The American Dream: Then and Now
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Posted By: Rudolph Hickman on September 18, 2011 While attending an alumni meeting the other night, some of the members recounted how different the notion of achieving the American Dream has changed over the years. “I just don’t see how today’s young professionals will achieve the degree of success we managed to achieve”, one said. “That’s concerning”, another chimed in, “when we were at that age, education was the key to success, now I’m not sure that’s true”. With those statements we all got an opportunity to reminisce about old times and the way things have changed. As we talked, most agreed that the road to success today is filled with many obstacles that our generation took for granted. The basic milestones on the road to The American Dream, for those born during the ’50’s and ’60’s were generally: get a good education, get a good job, marry a nice man/woman and start raising a family, work hard, buy a house in a nice neighborhood, save your money, invest in the stock market and retire at age 65 in relative comfort if not wealth. This is not to say that there were no detours, setbacks and other challenges to be addressed along the way but they did not seem as burdensome as the challenges facing today’s college graduates. For example, for those attending college today, many find themselves matriculating for 5 years instead of 4 and accumulate substantial college debt that must be paid after graduation. According to a recently published article “ the average college debt rose to $24,000 in 2009”, and college costs seem to be rising with each passing semester ( http://www.healthcarecolleges.net/blog/ave... By way of example, in Richmond, annual tuition at Virginia Union University, a private, historically black university (HBCU), and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a state supported institution, is roughly $23,000 for out-of-state students living in student housing. Coupled with higher education costs, many college graduates struggle to find jobs after graduation. According to a recent article examining this phenomenon, “The class of 2011 will likely face the highest unemployment rate for college graduates... in history” (see, http://www.chicagonow.com/publius-forum/20... The economic challenges recent college graduates face seem so overwhelming and bleak, “85% of 2011 college graduates are moving back home with their parents”, Financial Samurai reports. If those percentages are not staggering enough, another study shows that the real unemployment rate for people 25 years old and younger is a whopping 54%. Clearly, education, one of the primary essentials that many in the African American and larger community relied on to pave the road to success is not as reliable a predictor of one’s ability to live the American Dream as it once was. While many students still cling to the notion of getting a college degree, a good number realize now they have to downgrade their college choices to schools that are more affordable. In an effort to gain some perspective on what today’s American Dream looks like to current college student’s, one Virginia Union senior said, “I don’t look to live the same kind of lifestyle my parents did. The world is so different now.” In probing for a deeper understanding of what that student meant, she said “I have changed my idea of what living The American Dream means to me.” While she admitted she had to work hard to change her mindset, she has gotten to the place where the material trappings of success: a big house, fine car and financial wealth, were no longer how she defined The American Dream. “I want to be of service”, she said. “…to help people in my community live better and more productive lives…to me that’s what The American Dream is all about”. See related photo gallery: http://rudolphhickmanphotography.smugmug.c... If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Rudolph Hickman
Owner, Rudolph Hickman Photography Virginia Union University class of 1974 Member Since August 2005 |
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