Yolanda Young Engelsk B

Racial discrimination has been a problem for a long time now, but with the new President in US, it looks like we are entering a new phase. Three people unlike each other, but all with “the color of coffee” as Yolanda Young neatly puts it, took time to write or speak about the matter, we all have to deal with every day without crossing any lines.

Yolanda Young is a woman of optimism, and she sees the election of Obama as president as well as his wife being the First Lady, as a turning point in history. She refers to researchers who concluded that white college students now have a preference to their own colour approximately 30% lower than previous researches. Furthermore Young gives the “black Barbies”[1], such as Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell, credit for being an influence in the magazines and in the media, and concludes that external images, especially Michelle Obama, are the change that firstly makes her day less of a struggle, and secondly the way to self-esteem.
More concrete is the Attorney General Eric Holder, as he in his speech presents an idea to how USA could be more aware of it's (the countries) “racial soul”. He believes that the reason why they haven't dealt with the racial matter jet, is because their nation is full of cowards. Historical awareness, the black history that is, is what Holder trusts to be the main key to solve the problem of people being “voluntarily socially segregated”, in order to reach a society where all kinds of people are valued equally.
Unlike Eric Holder, Walter Backstrom is tired of “all this political correctness”. He states that it hurts the community, because it obligates black people to feel harassed and white people to be ashamed of previous incidents. He blames the media for the social protocol: if a black man isn't smiling with he's dangerous. Whereas Backstrom would like to smile when he feels like it based on real events in his own life, and not because of his race.

Both the article by Yolanda Young and the speech by Eric Holder are written in a formal tone, along with a broad use of the English language. However Young's article is based on facts from researches, and in the light of that she writes with an optimistic view for the future, with a believe that society has reached far, but in four years it will reach even further. On the contrary Holder simply has an idea to how society could be united as one. He believes that the future lies in understanding the past. This is a difference between the two, because Young bases the future on the present. Holder uses History as a source, which helps his reliability and makes his speech well thought out. It is clear that Holder is giving a speech, whereas Young obviously is writing an article, because Holder uses the term “We” instead of the “I” Young uses, this indicates the two different genres they deal with in their product.
It is clear that Holder is sending a message, when he is referring to a promise made by Abraham Lincoln, and with that he is making a well putt statement to the citizens in The United States. Where Young on the other hand just made some observations in her own life that gave her joy and decided to write a column about just that. The two different ways a two presented the subject also shows the way to distinguish the two genres from one another, therefore Young writes about her own life and therefore Holders speaks about the whole nation.

When Backstrom states that he is tired of the constant awareness of race, I must say I have to agree with him. Not saying that Holder does not have a point when he refers to the uninformed nation he wishes to enlighten, but the way he portraits the matter, seems to me a little extreme. When racial differences are such a big problem it is because, there is a consistent fuss reminding you to be mindful whenever race is part of the subject. This implies that there is a problem, even though that is the complete opposite of reality. Despite of that, the thought of apartheid is so close to the existing society that the time have not come to a life where black and white can go about without having to be considerate, not to say anything that might be considered as racism. A society where nobody makes a distinction between the various colours the human body can consist of. I, like Young, believe that over time the human race, black or white, will have equality of status. It has been a struggle, especially for people with a darker skin, but just like the women obtained equality, the races can as well. Even though it is a bigger battle than the women fought for civil rights, the will is surely there and with the newly elected President for the United States of America.

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[ 1 ]. ” ” betyder taget fra den originale tekst, i hele første afsnit