Breaking Down Barriers
In late nineteenth and early twentieth century America, life was very rough for minorities. For example, it was difficult for women to be anything important, much less famous. They usually did the menial jobs like housework. Blacks in the South were usually slaves or were born into slavery. There are two people that should be considered role models to all people, especially minorities: Margaret Bourke-White, a woman in the 1920�s, and Frederick Douglass, a black slave in the South. Because Margaret White and Frederick Douglass both persevered through rough times, had hope, and tried hard to accomplish their goals, everyone should think of them as role models.
Life wasn�t very easy for Frederick Douglass and Margaret White. At the time, they were minorities. Margaret White wanted to be a waitress or a librarian as a college job, but those jobs were already filled by other people. Still, she didn�t just give up and forget about getting another job, but she kept looking. She had done some photography of waterfalls before, but the only equipment she had was a camera with a cracked lens. She never had state-of-the- art-equipment, but people still bought and admired her work. She had trouble in the mill with lighting and getting into it at night. She didn�t give up and move to something else when she had problems, but she kept going there for weeks, and she finally was able to get some great pictures. She kept persevering through mediocre photography jobs even though it was very slow at times, and then all the hard work paid off. She was offered a job with Life magazine. Like Margaret White, Frederick Douglass kept persevering. He knew from the start that it would be tough to escape slavery. He was whipped almost every day, yet he kept working without having thoughts of quitting. After those early struggles he decided to visit his former master and his wife. He had the courage to stand up to his master. Although the fist fight with his master lasted for a long time, he didn�t let the temptation of quitting get the best of him. He still had the thought that he could escape. Finally, he escaped and had the strength and desire to go all the way to Massachusetts. They both had the will and strength to keep going, even when it didn�t look like they could do anything to help the situations they were in.
Hope that someday they would reach their goals is something that kept White and Douglass going. White thought someday she could be something better than just an unexperienced photographer with a cracked lens. She thought she could do something that some people would remember her, and women, for. She kept going back to the mill with the hope that one of the pictures would turn out. Despite the many weeks of failure, she had the hope that something would turn out and maybe she and other women would be something more. The hope kept her willing to do more photography. That hope ultimately led to her landing the job at Life. Douglass also had hope. He had hope that he could escape from slavery and that maybe someday blacks would be thought more of. Even though he was whipped many times, he didn�t deem his situation hopeless. He had hope that he could escape. After standing up for himself and fighting his master, he hoped her could get away from the South. The hope kept him willing to try anything to get himself out of slavery. He kept that hope and finally escaped. He eventually became a very powerful speaker for blacks. Their hope gave them the will and perseverance to keep on going.
Both White and Douglass tried hard to accomplish their goals. White had a goal of giving herself and women a name, and being a successful photographer. She borrowed cameras from people, spent much of her salary on film, and kept working at taking a good picture at the mill to accomplish he goal. She gave up much of her time and salary in order to accomplish her goal. Douglass, like White, tried hard to accomplish his goal of being freed from slavery. Even though he knew he would be whipped if he was found missing, he escaped to see if his old master could somehow get him out of his situation. To accomplish his goal of being free, he even fought his master. Even though he was injured, he still kept that goal and worked to achieve it. He finally did achieve it by escaping to the North and becoming a very powerful black speaker. Both Douglass and White worked hard to accomplish their goals, and that is one of the reasons why they persevered and became so successful.
Because Margaret Bourke-White and Frederick Douglass both persevered through rough times, had hope, and tried hard to accomplish their goals, everyone should think of them as role models. They both published autobiographies, A Portrait of My Life, by Margaret White, and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, by Frederick Douglass from which I obtained the knowledge of these two great people. Margaret White and Frederick Douglass were two very different people but they still had similar accomplishments. We need more people like that to inspire other people to work harder and never give up, no matter how tough a situation is. White and Douglass showed how hope, trying, and perseverance can literally change someone�s life. They have proved that anyone, including minorities, can be someone important and can succeed in life. In essence, Margaret White and Frederick Douglass should forever be remembered for their great accomplishments as minorities.