The American Dream

“I have a Dream,” is a famous line stated by civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. The “dream” he refers to in his famous speech reflects his version of the American Dream, which is equality among all races for the future of America. With that being said, everyone has a general idea of what the American Dream is supposed to be: freedom and prosperity. The real questions are how does this Dream change if freedom and prosperity are already acquired in someone's life? How can one person's definition of the Dream differentiate from others if it's all just one general American Dream? Interpretations of the American Dream vary for each individual due to gender, race, and social class, which can also make this Dream harder to reach.

In 1963, the U.S. passed the Equal Pay Act deeming the requirement of equal pay among the sexes for equal work efforts. Based off a study from 2015, that’s not the case. Statistics show that women only earn 80-83% of what men make annually, even when working the same jobs and hours. In order for women to be equally paid as much as men, “they must work on average an extra 44 days per year” (Wolfe). Since women’s suffrage began nationally in the 1920s, women have been combating the inequality among the sexes, and some women have made that their goal in life: to change the stereotype that women are less than men. Due to this, a women’s interpretation of the Dream can differ from a man’s due to any type of inequality they may receive. They may dream that one day women won’t be undermined simply because they’re not a man. Another reason the Dream for women can be equality is women wanting the right to our bodies. Since the 1800s, the U.S. has been passing laws regarding the topic of abortions. The most famous case pertaining to abortions is the Roe v. Wade case in 1973. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of abortions, making them legal across the United States. This case “marked an important turning point in public health policies” (“Abortion”). This helped women to safely get an abortion performed by a professional. On April 13, 2017, Trump signed a new legislature that cut off all government funding to all abortion clinics in America, including Planned Parenthood. “The measure nullifies a rule completed in the last days of the Obama administration that effectively barred state and local governments from withholding federal funding for family planning services related to contraception, sexually transmitted infections, fertility, pregnancy care, and breast and cervical cancer screening from qualified health providers — regardless of whether they also performed abortions.” (Davis). Hearing this, most women would be enraged that one man is controlling what they do with their bodies. One women’s Dream, due to this, might be eliminating the right for any government official to limit their rights due to their own views and opinions.

In 1619, the United States brought in their first African slaves, and the oppression of race in America began. Racial oppression in the U.S. now is nowhere near as bad as it was in the 15th-19th century, but we still have many issues that need to be resolved. One of these issues is police brutality. Imagine walking down the street just to get attacked, shot, and killed due to racial profiling. This is the sad reality that most races have to deal with and be terrified over because the people that are supposed to be protecting our civilians are the same people shooting and killing them for no real reason. In an article