During the time of the Jim Crow laws, many blank Americans struggled with the idea of living in the "Land of the Free" but being denied basic human rights. How does McKay's poem "America" reflect this experience? OR Do you think this poem is still relevant today?

hopes for change although America treats him with bitterness and hatred.

Explanation:

Claude McKay's poem "America" presents the idea of how the poet hopes for change although America treats him with bitterness and hatred. The poet relates to the bitter experiences of the Jim Crow Laws with lines like "Although she feeds me bread of bitterness, And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,". However, he continues to say that he is hopeful that there would come a day when America will treat him better and equally.

As we know, many Black-Americans struggled with the idea of living in the "Land of the Free" but being denied basic human rights during the Jim Crows Laws, still the poet does not give in into hatred and bitterness. Instead he says that the idea of 'America' itself gives him strength and power to stand against all odds and challenges because he knows that someday America will treat him better.

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)