Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: "All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."
But we should neither be pessimistic nor ignore the progress and huge steps forward African Americans have made in the last 25 years alone.
As CNN explores what it's like to be Black In America, Black Voices asked "How did we get here?" We came up with 10 examples of Black progress in America. Next, we'll look at the problems we still face as a community.
Check out the list and tell us how you think we have progressed?
10 Ways Black People Have Progressed
The new generation of African Americans going in to ownership and entrepreneurial routes are well equipped and more knowledgeable than ever before. Despite many obstacles unparalleled to other races many African American have perceived to receive equality and the right to ownership since the ending of slavery. Now in the 21st century we are able to see how their successes and potential to become business moguls and CEOs of major companies.
History was made At the 74th Academy Awards® in 2002 when Halle Berry became the first African-American woman to win Best Actress. She also gave one of the most memorable acceptance speeches of her life that gave thanks to all those powerful black females that had came before her. This was not a moment in her life to be remembered but a witness that women of color are be. Denzel Washington continuing the path of Greatness when he was awarded Best Actor for Training Day after Sidney Poitier, the first African-American male to win Best Actor 39 years ago, was awarded an honorary award. These two men are examples of how much we have came along in history and in entertainment. And now that they have opened the door for a new generation to enter and blow even more borders for the future.
2. In recent years there has been a glimpse that black education rates are on the rise. School teachers have been becoming the main influence for students to excel in test scores for reading, writing skills, math, and social sciences. Now that teachers are receiving more respect for their hard work, society is noticing that they are the gateway for their children's future.
Digital divide Narrowed
hip-Hop Culture Takes Over
6. Williams Sisters/Michael Jordan
As Barack Obama continues his path to the White House to become the first African American for the President of The United States of America history is being made every step he takes closer. It was monumental when Barack defeated Hillary Clinton as the leader of the Democratic Party for the election but as
Women Empowerment
Condoleeza Rice - Secretary of State Colin Powell being the top military person in America
As the first black female to be in such a hig position in politics, Condeleeza is a women in charge of being president Bush's right hand and has been very influential in the advancement of black women in the U.S. government.
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Comments: (16)
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By: Cecil Jones on 7/23/2008 8:07AM
Listen to all the clicks when you enter information on this blog. There are hidden links on her that go to Homeland Security, The RNC, The CIA, The FBI, and Fox News. How have Blacks progressed if Blacks can't control what story is shared? The same old players are playing the same old games. Rev. Jesse Jackson raced to be the first one to use the N-word to cut Obama off at the knees. The same tired old voices are speaking for us. The state of the Black community has nothing to do with responsibility. Irresponsible people go to jail. What Blacks need is access to capital. Obama didn't get where he is today by begging. He had access and he's not responsible for that.
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By: Cecil Jones on 7/23/2008 8:09AM
Somebody is playing some serious games with this Blog. You lose you comments in cyberspace and this is censorship. Blacks haven't done a darn thing if we can't grant access to our community to share thoughts without censorship. We are still slaves to someone's technology and chains. It has nothing to do with responsibility.
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By: Charles on 7/23/2008 1:03PM
Take the 10 catagories you used as progress, and show the flip side of each. Because the solution to some problems have for sure brought us face to face with new problems. Example:You write that Hip Hop is not one thing, it is everything, that is exactly the problem, its intellectually counter productive.Education, for every black college grad, how many black dropouts are there and why, its easy to count what you can see. Sorry, but I see BET, Black Voices,as part of the problem, and if you ask why they are part of the problem, then you must be in denial.
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By: Jarvis on 7/23/2008 1:32PM
Cecil, Blacks do have access to capital. Blacks are not organize. We won't come together.
There are about 85,000 Black churches in America. They deposit approx $1 billion every Monday to the tune of 98% in banks that are not own by blacks.
There goes your CAPITAL.
Banks used this money to create and make loans for all sorts of businesses, home buyers and so forth. The big question is how many Blacks are receiving this CAPITAL. I think very few.
Now, are they forcing Blacks to put money in their banks. No, we are just giving our CAPITAL to them to be used for them, not us. Thereby keeping Blacks begging for jobs, affirmative action and loans.
We have no one to blame but ourselve and the pathetic greedy Black preachers who go along with this scheme.
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By: jamesnpost on 7/23/2008 2:03PM
THE BLACK MESSIAH MURDERS is soon to be a motion picture. Wm O'Neal was the FBI's mole in the Chicago Black Panther Party who set up the raid killing Fred Hampton. Was he the black Donnie Brascoe, or the Judas of the BPP? Read the book: www.postpubco.com/newpulp.htm
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By: jamesnpost on 7/23/2008 2:02PM
The rise of the African American is the greatest success story of the 20th Century. No longer transplanted Africans, but a new and unique culture, the most advanced and advantaged black ethnic group on Earth.
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By: Torian on 7/23/2008 3:24PM
Black progress is certainly a good thing. Having someone step up to fill shoes of some of the greats that left us too soon is an even better thing. I enjoy Najee Ali. Check out his blogs and opinions and his activism. http://urbanthoughtcollective.com/author/najeeali/
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By: Donah on 7/23/2008 6:26PM
I don't think the problem is American.... for Afro Americans YES, but I'm not black but white, have a slightly darker skin color and didn't know I was 25% Navajo until much much later. I was born on US soil but raised in the Far East and educated in Europe where the problem arose.... My dad was French/Navajo 50/50. He was American, had the same skin color I was born with, but because of his naval rank, Cdr USNavy, didn't have too much of a problem for being darker of tint. I didn't have much of a problem in the far east. Everybody was darker than all white Europeans, but it started full blast when educating in Europe and didn't last too long for the fact that I seemed to be a bit smarter than all of my class mates, was a 3x A student all thru university and admired for sharing my knowledge with whoever wanted to gain better credits by it, without being nasty or protective. I simply didn't care who was copying my thesis, knowing I still was the best of the lot. BUT.... one sunny day in California, US of A, I was pulled over by some Harley cop and fined 25 bucks for giving a 9 year old black boy a lift in in downtown LA. The year was 1957 when I was age 35, married w/ 2 kids. I didn't say much bet went to court next day and filed a complaint with the Judge who looked down on me and said Who're YOU !! I told him and he said he was not going to believe such a sooped up story from any lousy mejicano, etc. etc. I didn't say much but emptied my pockets on his desk, showed him my passport, my USN ID and told him that I was no Mejicano, no niggah, no chino or Jap but a lousy 25% original Navajo and that I wanted 25,000 for damages to my race !!. Now you blacks stop hollering bloody murder if you don't have the means. Shut up !! Colin Powel, Condy Rice and so many others ain't "special". They earned what they are, no more... and don't you think they never had any experiences for being "coloured" when they were young..... Do something about yourselves....!! All over the world people get discrimminated.... In China when you're Japanese, In Indonesia when you're Indio, In Russia when you're a Turq and in Africa when you're from another tribe.....
And DON'T follow that Arab Pied Piper Obama.... He ain't BLACK but fully caucasian:- White and Arab. But go ahead and believe in that joker..... You'll find out the second he's crowned PRESIDENT and his elefant Michelle plunks her ass on Hillary's matrimonial.... that he is a FAKE !!! He's on tour now and boy, he's shining !!.... but he does not realize he's making a fool of himself by acting as if HE OBAMA IZZZZ The President of the mighty USA.... Do you really believe all those foreign countries which derived from dynasties and kingdoms accept him as their equal ???? Him, the pariah.....?? But nobody's blaming him.... They blame YOU ... for selecting another goofball as your Commander in Chief of the almighty US OF A.... 'BIG LAUGH !!..... Donah////
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By: Donah on 7/23/2008 8:54PM
No more sniping from me.... you said it all.... BUT all I can hope for is that you won't put another stupid but nice sounding whippersnapper in MY and Hillary's White House.... Donah////
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By: aurora on 7/23/2008 7:51PM
Why is it that everytime a successful black person makes strides in our history, someone of his own kind cannot be happy for them in his journey to create better strides for his race? Take the old and famous Reverend Jesse Jackson for instance. Barack Obama is overcoming barriers that our race has never crossed in becoming the first black presidential candidate in the history of the United States also known as a racist society against blacks still. Reverend Jackson goes out of his way to do the very thing that our own past and prominent leaders did not tolerate by calling our new hope the N-Word. He can't get mad because his tactics to bring blacks to a new since of awareness has undeniably failed. Barack is just picking up where Jackson left off and actually making the change that should have been made a long time ago. Judging by Jackson's actions, tell me how is that making anything better for our kind if Reverend Jackson was actually trying to make a change at all? Or was he? Maybe he just got sucked in because he has truley lost his way, his mind, his dignity, and ultimately my respect and also the respect of countless other African- Americans who once believed in him.
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