12 Things You Must Know to Survive and Thrive in America (Essay Sample)

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‘12 Things You Must Know to Survive and Thrive in America’ is an article that has been put forward by Ellis Close. The main objective of the article is to provide the black male population on how to successfully survive and succeed in America. The author commences the feature with imagery where he compares the black male people born in America to individuals who are shackled and challenged to escape. The shackles represents the history of the African American people who were held as slaves in the past (Close 192).
According to the author, the modern society of America is not similar to traditional society where the black people were forbidden from expressing their dreams and ambitions and/ or were forced to constant humiliation and taking the inferior roles in all civilized areas. Close further notes that although the trends of the past have changed, this does not insinuate that the African American people are at the verge of attaining it all; rather it means that they have the capacity to develop their own realities unlike their forefathers (Close 192).
He likens this state as the difference between an individual entering a battle ring with both hands tied behind their backs (forefathers) and another entering the battle ring with one hand opened free. In his opinion, in order to thrive and survive in such scenario is to ensure the one hand is used twice as well as an op...