Today, in America, people, neighborhoods, and businesses are more likely to be diverse and tolerant of various cultures, and the professionalism of other ethnic groups that are not white. Back in the 1700s and 1800s, this was not case. In the essay "Phillis Wheatley On Trial", Gates shows how white people believe that black people were uneducated and incapable of producing professional work. In the essay, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain", Hughes shows how black people view white people as the symbol of culture, professionalism, and education. Gates states in his essay, "Phillis Wheatley on Trial", "culture did, or could, belong equally to everyone. I agree with Gates wholeheartedly.
I agree with Gates because although Phillis Wheatley was a slave, her master allowed her to read and a write. Mary Wheatley, the master's daughter, taught her to read and write English, Latin, and the Bible. The Wheatley clearly believed that culture belongs to everyone including black people. Some people just make it very challenging. In the poem "On Imagination" by Phillis Wheatley, I guess she was talking about how everyone has a different perspective on things, so that is probably how those white people felt. Furthermore, Phillis Wheatley had to understand that culture belongs to everyone. She wrote poems that became popular over time and spread across Europe. She created a poem for George Washington in a letter she wrote to him.
In Hughes's essay "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain" he talks about how some black people want to be white people cause they were taught that white people are the leaders of culture, professionalism, and education. Hughes' essay talks about this black boy who wants to be a poet but not a black poet. This boy did not want to be black poet because black poets were not associated with greatness compared to white poets. I think it is sad not being yourself because of what other people say. He developed this perception because his parents always told him how white people were better or something like that. Some black people even hated their own kind just because they are successful. For example, in Hughes' essay, a black club woman paid eleven dollars to hear Raquel Meller sing Andalusian popular songs but did not want to hear Clara Smith, a great black artist, sing black songs. I gathered from Hughes' essay that devaluing your own culture is not a smart thing to do. It is wise to learn to accept differences in people, not just culturally and racially but gender and physical disabilities. Otherwise, you will have a hard and lonely life ahead.
United States is the melting pot of culture, arts, and ethnicity. It is a perfect example how culture belongs to everyone although we are still learning how to shape our attitude about our cultural differences. Based upon how you were raised, some culture are less desirable than others. However, having negative feelings without knowing the reason why is wrong and unfair. Now is the time for us to improve our attitudes about cultural diversity and know in our heart, just as Hughes states, "culture did, or could, belong equally to everyone".
