversy that will beShow MoreRelatedProstitution Laws Should Be Legal968 Words   |  4 Pagessome people, but prostitution laws are actually inhibiting sex traffickers from being brought to justice. The primary reason being that prostitution laws obviously create a barrier between sex trafficking victims and the police. 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Would society lose decadesRead MoreProstitution And Its Effect On Society Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pages For a free society to keep violent crime to a minimum with little disturbance on individual liberty, government should, alongside prosecuting ‘victimless’ crimes, minimize the opportunity for the corrupt to create victims. Prostitution has been practiced in all ancient and modern cultures. In the United States, prostitution was originally widely legal. Prostitution was made illegal in almost all states between 1910 and 1915 due to the influence of the Woman s Christian Temperance Union which wasRead MoreThe Criminal Code And Prostitution1566 Words   |  7 PagesCriminal Code and Prostitution in Canada: A Historical Overview Prostitution has always been a topic of contention and controversy in Canada and other counties. Due to various perspectives on how prostitution should be addressed through law, the legal status of prostitution varies from country to country. Prostitution itself has always been legal in Canada, however many activities tied to it have been strategically criminalized by prostitution laws. Canadian prostitution laws have evolved from aRead MoreA Crime Against Public Morals1474 Words   |  6 Pagesas the song says, then why are there some many laws of control. The moral laws on the books are for public interest only many are not really even enforced. The one law I can justly say that the government really should remove is Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world. The world’s oldest profession, prostitution is quite simply the exchange of sex for money or property (commercial gain). Either soliciting or engaging in prostitution is a crime (Wallace, 2012). Every country has

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1195 Words

A common term heard when the American Dream is mentioned is â€Å"a self-made man.† This term refers to the goal of all Americans who are in the working or lower classes. They are not content with where they are in the social pyramid, so they strive to alter their social status. Gatsby, from The Great Gatsby, was one of these lower class citizens. He was not happy about his social standing and lack of money, so he made himself into a new man, one that he hoped Daisy would love even more. Gatsby is a true representation of â€Å"a self-made man† due to his recreation of himself that helped him evolve from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. â€Å"A self-made man† is not only a man or woman that is made by themselves, but also one that has transformed himself in a dramatic way. For example, a man who started as a poor farmer, then started his own business and made a large sum of money would be considered â€Å"a self-made man.† He created a new persona or identity for himself through his own actions. 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Merchant of Venice free essay sample

The hatred and greed mostly comes from Shylock because he has been mocked by people. Shylock is portrayed as a greedy character in the play. Shylock is a clownish Jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure that has been spat on. Shylock plays the antagonist. He is a moneylender, father to Jessica, enemy to Antonio. Shylock is also portrayed as an angry man and very greedy. Throughout the play, Shylocks attitude towards money and human relationships is very painful. When shylock hears about Jessica and Lorenzo’s elopement, he rages with a lot of anger. Shylock seems to be more worried about his ducats that Jessica stole than the fact that his daughter is gone. In Shylocks famous speech â€Å"Hath not a Jew eyes† is a powerful speech. He exposes the hypocrisy of the Christian characters that are always talking about love and mercy but then go their own way and make Shylock feel isolated because he is Jewish and different. Go, presently inquire, and so will I, Where money is, and I no question make to have it of my trust or for my sake. Antonio is explaining that even though all his fortunes are at sea, he will try to acquire a loan in order to pay for Bassanio’s trip to Belmont, in attempt to marry Portia. Antonio’s action can be positive or negative. It can be positive in a way that he truly cares about Bassanio and he respects that he is in love with Portia or negative because little does Antonio know, he will be potentially giving up his life for Bassanio. Later in the play another side of Antonio is revealed. Antonio is displayed as a hard cruel man, although a Christian, he displays hatred and contempt towards the Jewish race, usurers and especially towards Shylock. After kicking and spitting upon Shylock, Antonio shows no remorse or sympathy for the man he has abused. Antonio even goes to the point of saying I am as like to call thee so again, to spit on thee again, to spurn thee too. If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends, for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy; who if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty. These action are clearly motivated by hatred towards Shylock in a very negative way. They are negative because Antonio is treating Shylock with no respect and also physically abusing him at times. Even in what Antonio thought were his last days, he lovingly says, â€Å" Pray god Bassanio come to see me pay his debt (die), and then I care not† (3. 3. 38-39). Antonio is asking Bassanio to come see him one more time before he dies. This action is motivated by love because Antonio is not scared to die; he simply wants to see his best friend, who he loves one last time. Jessica’s love and hate are motivated in a positive and negative way. Her love for Lorenzo motivated her to run off with him and abandon her father, Shylock. This action can be either positive or negative because Jessica loves Lorenzo and it’s what she wants to do but she will be disobeying her father and leaving him behind. Jessica hated her father very much. She reveals this before she leaves by saying â€Å"I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so, our house is hell and thou a merry devil. Her hatred for her father motivated her to steal his jewels and ducats before she left. Jessica’s final words to her father were â€Å"Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter, lost. † (2. 6. 57-58). This action is negative because it is wrong for her to steal, especially from her father. From the motivation of both love for Lorenzo and hate for Shylock, Jessica converts to the Christian religion and plans to marry Lorenzo. Jessica reveals this saying â€Å" If thou promise, I shall end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife.† (2. 3. 20-21) These actions are positive. They are positive because Jessica is doing what her heart and love is telling her to do, even though her father does not agree. Hate is a very strong and dark emotion that motivates the actions of Shylock in a negative way. Shylock’s mind is set on one thing, the pound of flesh in which Antonio owes him for failing to pay back the bond. The bond i s â€Å" Three thousand ducats in three months from twelve. † (1. 3. 113-114) If Antonio fails to pay back the bond; Shylock is entitled to remove one pound of flesh from Antonio. Shylock expresses this demand of the pound of flesh by saying â€Å"Ill have my bond; speak not against my bond: I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond. † (3. 3. 5-6). This quote clearly identifies that shylock has sworn on oath that he will have his bond and nothing will get in his way until he gets what he deserves yet even when he is offered back double the money Shylock purely out of hate refuses. These actions are negative because Shylock can spare Antonio’s life, but from hate he chooses not to. The hate from Shylock to Antonio comes from his hatred of Christians. Shylock reveals this when he says, â€Å" I hate him for he is a Christian† (1. 3. 42). This quote indicates that Shylocks negative actions are all motivated from hatred because Antonio is simply a Christian. In conclusion, love and hate are two very common emotions expressed throughout the play Merchant Of Venice. Love and hate are two emotions that can motivate people to do both good and bad things. They both positively and negatively affect characters such as Antonio, Jessica and Shylock. 822 words