Compare and contrast WHY WE CAN'T WAIT to IF YOU WERE ONLY WHITE - Essay Example

Compare and Contrast The American history s back to as long as the forefathers can remember. However, what have remained fresh in the minds of many are the activities that have shaped the American society over time. The independence that the United States gained hundreds of years ago took hundreds of years to be realized by some communities that lived long to experience the events of the independence day and what followed thereafter. The events that followed hundreds of years after independence informs the arguments presented in Why We Cant Wait and If You Were Only White.

Why We Cant Wait primarily highlights the concerns of Martin Luther King Jr. for the black community in the United States; African Americans. The ultimate issue is the integration of the black community in the American society in terms of having their rights and freedoms observed. The year 1963 marked a critical time for the concerns spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. Specifically, Emancipation Proclamation was meant to mark a new beginning in accounting for equality between the whites and the blacks (Weatherford 81).

The proclamation was meant to bring to an end years and years of slavery and segregation of African Americans.On the other hand, If You Were Only White highlights the experiences of a baseball player by the name Satchel Paige. Paige was an African American who had become a successful baseball player, climbing up the game ladder to outperform both white and black baseball players (Partridge 294). He too, just like the rest of the black community, suffered the impacts of segregation. Amid this, he stood out for what he believed was right and good for the society.

His fame and performance along his career line had broken racial ties in the United States between 1920s and 1980s.While Martin Luther King Jr. and his associates pushed for Emancipation Proclamation, Satchel Paige was using his baseball career to try and unite the American people beyond racial limits. King felt that the freedom of the black community had been delayed for a hundred years if not more (Weatherford 137). As a result, he fought for the freedom of African Americans and advocated for equality in the society.

Even with emancipation, the facts of the matter were yet to be operationalized in Birmingham and beyond. This aspect provides the reason why the blacks felt they could not wait any longer.For Satchel Paige, his influence in the American society has caught the attention of both whites and blacks. The context of the arguments made in If You Were Only White refers to a scenario of what could have been the case if Paige was white. Paige remained true to the Negro American League, committing his efforts to serve his people and advocate for their rights and freedoms.

Although he was not outspoken in civil rights matters, he stood a firm ground against discriminatory policies in baseball.Although it took some time to have the concerns of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Satchel Paige fully addressed, their dreams can finally be said to have come true. The American constitution and civil rights programs have enhanced equality in America. Appropriate legislations have been enacted to aid this process, and both whites and blacks coexist in harmony. For instance, the 13, 14, and 15 constitution amendments, together with the Bill of Rights, promote the rights and freedoms of all persons in America.

Works CitedPartridge, Elizabeth. Marching for Freedom: Walk Together Children and Dont You Grow Weary. New York: Viking Juvenile, 2009.Weatherford, Carole. Birmingham 1963. New York: Wordsong, 2007.