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Many Americans have dreams of how to rise in America. Yet inflation effects the way that happens. From the way people pay the bills, to the way people work to achieve goals. Inflation has made life harder to pay for things such as college, houses, even animals.  Due to having to save money, people have resorted to staying in a place not where they want to be. A place such as stockpiling good, spending money on an expensive car just to save gas in the long term. Goals are affected by inflation due to money, money is the heart of everything in America after all.

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Americans Are Flush With Cash and Jobs. They Also Think the Economy Is Awful.

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The psychological effects of inflation seem to have the upper hand.

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I believe that in 2022 common people can and do reach their goals. People learn to adjust to everything, although it takes time. Even with inflation being high, people are still reaching their goals despite the challenge. People make changes to help with the inflation rate. An example of how common people who save money can help themselves during the high inflation is from an article by Economics help which says, "Savers can be protected from inflation if they can gain an interest rate higher than the rate of inflation. For example, if inflation is 5%, but banks are giving an interest rate of 7%, then those who save in a bank will still see a real rise in the value of their savings." People who have struggles providing for health care during this time also can get help. An article by Paul Keckley states, " To address these five concerns, healthcare finance professionals must challenge operators to take swift action but focus on the following actions. The concerns are not new, but the risk from ineffective action is higher than it has been in 40 years." Common people have the ability to fight for their goals and achieve them if they work hard and don't back darn.

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https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/145181/inflation/who-are-the-winners-and-losers-from-inflation/

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Who are the winners and losers from inflation? - Economics Help

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Who wins and loses from inflation? How savers can lose out, but borrowers may become better off. Real life examples of the costs and benefits of inflation.

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Success in the American Economy- Samantha cook

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Success in the American Economy- Samantha cook

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Growing up in school we are taught we can do anything we set our minds to. We learn the challenges that our ancestors faced in history and how they over came their problems. The American Dream is that as Americans we have the opportunity to be successful and prosper. I believe inflation is a discourgment to workers, but I believe goals and dreams can still be made with hard work and efforts. In the article,¨How does the American Dream affect the US Economy¨ it states, ¨According to the ideal of the American Dream, everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue happiness and economic prosperity, and the government should protect the right of every citizen to achieve their highest aspirations and goals.¨
Citationshttps://www.investopedia.com/ask
/answers/061815/how-does-notion-american-dream-influence-us-economy.asp

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How Does the American Dream Influence the U.S. Economy?

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The American Dream is the idea that anyone can make it in America. Learn about how the American Dream has influenced the U.S. economy.

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How can inflation affect our dreams?- Janette Deleon

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How can inflation affect our dreams?- Janette Deleon

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Everybody is born into this world wanting to be successful, yet how can one be successful when their very own economy is currently under heat? How can someone settle and create a family when it will be difficult to fend just from themselves during this inflation. Our parents bring us into this world in hopes we will be more successful than they were in their lifetime. Despite the worries everyone has a goal here in America which is very well achievable. The common here is the middle and lower class. When it comes inflation it doesn't = the cost of living. Inflation can be considered the bigger picture whereas the cost of living varies on food, transportation, housing and needs of us humans. Where it begins to affect one and other is when prices start increasing drastically. People may think that inflation only targets the low income or middle income people which yes it does but it can very well affect business people as well. Business owners depend on their costumers in order to be successful. Once inflation hits the business owner must figure out how to afford the things he needs to in order to keep providing for his costumers and the obvious solution would be the higher prices. Well in doing that the business owner will lose costumers because they will not be able to afford spending that amount of money in this kind of economy. All in yes for common people it will be very hard. Studies have shown that children during the years of 1940s ended up earning more than their parents which ended up falling from 92% to 50% in 1984. Even with these statistics and everyone saying the worst the American Dream was manageable during the dark period of times when inflation hit in 1920 and 1981. It will be hard to achieve our dreams but as Grant believed in,"No man was born  to anything, except perhaps a chance to show how far he could rise. Life was a competition." Indeed life during these will be a competition but we all have a chance to make something out of this life.

Work cited
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/081514/how-inflation-affects-your-cost-living.asp
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aal4617
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/02/1061028411/how-inflation-affects-low-income-people

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Up until very recently, inflation had not been talked about, and for good reason. In 2018, the overall annual rate of inflation was running at 1.8% according to the World Bank (CPI). Similarly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that retail food prices were 1.8% higher in February 2020 than they had been the year before.

In the summer of 2021, however, inflation began to rear its ugly head once again, with U.S. consumer prices recording their largest annualized increases in more than 13 years. Whether higher prices will stick around, or if it is just transitory as a result of the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic remains to be seen.

Still, we've been through worse inflationary times. Still, there's always talk about inflation and cost of living increases, but what do these terms really mean? And most important, how do they affect your daily life?

The Difference Between Inflation and Cost of Living

People often use the phrases inflation and cost of living as if they were synonymous. They are not the same, although they're closely related.

Inflation is the big picture. As the cost of goods and services rises, the buying power of the dollar falls. The inflation rate is often measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a monthly measure by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that averages the cost of a basket of goods and services from areas around the country. It reports the result as a percentage rise or drop in CPI.

Cost of living has a different focus. This number represents the average cost of an accepted standard of living including food, housing, transportation, taxes, and healthcare. Cost of living is frequently used to compare minimum income needs in various locations. According to the PayScale's calculator, as of Jun. 5, 2022, cost of living in New York City is 129% higher versus the national average. As a comparison, cost of living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is 4% lower versus the national average.

Cost of living is a far more difficult number to pin down, and it varies widely among different demographic groups as well as different regions. In 2022, the Social Security Administration raised benefits by 5.9% as a cost of living adjustment. Whether your own cost of living goes up or down in 2022 depends on how you live and where you live.

When the Going Gets Expensive

Most people feel the effects of cost-of-living increases in their daily lives. But rising prices hit the middle-class hard, and the lower-paid harder.

