... . They believed that knowledge would lead the slaves to hostility and revolt. Few slaves rose from their original status to the ranks of the slave elite or even the free-black. Slaves gained status among themselves by the work they did for other slaves rather than that which they did for their owners. Learning of their ancestry and adapting their culture ... the history of their ancestry, including their culture. Although the majority of slaves simply ignored the Whites" wishes, prior to the Civil War, educational benefits had been systematically closed to black children. Only rarely di...

• Word Count: 2340
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In "In the Kitchen," Henry Louis Gates Jr. illustrates how social acceptance changed his appearance a as young Afro-American, while in "On Being Black and Middle Class," Shelby Steele contests that social status and race cannot be related. Although these essays cover somewhat different topics, they both come to the same conclusions about society's ... ...

• Word Count: 625
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate