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Lianne Yu

6 February 2014

A Better World, A Better Future

More than 50 years ago, the world was a distinctly different place; it was scarce of

innovation and new ideas, and most importantly, society was less willing to accept these new

ideas and change. The way people viewed themselves and the way they saw and acted towards

each other was undoubtedly distinctive from the interactions in the world today. While many

individuals in the past sought to modernize the world in their thinking and actions, others hoped

to maintain the status quo, often in a negative way. Consequently, racial and gender inequalities

prevailed dominantly in the 19th

and 20th

centuries. Fortunately, many of these inequalities have

disappeared in the world now, and society is noticeably more open to change and innovation.

Although a number of injustices continue to exist today, the recognition of freedom and rights of

various ethnic groups, genders, and the general people manifests that the world is changing for

the better and still has potential to further advance.

Racism and discrimination continues to be a controversial issue that has been apparent

throughout history. Whether it is a persons ethnicity or culture, individuals have the tendency to

judge others based on the color of their skin or their beliefs. This has often resulted in violent

events that still occur to this day. While racism and discrimination is still seen in current times,

the degree to which it exists is drastically lower than that of the past. For instance, in the mid-

twentieth century, Africans in South Africa were burdened by apartheid and looked down upon

by many of their white Afrikaan superiors. The Africans were labeled as blacks and deprived

of their basic human rights. Any South African who attempted to speak out against the unjust

system was imprisoned and forced to work excruciatingly strenuous labor. However, due to the

work of activists such as Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk, South Africa was eventually freed

of its segregation policy. Today, black and white South Africans live with the same freedoms

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and without the callous segregation policy. Therefore, the world has made drastic improvements

and evolved from many of its discriminative features, ultimately allowing it to continually

advance and progress.

Not only did discrimination occur in South Africa, but it was also rampant in the United

States of America. It is often difficult to appreciate the freedoms permitted in the nation and even

harder to imagine a society without universal suffrage and rights. However, before the early

1920s, the nation was very much without universal freedoms, especially apparent to women. In

the past, women were often only seen as weak caretakers of children and inferior to men.

Furthermore, American women did not have the right to vote, prohibiting them from voicing

their opinions and being represented in the government. Although the womens suffrage

movement increasingly began to gain more supporters, many people continued to oppose the

movement. Nevertheless, the nineteenth amendment was passed, and women were officially

permitted to vote. Since then, women have gained their rights and are seen as equal to men.

Numerous women have even served in prestigious positions that were once limited to men and

have made up a substantial part of the American workforce.

Above all, the rights and freedoms of the general population have increased and

improved drastically since the 1800s and 1900s. While the world has witnessed great historical

leaders who have brought innovation and revolutionary thinking to society, numerous nations

have also been governed by oppressive rulers who did not hesitate to eradicate basic freedoms

and censor opinions. Fortunately, many of these countries have been able to remove these

malevolent rulers and establish regimes that act in the best interest of the people. This

encouragement of change and modernization has allowed the world to transform and

revolutionize.

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Over the past few centuries, the world has changed for the better and will continue to

transform in the right direction. Ethnic groups, genders, and the general population, who were

once stripped of their human rights and freedoms were able to obtain equality through action and

perseverance. In such a short amount of time, the world has been innovated and revolutionized in

an interminable number of ways. With the remaining injustices left in the world, it is only natural

that society will continue to head down the right path towards prolonged freedom and transform

for the better and for the sake of future generations.