Higher food, gasoline, and utility costs mean less money for savings or discretionary spending. To compensate, consumers buy less, switch to cheaper substitutes, or look harder for bargains.

The Paycheck Factor

It's especially difficult to keep up with the rising cost of living when your paycheck isn't growing at a similar rate.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly earnings for full-time wage earners was $1,037 in the first quarter of 2022. That's an increase of 4.9% from a year earlier.

How Inflation Affects the Housing Market

You would assume that higher inflation means higher prices for real estate, and that is often the case, at least at the start of a significant spike in inflation. But then things can get complicated.

To keep inflation rates under control, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) often steps in and raises the federal funds rate, which is the interest rate charged to other financial institutions using the Federal Reserve Bank.

As the cost of home loans goes up, many consumers are squeezed out of the market, leading to a slowdown in home sales. With homes on the market for longer periods, sellers tend to drop their asking price to attract buyers.

Lower interest rates helped the U.S. housing market make its recovery after the gut-punch of the 2008-2009 financial crisis and then again during the COVID19 pandemic.

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How Inflation Affects Your Cost of Living

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Up until very recently, inflation had not been talked about, and for good reason. In 2018, the overall annual rate of inflation was running at 1.8% according to the World Bank (CPI). Similarly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that retail food prices were 1.8% higher in February 2020 than they had been the year before.

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The United States in the past few years has seen many struggles mostly stemming from the covid-19 pandemic. Loss of jobs, a suffering economy, and massive debt to name a few. But an important thing to remember that in the past the US had suffered much more intensely with the great depression leaving people poverty struck by he millions. The US has its occasional rut but it always bounces back. Some people, even though times are tough still embody the American dream, one of turning nothing into something and making a life for yourself. A name that comes to mind is Arnold Schwarzenegger, he came to this country with almost nothing to hi names and no prospects for the future but with his intense drive to become something  he became successful. A line from Which American Dream by John D. Wilsey, " they were limited in what they could achieve only by their ambition and work ethic" when discussing the possibility of rising up in American society. This helps to explain the concept of the American dream and how viable it is for the average person. If one is driven and determined enough they can always make a name for themselves.

Souces:https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.bakersfieldcollege.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=8143dbcc-f5d6-49eb-adba-5ba50e0a6f87%40redis

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In todays day and age I believe a person can rise up to this economic financial crisis, but only if the person was already financially stable. Prices have gone up tremendously. Before it was not a problem to know if there was going to be food on the table or a job to be kept, but now that is different and Covid created a big part of that. According to, “Inflation, Jobs and You: What to expect next” they mention, “Because of COVID, people had incomes that they hadn’t spent traveling or doing other things, and they were using them to buy goods to make it easy to live at home.” The extra money used to pay for vacation trips are now used to pay for basic necessities. Although I wish everyone can be able to live without financial issues. The rise of inflation is an all time high and there is little we can do to stop it.

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America is regarded as the place where anyone can become whatever they want, if they work for it. Growing up, our children are told to go to school and work hard so that one day they can get a job and make lots of money. People from other countries come to the United States for the opportunity to work at a better life. Edward Lazear in his article, “Steady and rising: the American economy, going from strength to strength”, mentions that the influx of immigrants is a great indicator of the opportunity offered in the U.S. In America from which you are born does not equate your success. Inheritance can not give you success, but it can give you privilege. Lazear states, “The same report also documents high income mobility, meaning that those who are born poor do not necessarily remain poor and those who are rich come predominantly from less-wealthy families.” He is regarding a study of Income Dynamics, in which it is found that the rich usually come from poor families. I strongly believe that those who grew from poor circumstances gain the determination and hope to work at being successful. It was also found that despite earning declines, Americans generally do better than the generations before them. The American economy is set to welcome anyone who is willing to strive to make success for themselves. An example of this is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was born into a small farming community where she experienced awful circumstances. It was later, when she decided to go to Tennessee State University and began radio and tv broadcasting that her success really began. Her broadcast became a hit and she was given the opportunity to start her own television show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. Her career blossomed from there. Our American economy allows those like Winfrey to be better than their origin and rise up based on their own ambitions.

Work Cited

Morrison, Toni, and Danny Glover. Oprah Winfrey - Quotes, Facts & Network - Biography, 21 March 2018, https://www.biography.com/media-figure/oprah-winfrey. Accessed 18 September 2022.

Lazear, Edward Paul. "Steady and rising: the American economy, going from strength to strength." Hoover Digest, spring 2017, pp. 9+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A491616110/OVIC?u=bcgvdbl_main&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=abe85b3d. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.

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Inflation in the united states - Jesus Cortez

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Inflation in the united states - Jesus Cortez

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Any individual can rise up in America's economy. If one works hard and pushes forward they will succeed. Say you start a business and it booms but then takes a steady dive you'll have to work to tune into an incline in sales and profit. Everything has their equal and opposite reaction. A while ago gas was at an all time high and everyone had to adjust to costs. If you can't grow with the economy you will get left behind and eventually lose everything. You'll have to accommodate for inflation and rise in prices but this can also cause an increased hourly rate. To survive in the United States economy not only do you have to walk along with it you must try surpass it to grow and live with little worry.

work cited

Move Fast and Think Big: 7 Key Principles for the Economic ...

https://www.americanprogress.org › article › move-fast-...

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Julia Cusick Vice President, Communications

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Move Fast and Think Big: 7 Key Principles for the Economic Package America Needs Now

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Americans need to unite behind a program that will deliver on health, targeted relief, and broad-based growth.

