Post #5

            Although southern African Americans of the civil right era suffered great social and economical repression, those in the "free" north suffered just as much socio-economic injustice as well. in James Baldwins essay economic failure of the African Amercian community was describes throughout, describing hopelessness of job/economic failure in Harlem.. Here many African Americans were subject to a society dominated by white owned corporations whom had little to offer except for the minority of those lucky to be employed in what baldwin describes as the "White man's world". Most of the rest of the Harlem community was unemployed or more likely "unqualified" and Dependent on a social welfare system that decided the fate of many. Within these communities survival for many African Americans depended on housing, food stamps, and other form of public assistance and for some, it was the only form of survival.
            Job opprtunities according to Malcom's story reveal growing up in Lansing explains that being a janitor was considered for blacks to be a occupation of very high presitge. Having to look forward to a respectable profession of "elite" status limited to being a showshine boy or a waiter sounds really pathetic and depressing, but that was possibly the best for economic opporuniities shared within the whole community for African Americans. I believe while Malcom's father was alive, the familiy enjoy a degree of independance from the hopeless economic future of most african americans in the community. He descirbes his family as not having to pray or shout for the "Pie in the sky" as Malcom's family had a property where they were able to raise chickens, rabbits, greens and who knows what else. In my belief this would not work as sucessfully in the northern cities as not many african americans would have access to gardens, especially those in public housing. Perhaps a communal approach to changing the mentality of african American could've been effective in uniting the community to make progress in many of the societal aspects needed to improve this scenario. Legal issues, community organization, and social/education programs can motivate people in the direction of progress. Im assuming together the community can accomplish more, along without the interference of outside influences like COINTELPRO and who knows what else.
             Malcom X's autobigraphy reveals strong negative social negative aspect; that of racial self-degredation, which is of light skined prefernce among African Americans fueling what I consider "internal racism". A good example is of Malcom's father having a special preference towards him because of his lighter skin color, and a strict abusive relation towrds his darker siblings. This mentality perhaps stems because of the racial sterotypes instilled into many subjected African Americans' by a system that for centuries systematically rejected them for being dark skinned or just being of African origin. Of the many drawbacks instilled upon generations of African Americans it may be in my opinon, these many different related socially negative pratices that may have held back the progress of communities until the rise of Black power movement. This era influenced progress in the community boosting pride in one's natural genetics, history, and culture in the United States of African americans.