Title of the Paper Essays (648 words) - Nationality, South Africa

Title of the Paper (African-American History Month ) Submitted By ( Kadeejah Johnson, [emailprotected] ) Number and Name of Course (Oral Communication - COMM 101) Class Meeting Time/Day (M/W/F: 9:00 A.M. - 9:50 A . M. ) Professor (Dr. Ephraim Okoro) Semester (Fall 2016) Today's Date (Monday December 5 , 2016) Bowie State University Department of Communications Bowie, Maryland Today's society should not only celebrate the African-American heroes in the month of February, but they should also remember them year around. Black History Month gives people the chance to reflect on African- American inventors, activists, slaves and even athletes, but to me it is a month to recognize the brilliance of the African-American race, and makes me proud to be an African-American woman. Black History Month covers three main topics: motivation, determination and destination. Martin Luther King Jr. proved to be a zealous motivational speaker for African-Americans, and even though he has passed, his message still lives on. Every February, people are realizing what I have known all along: that the promotion of African-Americans is highly important, and our ancestors have made a terrific difference in this country. With the strong will of the African-American people, conquering feats such as coming out of slavery, earning the right to vote and fighting for civil rights have created solid foundations to build an ongoing legacy for the future. Today, Dr. King is praised for the series of peaceful marches, boycotts and other feats to gain civil rights for African-Americans, motivating the new generation to look at trials from a peaceful standpoint. To me, he symbolizes the struggle of a Christian trying to follow what is right by refusing to conform to the world around him. Without this boost of motivation, there is no telling what would have become of African-Americans during this period. With motivation comes the determination to finish out what one has started, and Nelson Mandela is the perfect depiction of a determined leader for the African-American people. "I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death." This famous quote by Nelson Mandela shows the determined attitude he had about changing the world. Mandela showed the world that patience and determination are required for many situations in life. Without determination, nothing would get done efficiently, and the effectiveness that determination has had on the African-American population is shown through our current President Barack Obama. The destination for success ends with fulfilling one's true purpose in life. President Barack Obama is the opening chapter of the destination. He went into the presidential race with the motivation to change the way America was operating, determination to win the race and improve the American way of life, and his destination is to get everyone to see the boundless opportunities waiting to be taken by expanding the knowledge, health and sensitivity of all Americans. "Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential." This quote by Obama proves once again that involving oneself in something that affects numerous people shows one's true zeal for life and purpose. Black History month can mean a lot for people, but for me it means everything that I've seen people fight for, and that's freedom.