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Brittanie Bennett- Inflation rates in the United States 

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Brittanie Bennett- Inflation rates in the United States 

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In the economic struggle of 2022 with inflation being high I believe a common person can reach their goals.  Some people will make changes to adapt to the inflation rates to keep up and be able to succeed. In the article "Dynamics of persistence in international inflation rates" the authors Manmohan Kumar and Tatsuyoshi Okimoto states "IN RECENT YEARS, there has been an active debate regarding the extent to which dynamics of the inflation process in the world economy, particularly in the largest countries, have changed.".  In the passage it explains the challenges that inflation brings. Even with these challenges a "common person" can get around them with hard work and dedication. Americans have been through worse, the great depression, the civil war, both world wars. From day to day life people face challenges, inflation and an unstable economy are more challenges to overcome. A common person can overcome the economic struggles and high inflation rates of 2022.

Work Cited:
Dynamics of Persistence in International Inflation Rates
KUMAR, MANMOHAN S. ; OKIMOTO, TATSUYOSHI
Journal of money, credit and banking, 2007, Vol.39 (6), p.1457-1479

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Spencer Corum - Economic Inflation in the Modern World

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Spencer Corum - Economic Inflation in the Modern World

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The idea that everyone is born with equal opportunity has been an important principle of the first world for many years. This is the concept that anyone can achieve greatness, regardless of the circumstances they are born into. Unfortunately, recent inflation spikes have cast doubt upon this ideal. In the modern economy, many are left struggling to afford basic necessities, and have difficulty finding a high paying job. According to the article “Debt, deficits, and inflation” by Forrest Capie and Geoffrey Wood,  “The spectacular fall in economic activity produced by the COVID-19 crisis and the government response to it have led to an equally spectacular rise in budget deficits, and in the ratio of government debt to national income, almost worldwide. This in turn has led to fears of inflation, and also to calls for big increases in taxation to reduce these budget deficits. Sometimes these calls are from those for whom taxes (on other people) can never be high enough…” The pressure put on the government to pay off debt is put on the shoulders of the people. The issue arises when this debt is paired with inflation, and becomes too much for citizens to keep up with, thus turning the government’s debt into personal debt. This personal debt can be enough to hold most people back from achieving what they desire in life, as they cannot focus on climbing the social ladder when they can barely afford basic needs, and must additionally pay off debts. This is not to say the search for success is entirely dead; a greater life may be achieved through careful planning and hard work, albeit harder than in better economic circumstances, but it is still achievable. Despite all the hardship of the modern world, the population must stay determined to become better and search for a life greater than what they currently have.

Work cited:
Capie, & Wood, G. (2021). Debt, deficits, and inflation. Economic Affairs (Harlow), 41(1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecaf.12447

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In America, we are taught at a young age that you can do anything you put your mind to. In today’s economy that might be harder than you would imagine, especially with the all time high inflation rates. However I do think that it is possible for common people to rise up and achieve their goals, even with the economy, as long as they are willing to work for it. With the inflation rates it's only getting harder for people to achieve their goals, although it is not impossible. According to an article on the sharing economy, “The digital-sharing economy presents opportunities for individuals to find temporary employment, generate extra income, increase reciprocity, enhance social interaction, and access resources not otherwise attainable” (Dillahunt and Malone). This shows that there are resources available for people to use to work for their goals. The digital-sharing economy in America helps people get jobs and have access to other opportunities so that they can build on what they have even with the expensive economy. JK Rowling was just a common English teacher and mother before she became a famous author. She had no job and was just living with her daughter trying to write a book. JK Rowling overcame her challenges and went from a common person without a  job to a famous author, all because she was willing to put in the work. Even though the economy is unstable, it is still possible for common people to rise up and achieve their highest goals.

Works Cited

Rowling, J. K., and Lindsey Fraser. JK Rowling. Mammoth, 2000.

Dillahunt, Tawanna R., and Amelia R. Malone. "The promise of the sharing economy among disadvantaged communities." proceedings of the 33rd annual ACM conference on human factors in computing systems. 2015.

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Alison Isaacs- Can the American Dream Be Saved?

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Alison Isaacs- Can the American Dream Be Saved?

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The American Dream is the idea that anybody may achieve success, regardless of their origin or ethnic background. In today’s society the American Dream is believed to be different than what it used to be. These days, there are less options for us to improve our lives and achieve success. For example, the community is struggling due to the increasing incoming gap. Furthermore, there are less educational opportunities. Due to the inability to pay for their education, students are missing out on academic achievement. The workforce is affected because most employment decisions are based on educational background. Even if we have a lot of opportunities to succeed, it might not be as simple as it seems given the changes society has faced.

Work Cited

https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/can-the-american-dream-be-saved

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Inflation in the United States-Macey Thomas

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Inflation in the United States-Macey Thomas

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In America, we are taught that if we go to college, go to work, or put our mind to something we will be successful. We are told by parents, teachers, and other older people we know. These people didn't live in the same America that we live in now, we live in a place where inflation is at an all time high, where gas is six dollars a gallon, where rent is also at an all time high. These last 3 years inflation has been on an absolute incline because of Covid-19. According to  Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, "The United States and many other developed countries experienced very high inflation rates in 2021–2022 as a consequence of factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic." I had a dream that I would move out of my house at the age of 18, just how my parents did, how their parents did, and how my family has been for generations, but I truly do not see how I could possibly do that without saving up thousands and thousands of dollars. I am not saying it was so easy to become successful 2 twenty years ago but what I am saying is that it was way easier than it is now. There are so many extra things that we have to pay for including taxes, insurance, and rent it is impossible for a newly 18 year old to just get an apartment. In these times it is so hard to survive let alone live out our dreams.

Works Cited:
"Inflation." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999179/OVIC?u=bcgvdbl_main&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=e399fa74. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.

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Inflation in the United States-Macey Thomas

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Inflation in the United States-Macey Thomas

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In America, we are taught that if we go to college, go to work, or put our mind to something we will be successful. We are told by parents, teachers, and other older people we know. These people didn't live in the same America that we live in now, we live in a place where inflation is at an all time high, where gas is six dollars a gallon, where rent is also at an all time high. These last 3 years inflation has been on an absolute incline because of Covid-19. According to  Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, "The United States and many other developed countries experienced very high inflation rates in 2021–2022 as a consequence of factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic." I had a dream that I would move out of my house at the age of 18, just how my parents did, how their parents did, and how my family has been for generations, but I truly do not see how I could possibly do that without saving up thousands and thousands of dollars. I am not saying it was so easy to become successful 2 twenty years ago but what I am saying is that it was way easier than it is now. There are so many extra things that we have to pay for including taxes, insurance, and rent it is impossible for a newly 18 year old to just get an apartment. In these times it is so hard to survive let alone live out our dreams.

