The Importance Of Reading For A Better Good, For The...

â€Å"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.† Frederick Douglass once said this for the purpose of promoting reading for the better good, for the freedom of African Americans. While his purpose no longer pertains to our modern world, his message is still carried in today’s society. Carl Sagan relates to the orator’s quote by saying, â€Å"Frederick Douglass taught that literacy is the path from slavery to freedom. There are many kinds of slavery and many kinds of freedom, but reading is still the path.† This couldn’t have been worded in any better way; Sagan is arguing that reading is the path to anything. A path to freedom, a path to imagination, a path for a child to follow on his road toward greatness. Reading is perhaps one of the oldest activities of the human race and still lives on today. Numerous forms of literature are the roots of our modern world that we see today. For example, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense is an inspiration for revolt against the British and is perhaps the sole reason for the American Revolution to take place. The great nation of America wouldn’t exist without the American Revolution which therefore wouldn’t have happened if Thomas Paine did not write, â€Å"One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise, she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule by giving mankind an ass for a lion.† Another example of literature changing the world can be The Wealth of Nations by AdamShow MoreRelatedEssay on Freedom1067 Words   |  5 Pages Freedom is defined as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. In An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs, Chief Joseph petitions for freedom. Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is a call for freedom. The texts written by Chief Joseph and King share many similar philosophies because the situations faced by two cultures, which are embodied in the texts, are similar. Chief Joseph represents a group of Native Americans who are restricted to land that they do not covetRead MoreBiography of Booker T. Washington1869 Words   |  7 PagesBooker T. Washington is a famous African American educator, author, civil rights activist, and philanthropist who is from Virginia (Wells). He is the man that promoted African American to rise above their status of trying to be equal with Caucasians by promoting education and economic self-determination. Washington’s life serves as an example of his philosophy or belief due to his experience of knowing where African Americans started after the Civil War, where they were headed, and resulted in changingRead More`` Dreams `` By Langston Hughes Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesConversely, one would argue that all humans have equal rights and freedom now a days. Yet there is still the unequal treatment between whites and blacks, as a country America has emerged from worse standings before with the aid of great visionaries. In the era of the Harlem Renaissance poets used art as a voice of reason. Granted, there were many poets who impacted the movement against racial inequality, Langston Hughes turned the pages with inspiring work. Whereas in Langston Hughes poem DreamsRead MoreDifferences Between Du Bois And Marcus Garvey1688 Words   |  7 Pagesand mass education a unified empire of people of African descent. Du Bois also op posed Marcus Garvey whom he considered a demagogue, although they shared a commitment to Pan-Africanism and the liberation of Africa. Du Bois rejected many of Garvey’s policies and mounted a campaign to expose corruption and mismanagement of Garvey’s famous Black Star Shipping Line: a black cross-continental trade venture. Pan-Africanism is â€Å"a movement of people of African descent from sub-Saharan Africa in the early twentiethRead MoreSojourner Truth And Garvey For African American Rights1448 Words   |  6 Pagesprimary document sources. Women have just as much to say, if not more than men, especially during times where they were denied basic rights. Sojourner Truth, Amy Garvey, and Ella Baker were all African American activists for human rights; Truth and Garvey for women’s rights and Baker for African American rights. Each woman brings a new perspective to the movements and has great reasoning. During a time when women weren’t allowed to say muc h, they had a great amount to say. Sojourner Truth was aRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s The Sonny s Blue Reading 1124 Words   |  5 Pageslived in Harlem. For instance in the sonny’s blue reading, the narrator mentioned he lived in a housing project and he said â€Å"I had the feeling that I was simply bringing him back into the danger he had almost died trying to escape†. The narrator and his bother sonny knew how dangerous, poor, and neglect neighbor they were living. Even sonny said â€Å"I wanted to leave Harlem so bad was to get away from drugs†. In the reading, he also focused in the importance of brothers boundaries. The relationship betweenRead MoreAfter the Fact: Bottom Rail on Top1721 Words   |  7 PagesAAfter The Fact: The View From the Bottom Rail Chris Bean Bl: A 5/29/12 Mr. Penza Summary of Chapter: With the sound of cannons and gunshots firing in the air, slaves in the south knew that freedom was coming to a nation of four million slaves. Union soldiers would be portrayed as bad foreigners from their masters, with, â€Å" long horns on their heads, and tushes in their mouths, and eyes sticking out like a cow.† (Page 171) Some slaves were overjoyed with rumors of emancipation and leaving their plantationsRead MoreEducation Is Not Preparation For Life1350 Words   |  6 Pagesdepriving someone of their education is depriving them of their life. Throughout the centuries, human beings have sought educational freedom. The United States of America has become a symbol for all who seek life, or education rather. Millions of people come to the United States, from less privileged countries, each year in hopes for a better education that is coupled with a better life. Today, unfortunately, the U.S has lost its edge in the education department. Many studies today show this failure , â€Å"theRead MoreEducation Is Not Preparation For Life1354 Words   |  6 Pagesdepriving someone of their education is depriving them of their life. Throughout the centuries, human beings have sought educational freedom. The United States of America has become a symbol for all who seek life, or education rather. Millions of people come to the United States, from less privileged countries, each year in hopes for a better education that is coupled with a better life. Today, unfortunately, the U.S has lost its edge in the educational department. Many studies today show this failure, â€Å"theRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Of Fareed Zakaria s The Rise Of Illiberal Democracy 1548 Words   |  7 Pagesassignment. The first is a summarization and my take on Zakaria’s article, along with answered questions from the assignment. The second is a research portion, provided by the listed sources, about the civil rights movement. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Zakaria articl e and it was an eye-opener looking into the civil rights movement. Fareed Zakaria’s â€Å"The Rise of Illiberal Democracy† details his view on elected governments and the ignorance and abuse of their power. He claims that they do not