<p>Hello,</p>
<p>First off, I want to start out by saying I mean no disrespect when I refer to African Americans as black.</p>
<p>But in my essays, sometimes I’m short on time or I’m feeling rushed… or my hand hurts.</p>
<p>So sometimes I write “black” instead of “African Americans.” </p>
<p>Since I reference Martin Luther King Jr. often, this predicament surfaces often.</p>
<p>Is it offensive to say “black?”</p>
<p>You can see what I mean in the 2nd body paragraph of the essay.</p>
<p>“Tough challenges reveal our strengths and weaknesses.” This statement is certainly true; adversity helps us discover who we are. Hardships can often lead us to examine who we are and to question what is important in life. In fact, people who have experienced seriously adverse events frequently report that they wer positively changed by their negative experiences.</p>
<p>Assignment: Do you think that ease does not challenge use and that we need adversity to help us discover who we are? Plan and write an essay…</p>
<p>There exists an ancient Chinese proverb that says, only the weed that is stepped on can understand its place in life and survive. This axiom resonates clearly with the idea that we only truly understand ourselves when we are faced with hardships. This idea is shown pervasively throughout history. </p>
<p>In the 2004 Champions League final (the biggest competition in club Soccer), Liverpool was losing 2-0 to A.C. Milan at halftime. Most teams would throw in the towel or hang up their boots, but not Liverpool. They fought back from that 2-0 deficit and went on to be champions of Europe. They were the second best team on the pitch for the first 45 minutes. This was the biggest chance of their lives, and they were blowing it. Faced with this obstacle, they strapped in and discovered themselves. They were a team and had to play as such. The Liverpool players only realized who they were, a team, after they were getting crushed. That shock woke them up and reminded them that they were a championship level team. Some may argue that all this example signifies is a good comeback, nothing to do with discovering. However, the only reason Liverpool could come back was because of their epiphany of themselves. They experienced humiliation for the first half, started to understand themselves, and played to their strengths. They became a team through hardship. </p>
<p>Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. was one figure famous for overcoming adversity. The oppression of the blacks in the early 20th century was a looming obstacle. Yet, King was not discouraged. He saw the plight of his people and realized he was the one who could lead them. He could be their leader, their preacher, and their role model. He stepped up to the place because the discrimination of the African-Americans made him realize the leadership within himself. He became a mentor only because there was injustice. Again, detractors may argue that King was a great man. King would have been a leader and a mentor even if there were no Jim Crow laws or oppression. I whole-heartily disagree. Had king been born into a society where there already was social equality, he would never have been able to lead millions on a march to Washington. Granted, with his talents, he may have become a great mane, but nowhere near the powerful orated that resulted directly because of the discrimination.</p>
<p>In conclusion, Liverpool and Martin Luther King Jr. both exemplify the universal truth of need adversity to discover oneself. It was an important part of growing and their discovery would have been without the hardships they faced.</p>