Works Cited:
"Inflation." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999179/OVIC?u=bcgvdbl_main&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=e399fa74. Accessed 18 Sept. 2022.

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In America, people always say you can do anything as long as you put your mind to it. But as the years have gone by I don’t necessarily think that is true. Before Covid inflation wasn’t as bad as it is right now and you could do a lot more to accomplish what you want. But as Covid has gone by any years have passed, I feel as though it’s a lot harder to accomplish the American dream. In the New York Times article it states, “ because demand has outstripped the supply of goods, companies have been able to charge more without losing customers“ (New York Times 2022). As the article states, companies have upped their prices so that way they can still keep their customers. They upped their prices in almost everything because less of the goods are coming in. So as the years have gone by, it has been more difficult to live the American dream because of the outraging prices and not being able to withstand them. So to me, yes you technically can still achieve you’re dreams, but it’s easier for others to do so because they have the money for it. While for other people who put all their money to surviving in these hard times it’s a lot harder to live their dreams.

Works Cited:
“Here's What You Need to Know about America's Super-Hot Inflation.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 June 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/article/inflation-us-prices.html.

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Economic Hardships & 50 Cent - Emily Dowden

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Economic Hardships & 50 Cent - Emily Dowden

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It’s believed that anyone is able to follow their own personal goals no matter the economic set backs. Celebrities from all over the world, all have stories for how they came to be. For the fight of economic justice, other have to “deal with racism, sexism, class differences, and homophobia” (Scuff 1). Through all of this, 50 Cent is one of those people who followed their dreams no matter the hardships. Originally known as Curtis James Jackson III, he grew up in a harmful environment full of gang violence and drugs in a neighborhood of Queens called South Jamaica. 50 Cent’s mother Sabrina Jackson, had given birth to her son at the age of 15, and did not have the financial support to care for her son. Sabrina turned to drug dealing in order to support him, but when Jackson was at the age of 8, his mother was mysterious killed. Soon after his mother was killed, he was taken in by his grandmother, but she was already caring for 9 other children at the time. At the age of 12, Jackson would be found in the streets of Queens dealing drugs in order to make a little cash. According to The Encyclopedia World Biograpghy, “he had to fend for himself because he did not want to burden his grandmother: ‘I didn't want to ask her for a pair of Air Jordans when I knew she couldn't afford them, so I began working to get my stuff and not stress her out.’” Jackson soon became a well know drug dealer in Queens, dropped out of high school, was in and out of jail, and bringing in around $150,000 a month. As time passed, he soon became a lover of rap and realized that he wanted to pursue a path in music. When his son was born, he decided to make a change by not dealing drugs and begin writing music. 50 Cent had many struggles along the way but today he is known as one of the best rappers in history.

Work Cited:

The Struggle for Economic Justice.

Authors:

Acuff, Stewart¹

Source:

Labor Studies Journal. Spring2000, Vol. 25 Issue 1, p7. 3p.
https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.bakersfieldcollege.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=22&sid=ce49d1a3-d05a-427f-958b-c804e0c86254%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=2984115&db=bsh

50 Cent Biography
https://www.notablebiographies.com/amp/news/A-Ca/50-Cent.html

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In our economy, there is always a chance to overcome adversity and rise to the top, no matter the social status. For instance, our economy is very divided. These divisions include, upper, middle, and working/lower class. Rosa Parks, who grew up in a lower class, started the bus boycott, which ripped a hole in our economy, leading to better equality. With her name in lights, inspiring many others to step out and fight for what is right, that protest unfortunately put her family into a decade of health and economic instability. Nevertheless, Parks political efforts continued. Unflagging in her efforts from protesting housing segregation to participating in many marches for freedom. Parks later got a job for John Conyers congressional campaign. Rosa Parks overcame inequality, becoming a civil rights activist who traveled across the country, growing Black Power movement.

Work Cited: https://www.loc.gov/collections/rosa-parks-papers/articles-and-essays/beyond-the-bus/#:~:text=Her%20bus%20protest%20plunged%20her,their%201955%2D1965%20tax%20returns.&text=Both%20Rosa%20and%20Raymond%20lost,steady%20work%20in%20Montgomery%20again.

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Biographer Jeanne Theoharis, professor of political science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, describes in this article written for the Library of Congress Magazine, vol. 4 no. 2 (March-April 2015):16-18, the recently acquired Rosa Parks Papers and how they shed new light on Parks and her activism.

Rosa Parks waves from a United Air Lines jetway in Seattle, Washington, one of many trips she took to raise money and awarness for the bus boycott. Gil Baker, 1956.

In September 2014, the Library of Congress received a remarkable 10-year loan of the Rosa Parks Collection. Businessman and philanthropist Howard Buffett had purchased the collection, which had languished in an auction house warehouse for years, to ensure the public would benefit from the historical record of Parks' life.

These newly-acquired papers and photographs offer a rare look into the ideas and activities of a woman who changed the nation-not just on a single day on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus (see page 20) but over the course of her life. The material offers an unprecedented look at Parks' speeches, private thoughts and political insights, revealing what it took to be a lifelong fighter for justice. It takes us behind the scenes in the Montgomery bus boycott and her role in it. It demonstrates how broad her political life was after leaving Montgomery for Detroit in 1957. More poignantly, it shows the decade-long toll that her stand against segregation took on her and her family.

