Going From Zero To Hero In One Generation

By John Lewis

This world that humans have developed is an unfair place. Many of these humans who are in a deprived state and born in a household that struggles to make ends meet is only because of the unfair division of finances and even human rights. The black community of America has faced subjugation by the hands of Caucasians for centuries now, and even in the last century, the condition was far from being equal among the white and black Americans. The blacks were still living in segregation and faced a lack of opportunities because of the twisted laws that the white people in power had created. This book by John W. Lewis brings to light the real-life struggles of a black American and how his life changed because of the laws of the Society that were always in favor of the whites.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Lewis
• Release date: Feb 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781801281195

Book preview

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank my family, who has always stood by my side. This book came to life only because of their support and belief in me.

About the Author

John W. Lewis is not only a great inspiration but also a role model for many people out there. He has been able to successfully share his experiences and life lessons with the readers through his book.

Those lessons and experiences may not appear as important as they are, but they hold significant importance in the lives of people who are close to him.

John aims to teach you how to deal with some of the biggest hardships and struggles of life without forgetting your true identity and sticking to your roots. He is an ideal role model for people who seek inspiration in life.

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Preface

This world that humans have developed is an unfair place. Many of these humans who are in a deprived state and born in a household that struggles to make ends meet is only because of the unfair division of finances and even human rights. The black community of America has faced subjugation by the hands of Caucasians for centuries now, and even in the last century, the condition was far from being equal among the white and black Americans.

The blacks were still living in segregation and faced a lack of opportunities because of the twisted laws that the white people in power had created. This book by John W. Lewis brings to light the real-life struggles of a black American and how his life changed because of the laws of the Society that were always in favor of the whites.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

About the Author

Preface

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Chapter 1: Discrimination & Its’ Impact

Chapter 2: Struggles of Yesterday

Chapter 3: Joining the Military

Chapter 4: Back to the Beginning

Chapter 5: Education

Chapter 6: Special Staff Assistant

Chapter 7: Power of Sincerity

Chapter 8: Competition

Chapter 9: Social Downfall

Chapter 10: The End

Page Left Blank Intentionally

Chapter 1

Discrimination & Its’ Impact

My great-grandfather was a slave, and my grandfather was only removed from slavery by twelve years (Emancipation Proclamation of 1862). Discrimination has been a persistent blemish on the history of humanity. It has prevailed since the beginning of time. We, humans, tend to come up with one reason or another to discriminate against those we believe to be 'different.' We hold other people accountable for differences that make them unique. The psychology behind this behavior is because humans like to categorize people and place them in a specific box. We highlight differences because they help us understand others.

However, according to new research, the reason behind discrimination is far more complicated than we initially believed it to be. People who commonly display bias against others are complex creatures too. They are influenced by historical and socio-cultural practices, economic forces, sociological trends, and community and family beliefs. We like to discriminate to hide our flaws or to feel better about the flaws we possess. Discrimination shares a deep history with the act of slavery that has been practiced by the United States of America since the beginning of time. The Colonial Era gave rise to slavery, where the Native Americans were forced away from their homeland and served the foreigners. Ironically, it was these very foreigners who later claimed America to be a land of the free.

A few centuries later, we managed to eradicate slavery legally, but discrimination remained prevalent. TOTAL FREEDOM is not a choice given to the people of color, whether African-Americans or from other ethnicities, as well as disabled people. Most people believe that discrimination died with the last slave owners, but the fact is far stranger than fiction. We have erected walls and created barriers and boundaries to divide the world into lands we believe we own rightfully.

Even the world we live in is no longer a free world. Every one of us runs on the fuel of making sure we are ahead of others. This world of ours has discriminated against the African-Americans and people with disabilities, and we see this trend carrying itself steadily into the future. We discriminate against those who associate themselves with a particular religion, or a group, or a community. Hate crimes still take place in our communities, and the perpetrators are hardly ever brought to justice. According to Nelson Mandela, no one is born with hatred in their hearts. We only see one people hating another for the color of their skin or religion. Children learn this hatred and adapt to the behavior of discrimination by observing those around them. We discriminate against all sorts of people.

