Settings in the 1950's

The play Fences by August Wilson took place in the 1950's in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The play took he setting of a time where it was difficult to be of a dark skinned color. 

Political views
In 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower became president. In 1952 the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 removes racial and ethnic barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen. And in 1953 the war with Korea ended Which brought thousands of young servicemen back to America to pick up their lives and resume.. During 1954 the famous case of Brown vs. Board of Education was being tried, with the winning case this made segregation to be ruled unconstitutional. In 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

Economical views
Population in the U.S. according to the Bureau of the Census was 151,684,000. An estimate of the unemployed was 3,288,000. Life expectancy in woman was 71.1 while in men it was 65.6. Cost of a loaf of bread was $0.14, car were up to 6,665,800 and the average salary was $2,992. Labor force male/female were to 5/2. bomb shelter plans became widely available. We were just beginning to rising out of the Great Depression.

Sport views
Sports were adored  since people had more leisure time and a greater prosperity that led to greater participation in athletic activities. Athletes were a diverse group, and where popularity was not based on social status but on the ability of the individual. All american sports such as baseball and football gave opportunities for the rise of the great stars such as, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Henry (Hank) Aaron, Juan Marichal, Jim Brown, and Frank Gifford. Meanwhile great women athletes played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. 

As seen in the movie, "A League of Their Own." Where the U.S. are in the second world war which lead to sports being under maned. This lead to the women to lead a head in sports and entertainment for the public.

Entertainment views
West Side Story premiers in 1957 and influences violence. Science fiction became more popular with the actual possibility of space travel within literature. The television became the dominant mass media as the number of people who bought a television set increased each week. At first it began with sitcoms which then evolved into what people considered as the 'eye witness' which encouraged people to do live broadcasts of events happening at the time of viewing. This was made possible in 1951 with the development of coaxial cable and microwave relays coast to coast.

Technological views
The production of the hydrogen bomb and it was all utilized by the air force and the navy in war with Korea. The first U.S. satellite, successfully orbits the Earth. The first domestic airline passenger service began by National Airlines between New York city and Miami. Music could become more accessible and heard in any location because it became portable.

Alive to Witness

The understanding of young peoples race is vague, they don't typically see the judgement that's passed upon them or the judgement that they pass upon others. They don't see the difference between genders on how each experiences race and racism. The young people of today are the result of racist parents, of whom were taught to criticize others and to view the white's as a more superior race. The young people of today are blinded of their world around them, the limits and stereotypes that they are burdened with, the prejudice that they must endure.

Any race that are not of the white race feels as though they must do something to their physical appearance to give off the impression that they're one step towards being white. These girls will go beyond towards changing their appearance, and its not even the girls! It is the entire non-white population that hate their own race. Point in case, I had a neighbor who was, of course, of brown skin color. He was arranged with a light skinned woman, and together they had a child. Their first child was born with dark skin, and so the man would give his son a bath every hour hoping that his son's skin would lighten. It is obsured what people would do for the shame of their skin colors. Its nothing to be ashamed for!

Also the difference on how different genders experience race and racism is another factor. I grew up being taught the white's version of stereotypes. Each race was given an offensive comment that pointed out their difference from whites. For example, Asians were usually short and always squinted. I always questioned on who decided what was an appropriate height stature, or who determined how big your eyes should be to deemed acceptable. That of course belongs to the whites, they believe that they are perfect and everyone else is below them, that everyone else who are different from them are not defined as humans and are not allowed to be given equal rights. Women goes through the concepts of beauty and what makes them ugly to the eye of whites. And men goes through many criticisms about their strengths and intelligence.

The young people are blinded with the world around them, the world built by whites. The young ones are to be burdened with the stereotypes that harm their beings and makes them wish to change what they look like and how they act. They must endure the prejudice from other brainwashed people telling them that they are not good enough, that they are ugly because of where they come from and what they are. The young ones must live the stereotypical lives, and I think that, that will never change. The trauma that we have suffered now that were taught to us by the past generations will be taught to the next generations and to the next and next. Like a never ending cycle, this one cannot be broken, not now and not tomorrow. It will come a time where the young ones will not suffer from what we suffered but it is in a time that I cannot see being alive to witness.