A commemorative plaque marks the spot on Dexter Avenue in Montgomery, Ala., where Rosa Parks waited for the bus that changed history. Carol Highsmith

Born in Alabama on Feb. 4, 1913, Rosa Louise McCauley had a determined spirit that was nurtured by her mother and grandparents. She chafed under the strictures of segregation. In 1931, she met Raymond Parks, a politically active barber, and they married in 1932. She joined him in organizing in defense of the nine Scottsboro boys, falsely accused of rape.

This letter from Rosa Parks to her mother details her activities in New York in May 1956, including the Madison Square Garden rally for civil rights. Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development

Her early writings reveal her "determination never to accept it, even if it must be endured," which led her to "search for a way of working for freedom and first class citizenship." In 1943, she became secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP and continued that work for the next decade. The branch, under the leadership of Parks and E.D. Nixon, focused on voter registration, youth outreach, pursuing legal remedies for black victims of white brutality and sexual violence and defending the wrongly accused. After years of such efforts, she grew increasingly discouraged by the lack of change. In August 1955, she journeyed to the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, an interracial organizer-training school, for a two-week workshop on school desegregation. The workshop buoyed her spirit.

Parks' writings reveal that she was well aware that her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger meant she might "be manhandled but I was willing to take the chance ... I suppose when you live this experience ... getting arrested doesn't seem so bad." When her arrest on December 1, 1955, sparked a community bus boycott, Parks labored hard to maintain the protest. Part of how the boycott was sustained for more than a year was through an elaborate, labor-intensive car-pool system. For one month, Parks served as a dispatcher, working to sustain the protest and exhorting riders and drivers to keep going. In her detailed instructions to carpool riders and drivers, she wrote, "Remember how long some of us had to wait when the buses passed us without stopping in the morning and evening."

Fired from her job at Montgomery Fair department store a month into the boycott, Parks spent most of 1956 traveling throughout the country, raising awareness and funds for the movement. Letters home during her travels describe how heady and tiring this work was-meeting Thurgood Marshall, visiting the Statue of Liberty, doing radio interviews and giving numerous speeches.

Rosa Parks attends an event with New York Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, circa 1968.

Her efforts, alongside others in Montgomery, helped turn a local struggle into a national movement. "Our non-violent protest has proven to all that no intelligent right thinking person is satisfied with less than human rights that are enjoyed by all people." In her notes for a Nov. 12, 1956, speech about the bus boycott at a local NAACP chapter, she celebrated the Supreme Court's decision against bus segregation, but saw much work ahead.

Bus desegregation did not alleviate the suffering of the Parks family. Working class and living in the Cleveland Courts Projects, the Parks family had encountered periods of economic trouble before, but the toll that Parks' arrest took on her family was enormous and far-reaching. Her bus protest plunged her family into a decade of health and economic instability, which is reflected in their 1955-1965 tax returns.

Civil rights activisti activist Kwame Touré (formerly known as Stokely Carmichael) shares a lighter moment with Rosa Parks at a University of Michigan civil rights forum in 1983. United Press International

Both Rosa and Raymond lost their jobs early on in the boycott, developed health problems and never found steady work in Montgomery again. In the summer of 1957, they were forced to move to Detroit, to join her brother and extended family. For a time she worked as a hostess at the inn at Virginia's Hampton Institute. But an ulcer and unhappiness about being away from her family made her leave the position and return to Detroit in late 1958. In 1959, they moved into the Progressive Civic League to serve as the building's caretakers but had difficulty making the rent or even affording a refrigerator. Her health worsened, landing her in the hospital. She would not work steadily again until 1965.

But Parks' political efforts continued. She protested housing segregation, participated in Detroit's Great March for Freedom and attended the March on Washington in August 1963. The following year, Parks volunteered on John Conyers' first congressional campaign for Michigan's newly redrawn first district, on a platform of "Jobs, Justice, Peace." After he was elected to Congress, Conyers hired her to work in his Detroit office, where she remained until her retirement in 1988.

Like Montgomery, Detroit was plagued with racial and social inequity. Her work with constituents in Rep. Conyers' office, along with her own experiences in the city, made her keenly aware of the issues-from poverty and job discrimination to lack of access to health care and housing segregation to school inequality and police brutality.

Detroit Congressman John Conyers is joined by his staff member, Rosa Parks, 1986.

Rosa Parks' political activities in Detroit were even more diverse than they had been in Montgomery. She worked on prisoner support, helped run the Detroit chapter of the Friends of SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and took part in the growing movement against U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Attending scores of events and meetings across the city, she traveled regularly to take part in the growing Black Power movement across the country. When asked by a reporter from Sepia magazine in 1974 how she managed to do so much, she demurred, "I do what I can."

In 1987, she and long-time friend Elaine Steele started the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, which continues today to educate youth about the struggle for civil and human rights.

On a drugstore bag found in her collection, an elderly Rosa Parks doodled over and over, "The Struggle Continues." Hers lasted a lifetime, as her collection at the Library of Congress reveals.

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"Beyond the Bus: Rosa Parks' Lifelong Struggle for Justice" | Articles and Essays | Rosa Parks Papers | Digital Collections | Library of Congress

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Biographer Jeanne Theoharis, professor of political science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, describes in this article written for the Library of Congress Magazine, vol. 4 no. 2 (March-April 2015):16-18, the recently acquired Rosa Parks Papers and how they shed new light on Parks and her activism.

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Chris Gardner: The homeless man who became a multi-millionaire investor - Eileen Bejarano 

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Chris Gardner: The homeless man who became a multi-millionaire investor - Eileen Bejarano 

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Mr. Gardner, who was 27 years old at the time, and his young son lived on the streets of San Francisco for a full year.

He was enrolled in a low-paying trainee program at a stock firm and lacked the funds to put down a deposit on a rental unit. Mr. Gardner, who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, never knew his biological father.