We form opinions about people based on their skin color but also their abilities. Their sexuality and even gender can influence our decisions. We will always find one reason or another to be prejudiced against others because of how normal this toxic behavior has become. We do not think twice before excluding someone because we have been doing it for a long time now. This sort of behavior has become normal despite how abnormal it is.

We may not have physical barriers, and our chains may not be visible, but we are all bound to the roles handed down to us. We are told that we are to live by the choices made by others. As we grow older, these ideas cement self-doubt within our psyche. We begin to believe all those lies we were told about how we can't do something because it is not the norm of our Society. Anyone who fights against the standard becomes an outcast because their beliefs do not align with the Belief System that has been set up by Society. The discrimination we see today is not always displayed publicly and openly as it used to be back in the 1900s. Slavery is no longer legal, but we are all enslaved to the System we have created and followed for many years.

Some people are lucky enough in this world to be able to break themselves free from the System and pave their path in this world. They do this to prevent themselves from becoming just another statistic shown on the news. However, it takes more than ONE success story to show people and tell them that they can break themselves free by the System that oppresses them daily.

Slavery of our mindset ensues as we get one-breaking news after another with a person of color either involved as a victim or as the perpetrator. Whenever a person of color commits a crime, the media portrays him as a bigger criminal than he already is, and in some cases, even links the crime to his race. Suffice to say, small-time lawbreakers who happen to be black, are subjected to more scrutiny while the atrocities committed by the whites hardly make the headlines. Media plays a vital role in influencing people and manipulating them to believe what they want to think. America has progressed by leaps and bounds over the years, but those facts remain the same. We have gone through extreme hardships as a nation and faced many adversities to gain the title of a 'Free Country.'

The United States of America is globally recognized as a 'Free Country,’ and it is no secret that this country was once drowning in slavery. The people of color were treated worse than animals and had been locked up in chains of slavery to profit from their hard work.

My story might be another success story of a kid going from rags to riches, but it also contains the story of how I grew out of poverty like a rising flame that can never be diminished. A lot of us like to jump to the end of the success stories without realizing how important the beginning is. All the lessons lie in the origins of successful people, and the failures they went through to reach the strong point of their lives. Everyone has a different meaning for success, but for me, success holds a more significant meaning. Changing the world's view and helping them understand the unfairness people of color and certain disabilities continue to face is a success for me. How did I reach this point? Why did I decide to pave my path instead of walking down the road that was 'meant' for me? It was quite simple. It all boils down to how willing we are to change our lives to turn it around. It all depends on how much we are ready to sacrifice to reach our version of success.

There were many barriers I had to break to make a living out of my life. Discrimination is a barrier I had to break, to move on with my life. It was in every corner, in every place I stepped my foot in. The people like me were not to blame for the despicable behavior, in any case. The System had made bigotry a part of our culture.

Culture hones civilization and pulls them together. All they need is a unifying factor in making a group of people. As slavery killed people of color and dealt them with inhumane ways, freedom did not come without a price. The chains of slavery that bounded African-Americans may have been broken free, but the imprint of slavery was ever-present as Racial Segregation came into the play with the Emancipation Proclamation Act of 1862. The end of slavery gave birth to the Thirteenth Amendment that provided African-Americans newly legal status. However, there was still a long way to go for America to free the people rightfully. Xenophobia plays a significant role in constructing our civilization throughout the next years. Xenophobia is described as the fear that comes with perceiving something foreign or strange. People tend to be afraid of things they know nothing about.

The unknown scares us, so we try to build a system where we know what to do, how to do it, how to act, how to carry out healthy behaviors, and so on. When the African-Americans were shipped off to the United States as slaves, people of American displayed xenophobic behavior and did their best to oppress them. It was done to control the masses better.

The era of Racial Segregation did not make it any easier for African-Americans. They were cast out of Society and could not associate themselves with the whites. Every other place in America, from schools