Hannah Cobbeldick

Sociology
Assignment #2

The African Americans that worked at Harvard in 1997

mentioned how they would not have got there if it were not for the
African community in the past that paved the way. They explain this
with an emphasis on the lower class and their contributions to society
and the black equality movement. The commentators father worked
two jobs in order to send him to college and provide him with the
opportunity to obtain a higher level of education. This is one example
of how the segregation of classes between the members of the
community began.
I believe the separation between classes began when the Black
Panthers started their movement towards freedom and equality for the
black community. They said in the movie you were either in the club
or out the club, that alone in my opinion really initiated the separation
of the black community. After Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and
killed, segregation amongst the black community developed. The Black
panthers and their movement were much different from MLK Jr.s
approach regarding equality for African American people. In the film,
Henry Louis Jr. mentioned that many African Americans like himself
took a different approach to achieve a better quality of life for his

culture of people. Instead of following the radical and aggressive

tactics used by the Black Panther movement, he and others like him,
were accepted into highly accredited universities and chose to use the
tools they were given to dismantle the master s house by using the
masters tools.
A key component enabling this alternative approach taken by
Henry and others alike was affirmative action. Affirmative action is a
major contributor to the major distinguishable classes amongst the
black community. Affirmative action and the Government provided
African Americans with the chance to be a part of the middle class,
being highly educated and upholding well paying jobs. This class of
people doubled since 1965 and had a much higher quality of life than
most could dream of during that time. The Black Panthers and their
followers considered the middle class African Americans to be stuck
up or phony, ultimately leading to the segregation of classes
amongst the population.
As time progressed, the African American middle class grew,
which is a positive trend for the community as a whole. However, when
you breakdown the specifics like Cornel West did in the film, there are
many aspects that are much less favorable in 1997 compared to 1967.
In 67, black people were not given the same opportunities to become
well educated and uphold decent paying jobs, but there was a much
greater sense of community at that time. In 1997, the middle class has

grown and the black community has prospered from a socioeconomic

perspective, but the same is not true from a community perspective.
In conclusion, post slavery African Americans were searching for
a voice and equality in society. Dr. Martin Luther King led a movement
encompassed by peace and prosperity for the community. Things
changed once the Black Panther movement gained traction, many
members of the community did not believe in their approach and felt
as if they were more threatening to society than beneficial. Affirmative
action enabled African Americans the ability to obtain higher
education, leading to a greater quality of life for some. This ultimately
contributed to the distinct segregation of classes amongst the African
American population.