Instead, his mother Bettye Jean and an alcoholic, physically violent stepfather raised him in poverty. Despite the difficulties he faced growing up, Mr. Gardner believes his mother was an inspiration. "My mother told me, "Son, one day you'll make a million dollars." I had never given that concept any thought before she said those words." When Mr. Gardner approached a man who was parking his red Ferrari and inquired about his occupation, the man's life was forever altered. When they ran with each other again, Mr. Bridges assisted Mr. Gardner in getting an internship interview. In the end, he was able to attend the interview, but only while sporting the vest and trainers he was sporting when he was arrested.

He may have looked scruffy, but his motivation and excitement were enough to land him the job. He now travels 200 days a year, giving speeches to crowded houses in more than 50 different nations. Mr. Gardner thinks he has refuted the idea that we are all products of our upbringing.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38144980.amp

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The American Dream and Jay-Z - Jakob Sage

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The American Dream and Jay-Z - Jakob Sage

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In America, it is instilled through the "American Dream" that one can accomplish and be anything that their heart desires. Life being a competition benefits the idea of the "American Dream," as those who work hard and are intuitive have the opportunity to be successful. America's abundance of opportunities has earned it the moniker "Land of Opportunity," and it is well-deserved. Throughout America’s history, many have come from other lands to start fresh and become something more, and many have even succeeded. In more recent times, many Americans believe that they cannot move forward. In America, class "informs people of their hierarchical position in society based on wealth, power, and prestige" (Mead 2016). Furthermore, class is used to discriminate against others, especially when giving the opportunities that America is so well known for. A fallacious narrative "that the poor deserve less and are capable of less" is the complete opposite, as those that are struggling deserve more to help them get on track (Mead 2016). The narrative keeps those in poverty stagnant as they cannot build up any wealth if they are denied every opportunity to do so. Life may be a competition, but the competition has been rigged by those with immense wealth and power to keep their spot in the social hierarchy. It is incredibly rare now for someone to become something, but it can still happen. One such example is the famous rapper, Jay-Z. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, grew up "in government housing in the 1980s and surrounded by drugs during his most formative years." However, he did not follow in those footsteps, but instead became one of the richest men in America (Hunter 2017). Carter’s neighborhood and surrounding areas were heavily affected by the crack epidemic and were largely ignored by the US government. His father left him and his family when Carter was young, so he lacked much needed guidance and had to step in for his family. He always loved music and knew he could use it to bring in income. However, this passion at the time "couldn’t help his mother put food on the table," so he had to sell crack cocaine (Hunter 2017). Hunter also wrote in her article that his decision to sell drugs was a "systemic tragedy all too common in neighborhoods like Carter's" (Hunter 2017). He saved up money from his drug dealing as a tool to make clean money by using it to produce his first album. Jay-Z then got attention from Roc-A-Fella Records and rose through the ranks to become a global icon. He never forgets where he came from and constantly references his upbringing in his songs and speaks about the tenacity needed for an African American to grow up in this world. So, in an unforgiving, competitive world, it takes perseverance and initiative to become something one dreams of being.

Works Cited

Hunter, Brittany. “Jay-Z: The Great Modern American Capitalist | Brittany Hunter.” Jay-Z: The Great Modern American Capitalist - Foundation for Economic Education, 5 July 2017, fee.org/articles/jay-z-the-great-modern-american-capitalist.

Mead Goedert. The African American Urban Male’s Journey to Success : Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Race, Gender, and Social Class. Lexington Books, 2016. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.bakersfieldcollege.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1295076&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

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Alexa Alfaro - US Economy, Struggles, and Making it 

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Alexa Alfaro - US Economy, Struggles, and Making it 

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Everybody has a perfect picture of how our lives are supposed to go, all the way down to what we're naming our kids. When we were children everything seemed so achievable, even being president. Well, as you get older and older, you realize just how hard those dreams are to achieve, especially in today's economy. It is not impossible to succeed, but it is pretty hard, considering all of the loops you have to go through. The saying is true, money DOES make the world go around. And soon enough you'll realize, happiness does have a price tag. In an article featured in The Economist, " 37% of the richest quarter of Americans claim to be “very happy”, compared with only 16% of the poorest quarter. That might lead you to expect that, as a country grows richer and incomes rise, rich and poor alike would become happier. However, they have not."(The Economist). Not everyone has copious amounts of money to make their dreams a reality, they have to work for every penny they get to put towards that dream, if they ever get to it. Since the Pandemic, costs have been going up everywhere, making everything more and more expensive and harder on working classes. While we have been in a period of recovery for a while, some damage is still going to be very hard to overcome. But those who have lead a certain type of life will do anything to live a better one. People come to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream and economic prosperity, and are fueled by the grit that it will take them to get there. For example, my father did not grow up wealthy. As the middle child of a single mother, having to help raise two sisters, going to school, living in government housing, being on welfare for the majority of his life, he craved a better life. He sat in his room in Lamont, California planning a way out. Sometimes, that is the only way you can succeed, because some people never break the cycle that they were born into. In an article featured in Investopedia, it states, " Every person who lives in the U.S. has the right to improve their life, which in turn increases their contributions to national economic growth." This means that through the improvement of their lives, trying to pursue the American Dream, they are putting money back into the economy, which helps bring the US back to what it once was.

Works Cited
https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/061815/how-does-notion-american-dream-influence-us-economy.asp

https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2003/08/07/chasing-the-dream

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How Does the American Dream Influence the U.S. Economy?

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The American Dream is the idea that anyone can make it in America. Learn about how the American Dream has influenced the U.S. economy.

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Natalie Davis- Halle Berry and Inflation in the United States. 

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Natalie Davis- Halle Berry and Inflation in the United States. 

