How Dreams Affect History and Our Everyday Lives Raisin in the Sun Presentation Project By Ben Aloi

WASHINGTON VS. DUBOIS Booker T. Washington ( ) W.E.B. DuBois ( )  Born into slavery  Established Tuskegee University  Taught practical skills/physical labor  Carpentry, farming, shoemaking, etc. for boys  Cleaning, cooking for girls  Supported segregation  Accepted social inequality  Blacks should educate themselves  Rely on the kindness of whites  Influential advisor to Teddy Roosevelt  First African-American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard  Wrote The Souls of Black Folk  Rejected Washington’s policies  Founder of NAACP  Outspoken political/social activist  Wanted full citizenship rights for black people  Favored liberal arts education  Criticized American imperialism, capitalism  Labeled a communist  Internationally respected

BLACK PANTHER PARTY  Founded in 1966  Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton  Merritt College, Oakland, California  Organized armed patrol in cities  Combated policy brutality  “Observe and protect”  5,000 members by 1968  Grew from self-defense to revolutionary attacks  May 2, 1967: 30 armed Panthers marched into the CA state capitol in Sacramento  Socialist ideology

MY ETHNIC BACKGROUND  50% English, 25% Italian, 25% Greek  Father’s side celebrates Greek Easter  Parents married in Greek Orthodox church  Does not factor into my identity  Interesting family history, but doesn’t define me  Value social traits over physical characteristics  Plays a much bigger role in Raisin in the Sun  Tribe/Ancestors define Asagai  Bennie identifies with Nigerian culture  Mama and Walter’s racial pride  George’s rejection of black culture

PERSONAL GOALS  Graduate from a good college  Psychology or International Relations  Study abroad  Live in the city  Help disadvantaged people  Speak other languages Raisin in the Sun Dreams almost never reflect reality Sometimes others have to come first Theme: A man’s mind often exceeds his reach

CONCLUSION Value of a dream depends on who it’s benefiting The ends do not always justify the means Black Panthers became violent (indistinguishable from their oppressors) Walter’s pursuit of happiness hurt his family On a personal level, always be true to yourself Goals should be adjusted, not constant Selfish dreams are extremely dangerous Don’t lose sight of what’s really important in life