Riversprings Own Mildred Murphy Wins TCC African American Essay Contest
(The following is an excerpt from the Riversprings Middle School News Hounds February/March Newsletter):
Wakulla rose to the top in an essay contest including Leon and Gadsden Counties. Miss Mildred Murphy was announced the winner of the TCC African American Essay Contest. Miss Murphy’s essay title was Africans in America: From Trials to Triumphs. As an eighth grader, Mildred achieved this high honor over all of the middle and high school students who entered the contest. Mildred is the granddaughter of Ms. Mildred Williams is a member of the concert band and is one of the editors of the News Hounds (a group of 8th graders who write the Riversprings news articles for the Wakulla Times Magazine and Wakulla.com). Mildred is a phenomenal student who believes that hard work will be rewarded and is well respected by her teachers and peers. Her goal is to become a successful author one-day. Congratulations Miss Murphy!
Africans in America; From Trials to Triumph
Mildred Murphy
For centuries, African Americans have experienced innumerable
hardships. Contrary to the popular belief, this has not weakened the
race any more than a butterfly can be weakened from air. If anything,
this paved the way for numerous triumphs to follow and be remembered in
the hearts and souls of millions of families. Always considered a
feeble race of people, Africans greatly persevered to prove the
stereotypes false. This resulted in great events: the end of
segregation, the rise of black scientists and mathematicians, and
things that can not possibly be counted on one’s two hands. You see,
African Americans fell back, and then bounced back. That is
undoubtedly something to remember.
Slavery: a painful ordeal to imagine let alone endure.
Nevertheless, blacks tolerated it for generations, with many children
and families never setting foot on free soil. Yet, they never lost
hope, and forced themselves to survive. Standing up for what they
believed in even if it meant being hurt or murdered were usual
idiosyncrasies of the African Americans. And, as if that was not
enough to hurt them, slavery ended and the period of segregation
began. Blacks could not attend approved schools. They could not drink
pure water. They had to ride in the back of the bus. They had no
rights to speak of. So, assumedly, this was no better off than not
being free. I believe this was the turning point for many lives
because it was here that countless people stated “No more. No more of
this.”
Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and numerous other
black advocates for the plight of African American triumphs told
themselves this. They told his town this. They told the nation. They
had the American dream that unfortunately ended most of their lives,
but began others. Although mourning of their heroes’ deaths, blacks
followed their word and struck a mighty blow. Segregation rapidly
became the past and a paved road called Opportunity was laid before
them. Then, the new age arrived. To speak of triumphant, was to speak
of the African American people. To think of “triumphant” was to think
of the African American people. “Triumphant” was the African American
people. This statement remains true to this day.
Now, blacks prevail at almost everything they try. African
Americans take up careers that they could only dream about before. We
now have medical practitioners, professional athletes, professors,
scientists, etc. Now, African Americans have rights that they were far
from having before. We can vote. We can enter any coffee shops we
want, and get adequate service, not depending on our descent. Not
depending on our color, or race. We Are equal. The white man and the
black man can stand side by side, and their colors will not be seen.
What is on the inside will be seen. What they can do will be seen.
The two are equal.
I feel as though blacks are the strongest race in this world.
Facing slavery, segregation, oppression, racism, they never stopped.
They never quit. They never killed, no matter what was done to them.
Even though we turned our trials into triumphs, there is still much
left to accomplish. But, before the future we dwell on the present.
Now one can say “My great grandmother marched for peace. Marched for
me. Marched for all ‘colored people’ to earn the name ‘African
Americans.’ To stand on level ground with the white man. To be
educated. To have hope.” I hold this statement in my memory to be
proud that I am African American so I have a unique family history.
African Americans fell back, and then bounced back. And that is
undoubtedly something to remember.
This essay originally published on March 23, 2007.
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