African Americans and Hispanics should work together due to the fact that as two large minority groups, they can unify and become one large minority or the majority race. Together these two races can rightfully demand their status and recognition in the United States. As two races united together in the fight for equal rights, society would look at African Americans and Hispanics as a united front, recognize their struggles and tenacity and be more willing to accept them into society. I believe the combination of these two races would be taken more seriously than as individual groups. White society would recognize that African Americans and Hispanics mean business when it comes to standing up for themselves and demanding a bigger piece of the American pie. African Americans and Hispanics are just as educated as other races. They believe strongly in their cultural history, contribute to the political system and invest in their communities with their financial and emotional strengths. Historically, both races have suffered at the hands of white society economically and spiritually. These two races have never given up on succeeding in life and continue to communicate with each other and the world on their common beliefs. To date, their struggle in their beliefs continues. In order for African Americans and Hispanics to be taken seriously in society and given every opportunity afforded to them, they need to strengthen their relationship between their respective races. Strengthening their relationship would eliminate strife among the races, as well as the “crabs in the barrel” mentality. Working together would give opportunities to both races to achieve positions of power within corporate America and their strength could be used to decide the election of a political candidate, who could potentially be an African American or a Hispanic. Each race should support the other because society is conditioned not to do so due to the fact that African Americans and Hispanics are classified as the minority races. Their act of togetherness and united front could demand actions of law that affect their inalienable rights and protection of their rights. Historically Black College & Universities (HBCU’s) should continue to support the needs of African American students due to the educational history and struggles for equality of African Americans and to also support Hispanics who have been excluded from some all-white universities because of their race. African Americans have had to fight for their educational rights which I believe should never have taken place. They were born with the right to equal education, but unfortunately it took the Supreme Court to establish those rights with the famous case, Brown v. Board of Education. I believe that HBCU’s were established to serve the purpose of addressing African Americans’ educational needs in an atmosphere that they can feel comfortable in. The quality of the education at HBCU’s is no less quantified than an all-white institution. Historically Black College & Universities are recognized today in society as well as qualified institutions of higher learning, such as Howard University. Hispanics would benefit from HBCU’s opening their doors to them because HBCU’s are inclusive of other minority races. Hispanics can relate to African American struggles because they have endured similar struggles, such as denial of a quality education and earning the respect of corporate America and being able to climb the corporate ladder to success in white America.In summary, I believe that Historically Black College & Universities should include in their curriculums classes that teach African American and Hispanic History in a truthful manner and not from some other races’ viewpoint on what the history was and how it is administered in a classroom setting.
Cynthia Johnson
