The phrase “The American Dream” is an incredible thing. The promise of that dream has convinced hundreds of millions of people that, as a citizen of this country, you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough. Whether you want to become a doctor, an athlete, or even a president, all of these things should be within your reach, regardless of your class or race! America is the nation where dreams can come true. Unfortunately, for a large number of people who believe this, this is a concept that does not apply to them. Many Americans find that opportunities are denied them because of their race. Others find themselves living in poverty and far from anything that would be considered desirable. Statistics show that in 1979 the richest 1% of Americans earned 9% of all US income. Did you know that the same 1% earns 24% of all US income today? This is a staggering example of income inequality in America. The American dream is that if you work hard and have the skills you will succeed, but this has become impossible for millions of disadvantaged Americans because income inequality has been steadily increasing since the 1970s and racism and poverty are constant barriers to their success and their survival. financial security. Bell Hooks understands the challenges of race and class and why some people have a harder time than others achieving the American dream. It's normal to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed when arriving at a new school for the first time, but this was something completely different. For bell hooks, walking through the halls with eyes staring at her as if she were an alien, she realized that school would never be the same for her again. He describes his feelings of inequality in a... medium of paper......nity.” After reading and analyzing what Hooks and Ehrenreich had to say, I don't know if I'll believe it anymore. As individuals and as a country, we have a lot of work to do to ensure equal opportunity here and end racism once and for all. The question is: can we do it? I believe we can. Slavery was abolished. Women fought and won the right to vote. The civil rights movement brought about great changes in this country and did much to achieve the goal of ending racial discrimination. The idea of ​​the American dream has been around for a long time, but in my opinion it is still far from reality. People should not be discriminated against because of their race or forced to live in poverty. I hope to see changes for the better in America, changes that I believe are long overdue. Maybe then the American dream will become a reality.