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With inflation persisting at a staggering all-time high within the United States, many Americans remain confused and unsure about whether their economic efforts will be rewarding.  It appears average Americans can no longer realistically achieve this ideal due to the inflationary conditions present in the United States. Despite this distressing claim, it remains possible for an individual to have a chance to see how far they can rise in society. Halle Berry, a famous American actress and model, perfectly embodies what it means to overcome personal struggles and succeed in achieving their greatest ambitions. Following her move to New York, she soon depleted her savings, forcing herself to live in a homeless shelter after her mother refused to assist her. With an unaltered aspiration to pursue acting and modeling, Berry continued to compete for her spot in the media, eventually becoming a wealthy, well-known staple in many households. Her past and rise to fame reflect the economy in many ways, especially the supposed correlation between inflation and unemployment. Md. Sharif Hossain and Rajarshi Mitra study the relationship between inflation and the unemployment rate in their journal The Determinants of Price Inflation in the United States: A Multivariate Dynamic Cointegration and Casual Analysis. In their comprehensive research, they discover that “A rise in inflation rate … is not found to have any significant short-run impact on unemployment rate in the U.S. economy,” meaning that an individual can flourish with the abundance of jobs despite an increase in prices of necessities (153). While inflation dwells at a 40-year high, it does not hamper one’s right to compete and rise to succeed in their ambitions, as seen with Halle Berry.

Works Cited

Hossain, Md. Sharif, and Rajarshi Mitra. “THE DETERMINANTS OF PRICE INFLATION IN THE UNITED STATES: A MULTIVARIATE DYNAMIC COINTEGRATION AND CAUSAL ANALYSIS.” The Journal of Developing Areas, vol. 51, no. 1, 2017, pp. 153–75, https://doi.org/10.1353/jda.2017.0009.

Minesotor, Ricardo. Halle Berry Used to Sleep in a Homeless Shelter - Foreign Policy. 10 May 2020, https://foreignpolicyi.org/halle-berry-used-to-sleep-in-a-homeless-shelter/.

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Darren Valles- United States economy and it's inflation 

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Darren Valles- United States economy and it's inflation 

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As a society, our economic systems are constantly changing, and no aspect of American economics is constant, giving people a chance to rise up and achieve their dreams. In the last few years, the economy has been hit by a crash due to Covid, a lack of oil, and a crash in the stock market, but it has slowly recovered from that crash. The situation in the economy also causes inflation, which is a problem for Americans, especially the lower- and middle classes who were already having a hard time paying for their purchases.  According to the article about U.S inflation, “In the past 12 months, inflation rose about 6.2 percent, according to the Labor Department. This is the largest 12-month inflation increase since 1990.” The point is that the economy has not seen this kind of inflation since the 1980s, which means that everything has risen almost twice as much as in the beginning. Although inflation is high, I do think that it does bring some benefits to society. According to Time Article, “the GDP growth, unemployment rates, average wages have all been moving in the right direction, with unemployment at about 4%...GDP growth of 5.5” meaning that more people are now working and earning more money than they did before, but I think that After past years of selective consumption, today's inflation is a direct result of more people with more money buying more goods and services all at once. I believe that It's possible for a common person to rise up in the American economy, I think it will be a difficult task that needs a lot of effort and time. I think our society might be unstable and ever-changing compared to it staying the same, so I do think that a common person will have a chance to rise up, but it will be difficult.

Work Cited:

US inflation surges again in June, raising risks for the economy URLhttps://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095 Website title AP NEWS,  Date published July 13, 2022

Article title The Economy Is Doing Well, Why Does It Feel Like a Disaster? URL https://time.com/6130525/economy-doing-well-why-does-it-feel-like-a-disaster/

Website title Time,  Date published December 21, 2021

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In the modern economy, a person can succeed despite the challenges they may encounter. Trina Jones claims that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s declaration of the Poor People's Campaign in December 1967 that "we will be petitioning our government for specific reforms and we intend to build militant nonviolent actions until that government moves against poverty" is included in her essay "Occupying America: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The American Dream, and The Challenge of Socio-Economic Inequality." (pg. 340) Dr. King advocated against economic disparity because he was raised in a low-income family. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. addressed issues of economic and employment inequality in his speech "I Have a Dream."According to the article by Caleb Silver, "Solving income inequality was key to MLK's dream," King thought that the way the American economy operated on the free market encouraged discrimination, unemployment, and economic injustice.And it is true. He overcame poverty and racial discrimination by standing up and changing the world.His speech had a significant impact on society and raised awareness of the challenges faced by those in that socioeconomic bracket.

Work cited:

https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=5371&context=faculty_scholarship

https://www.investopedia.com/the-economics-of-martin-luther-kings-dream-speech-4584390

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Stan Pryor- Economic challenges effecting open jobs

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Stan Pryor- Economic challenges effecting open jobs

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A major disadvantage in todays society is the unstable economy. Many people suffer through these times while others prosper, I believe the common person can rise above standards and live out there goals in the unstable 2022 economy. For example Cristina Barna, an Italian author wrote a passage based on the economic struggles in todays society based on personal comparisons from her early life trying to make it big as an author. Barna is someone you can call "common", she came from a small town in Italy and had to work her way up in society to become an author, she moved to the Americas during covid 19 and had to face the challenges of current inflation/equity rates. Without giving up Barna work for her dreams though the financial challenges and in late 2021 became a Freelance director/Author. In her recent passage "Current Social-Economic Challenges," she states, "Social Economy can play a crucial role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" (Barna 9). Barna is sharing her ideal on how the social economy can play huge roles in the future of America From a common person standpoint. This is one of many examples of a common person reaching there goals in the current economic challenges. Its hard, Not impossible.

