Excersising Your Sociological Imagination - 1137 Words

Assignment #1: Exercising Your Sociological Imagination Working hard has never been a problem in my life; it s the question of Will it ever be enough, that plagues my mind. I am from London, Ohio, which is a small town twenty minutes west of Columbus. The town in which I grew up is predominantly white; blacks make up about 5% of the total population. By the standards of our society I am within that 5%, being born of a black man and a white woman. It wasn t far along in my education that I learned I started behind. Not only was I African-American but a member of the poor working class. The school system was a decent one, but it doesn t compare to that of private schools. A private Catholic High School that is twenty minutes from†¦show more content†¦Once my parents instilled upon me the importance of an education I knew I had to go to college. I chose one of the best in the country, knowing that it would be my key to a successful future. After arriving at the University of Michigan I have noticed many of the same stereotypes hold true on a said culturally diverse environment. My friends and I walk everywhere and when we do I see the faces of those in my hometown. A quick look in the face then they look away or to the ground, everywhere you go the same thing occurs. A black man is not given credit for much except being intimidating. The do-rag and backwards hat seem to scare people and in their cowardice they perpetuate all the stereotypes and notions of black people. Blacks are not expected to be here in vast numbers and if they are it was probably a mistake. Even the educated community of Michigan holds beliefs that are true of our society. I believe that if people just stopped and talked with me for a few minutes they would see how wrong they were. They could see that being educated does not apply just to the rich and white, that those who are poor or of a minority are capable of those things also. I am a poor class black man. There are certain things I am just not supposed to do or be. When you start out life behind you have to work that much harder to get ahead. I believe that our society is unjust. Those who are poor are viewed as lazy no matter how hard they work. They must