Our American Journey essays

Our American Journey essays My American Journey, an insight into a whirlwind life of a once discriminated young boy who alters into a world leader. General Colin Powell was born in New York City in 1937 to parents whom were native to the island of Jamaica. General Powell matured into the man he is today in the South Bronx of New York and later entered into his military career. Through this book General Powell recollects his young childhood and the battles he faced with it, continuing with his internal and external battles in Vietnam, and lastly his rise to true American Fame as a government servant to our nation. The General's childhood this is what truly molded him. General Powell was a minority and felt the hardships of this non-self-proclaimed title. The General grew up in the South Bronx of New York City being raised by poor parents. It was although seen that the General did not let this hinder him to his full potential. Preceding the afterward in the General's autobiography he lists rules that apply to his life. The very first rule listed comes from this, his childhood circumstances, which states "It aint as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning." General Powell obviously took this note very much to heart for he conquered his physical appearances and graduated from the City College of New York to move onto his military career. General Powell let himself be applied to life and did not obey what society wanted him to do. He was going to be known for the world was going to experience him and deep inside himself he knew this. Learning about General Powell's early childhood allowed me to see early African American movements more on their standpoint. It is quite evident as we read our history books that African Americans battled great hardships and the white males truly battered the African Americans inner strength. Through the General retelling his experiences the once sympathetic feeling I had towards them now dampered for it now made ...