WORK CITED:

ARTICLE

Current socio-economic challenges: approaching sustainability and social economy : guest editor’s note

Barna, Cristina

Management dynamics in the knowledge economy, 2020, Vol.8 (1), p.7-9

PEER REVIEWED

OPEN ACCE

https://caccl-bakers.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CACCL_BAKERS/112umq/cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_0ad4b874606b4b2693a21725ad7f2e04

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Kya Haner- Goals of Marriage and Family in Modern Day America

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Kya Haner- Goals of Marriage and Family in Modern Day America

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A fundamental part of human life is marriage and family. As a result of this, many peoples’ goals are surrounding this topic. Today’s environment does not make marriage or family easy however, in fact it’s harder than it’s ever been to stay. Theodor Reik wrote about love, "is one of the most overworked words in our vocabulary. There is hardly a field of human activity in which
the word is not worked to death." (Greenfield 361). This implies that there is a misunderstanding when it comes to what love is, and how we can obtain it. In modern day America there is so much that can come between a person and love. The following quote supports this, “Nowadays, 36% of U.S. adults getting divorced are aged 50 or older. The only age group with an increasing divorce rate is adults aged 65 and older, raising new questions about how they will navigate old age.” (Brown 1) Not only is it a struggle to begin a marriage, but it is now a struggle to continue a marriage as well. This is absolutely ties into the economy, “At least 41% of divorces are filed as a result of financial disagreement.”(Brown 1). Yes, the goal of strong marriage and family is obtainable in modern day America, but it is incredibly difficult to maintain.

Works Cited :
Greenfield, Sidney M. “Love and Marriage in Modern America: A Functional Analysis.” Taylor & Francis, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1965.tb01670.x?journalCode=utsq20.

Brown, S. L. (n.d.). Google scholar. The graying of divorce: A half century of change. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from https://scholar.google.com/

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Despite the hardships one can face, an individual can rise in the current economy. For example, in J. D. Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” he describes his personal experience of breaking free from Appalachia, Ohio, a primarily poor town located in the mountains where the majority of citizens struggle with drug addiction, poverty, and social isolation. In an interview, Vance explains that “intergenerational poverty is something that they inherited and that they've lived with as part of a family tradition,” which illustrates his situation and many other Appalachian citizens in his memoir ('Hillbilly Elegy’ Recalls Childhood). However, Vance broke out of the cycle of poverty in his family by attending Yale Law School after he joined the Marines to help pay for it. Additionally, Oldfield Kenneth in his analysis of “Hillbilly Elegy” explains that Vance could not have succeeded if he solely relied on the government to make his life better (Kenneth 3). Vance’s phenomenal will, hard work, and strong family bonds lead to his success. According to Oldfield Kenneth, Vance's story “plays well to the American Dream of endless opportunity for upward mobility even among the poorest Americans” because Vance could rise to the upper class through his determination (Kenneth 3). Vance's memoir depicts that one's desire to succeed will not result in success. Despite the difficulties of the American economy, his story shows that it is possible to succeed if one puts in the effort.

Works Cited
“'Hillbilly Elegy' Recalls a Childhood Where Poverty Was 'the Family Tradition'.” NPR, NPR, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.npr.org/2016/08/17/490328484/hillbilly-elegy-recalls-a-childhood-where-poverty-was-the-family-tradition.
Oldfield, Kenneth. “Hillbilly Elegy: Deconstructing J. D. Vance’s Views on Government Intervention, Merit, Outlaws, and Slackers.” Administrative Theory & Praxis (Taylor & Francis Ltd), vol. 40, no. 2, June 2018, pp. 159–72. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.bakersfieldcollege.edu/10.1080/10841806.2018.1454242.

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Rachel Mullins-The economy, poverty, and possibilities. 

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Rachel Mullins-The economy, poverty, and possibilities. 

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If someone is determined enough, even in the depths of poverty, they can still rise up and succeed. Though today’s economy has taken a hit, inflation is at a high and we’re considered to be in a depression as of current, an individual can still be resilient enough to succeed. The current poverty rate in the United States is 11.4  percent, equaling out to an estimated total of 28 million Americans living in poverty. Poverty rates as of late have been lowered compared to in the past. In 1990, the poverty rate of America was 13.6 percent, which equaled out to 33.6 million being in poverty. The percentage rate of Americans rising out of poverty after one year of experience is 56 percent. However, after being in poverty for seven years or more, that percentage rate drops to 13 percent. For reference, “The exit rate from poverty is 56 percent after just one year poor, but falls to 13 percent after seven or more years in poverty,” (poverty.uc davis). High School completion rates among poverty stricken schools has also increased from 60 percent to 81 percent. For example, “Likewise, high school completion rates in the persistently poor counties increased from 60% to 81%” (On Persistent Poverty in a Rich Country pg 658). This information shows that, though it would be difficult for the common individual to rise up out of poverty, the chances are never zero.

Work Cited: https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/ending-poverty

https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.bakersfieldcollege.edu/stable/26160554#metadata_info_tab_contents

https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/sites/main/files/file-attachments/policy_brief_stevens_poverty_transitions_1.pdf

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Brooke Shield and Oprah Winfrey- Joedina Crocker

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Brooke Shield and Oprah Winfrey- Joedina Crocker

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Many celebrities known today have suffered from some form of adversity. One example includes Brooke Shield. According to an article written by Hilary Clark, Brooke Shield suffered from postpartum depression and a “dependence on psychiatric medication” (450 and 451). After having children, Shield suffered from low self-esteem and believed she “had ‘failed’ as a mom” (450). Even through challenging times, Shield is still a prosperous woman. Another example of a successful person despite circumstances includes Oprah Winfrey. In the article Pieces of me: celebrity confessional carnality, Sean Redmond writes that, “Oprah’s celebrity status is in part built on the damage that has been done to her,” (153). Oprah Winfrey, known for her talk shows on mental health, has struggled with childhood trauma and body weight. As a result, Winfrey built her success on adversity and grit. A person who claims not to know Winfrey must be completely oblivious to the news media.

Work Cited

Clark, Hilary. “Confessions of a Celebrity Mom: Brooke Shields’s Down Came the Rain: My Journey through Postpartum Depression.” Canadian Review of American Studies, vol. 38, no. 3, Oct. 2008, pp. 449–61. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.bakersfieldcollege.edu/10.3138/cras.38.3.449.

Redmond, Sean. “Pieces of Me: Celebrity Confessional Carnality.” Social Semiotics, vol. 18, no. 2, June 2008, pp. 149–61. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.bakersfieldcollege.edu/10.1080/10350330802002192