As an African American male that has Hispanic features, I have experienced the rift between the two nationalities. The mixed treatment has on numerous occasions prompted me to wonder how powerful we can be as a united people. When one thinks of power or being powerful in a democracy, politics is always on their mind. United as one, we could use the power of politics to help build better communities for ourselves. Being a minority does not mean that we have to be weak. If we stand together and fight by each other’s sides our voices could be and would be heard. African Americans and Hispanics share the same neighborhoods, we both want the kids in the neighborhood to be safe and grow up to be successful. So why not unite and become one and strive for those goals together instead of separated? It was said best after the 9/11 tragedy, “United we stand, Divided we fall”. Together we as minorities become the majority.In order to unite we first have to mend the broken bridges that once held our nationalities together. African Americans and Hispanics have a lot in common so this can be used to bring us together. Our love for music means that we can hold concerts with each other. Our love for food means that we can go to a barbeque. Or we can combine those two loves and have a concert with home cooked food served where the different nationalities can get a taste of their neighbor’s heritage. We also share a love for sports. There can be held a few basketball or baseball tournaments which will give minorities of all ages and sizes a taste of working together. By finding our similarities and exemplifying them, we notice how similar we are and become united.In order to escape the fate of many African American and Hispanic youth, the minorities need a little extra push. The efforts of the historically black colleges and universities have been getting many minorities off the streets and putting them on a track that can lead them to success. By continuing this trend the colleges are helping to put more educated minorities into the society, which in turn is making the streets that we live on safer. Once educated the minorities can now go out and make the necessary moves to make the lives of other minorities better. They might get involved in politics which in turn would give them power to influence laws in favor of minorities (minimum wage etc.). If they open a business then they can higher young minorities to teach them the values of working and being responsible and successful. In order to admit more minorities, the methods that the colleges use will have to be updated constantly. They can arrange to have college fairs at predominantly minority high schools. They can also advertise on channels of television watched predominantly by minorities like BET. The method where they give underprivileged minorities a better chance to get into college is an excellent program, and it promotes education among the minorities. Also more scholar ships should be given out to help minority students. No one will really put out a hand to help the minorities, we have to help ourselves. We can only do this by educating ourselves and learning the right way to do things. The day that all minorities stand united is the day that we become a majority.
