In 1963 the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a memorable speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. ôI have a dream,ö he said, that black boys and black girls will be able to walk together as sisters and brothers, indeed to go to school together as equals. Dr. King did not live to see that dream come true. And in many parts of American society the dream remains an aspiration, a hope rather than a reality. For a young African American inner-city youth who grew up in Southeast Washington, D.C., many years after Dr. KingÆs speech, a dream of attending one of this countryÆs best white universities gives him purpose in life.
Cedric Jennings, an honor student at crime-infested Ballou Senior High has a dream of achieving success and of getting out of the ghetto. It is not a dream that is respected by his other schoolmates. But, as revealed in Ron SuskindÆs book A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League, thanks to CedricÆs fierce determination, intelligence and focusùand to Affirmative Actionùhe is able to realize his dream. Its realization, however, is not a fairy tale with a happy ending since racism still is a divisive force in American society. Nevertheless, the book has a hopeful ending. The true story of Cedric is set largely during his high school years through his freshman year at Brown University. The personal, social and intellectual challenges he faces affect his journey toward academic achievement. Along his journey are people who help or hinder him, and some who do both. Although his unwed mother Barbara was the major influence of his life to date, this paper will discuss three other people from high school and college who helped Cedric reach his goal.
LaTisha Williams, a smart, outgoing student at Ballou is similar to Cedric in that she is not into drugs and street life, and expects to go to a local college. She acts as a positive m...