Question

what does american democracy mean to me?
by mary mcleod bethune
non-fiction, 1939
democracy is for me, and for twelve million black americans, a goal towards which our nation is
marching. it is a dream and an ideal in whose ultimate realization, a goal have a deep and abiding
faith. for me, it is based on christianity, in which we confidently entrust our destiny as a people.
under god’s guidance in this great democracy, we are rising out of the darkness of slavery into
the light of freedom. here my race has been afforded the opportunity to advance from a people
eighty percent illiterate to a people eighty percent literate; from abject poverty to the ownership
and operation of a million farms and 750,000 homes; from total disfranchisement to participation
in government; from the status of chattels to recognized contributors to the american culture.
as we have been extended a measure of democracy, we have brought to the nation rich gifts.
we have helped to build america with our labor, strengthened it with our faith and enriched it
with our song. we have given you paul lawrence dunbar, booker t. washington, marian
anderson and george washington carver. but even these are only the first fruits of a rich
harvest, which will be reaped when new and wider fields are opened to us.
the democratic doors of equal opportunity have not been opened wide to negroes. in the deep
south, negro youth is offered only one-fifteenth of the educational opportunity of the average
american child. the great masses of negro workers are depressed and unprotected in the
lowest levels of agriculture and domestic service, while the black workers in industry are barred
from certain unions and generally assigned to the more laborious and poorly paid work. their
housing and living conditions are sordid and unhealthy. they live too often in terror of the lynch
mob; are deprived too often of the constitutional right of suffrage; and are humiliated too often
by the denial of civil liberties. we do not believe that justice and common decency will allow
these conditions to continue.
our faith envisions a fundamental change as mutual respect and understanding between our
races come in the path of spiritual awakening. certainly there have been times when we may
have delayed this mutual understanding by being slow to assume a fuller share of our national
responsibility because of the denial of full equality. and yet, we have always been loyal when the
ideals of american democracy have been attacked. we have given our blood in its defense-
from crispus attucks on boston commons to the battlefields of france. we have fought for the
democratic principles of equality under the law, equality of opportunity, equality at the ballot
box, for the guarantees of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. we have fought to preserve
one nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
yes, we have fought for america with all her imperfections, not so much for what she is, but for
what we know she can be.
perhaps the greatest battle is before us, the fight for a new america: fearless, free, united,
morally re-armed, in which twelve million negroes, shoulder to shoulder with their fellow
americans, will strive that this nation under god will have a new birth of freedom, and that
government of the people, for the people and by the people shall not perish from the earth. this
dream, this idea, this aspiration, this is what american democracy means to me.

Explanation:

The text discusses the author's view on American democracy, highlighting the progress and struggles of Black Americans. It mentions their contributions, the lack of equal opportunity (e.g., in education, employment, housing), and their loyalty to American democratic ideals despite facing discrimination. The author envisions a future with mutual respect and equality, where all races work together for a new America based on democratic principles.

Answer:

The text presents Mary McLeod Bethune's perspective on American democracy, emphasizing the journey of Black Americans from slavery to some progress (like increased literacy, property ownership, and political participation), their contributions to the nation, the ongoing inequalities they face (in education, jobs, living conditions, and civil rights), their loyalty to American democratic values (fighting in wars, believing in equality under law, etc.), and her hope for a future America with true equality and freedom for all, where the democratic principles of government of, for, and by the people are fully realized.