“Action is a foundational key to all success” (Pablo Picasso), and in order to end slavery, the discrimination of women, and the suffering of American Indians, people around the world should take an action to make our world a better place. Back in history, people didn’t learn why it was bad to treat black people and women differently than others. Also, people didn’t learn about how American Indians suffered by being forced to leave their lands. However, it’s unacceptable to ignore the reoccurrence of slavery, discrimination of women and American Indians suffering in today’s world. In addition, we should learn from advocates’ work, such as the Underground Railroad, and Susan Smith, so we can continue their work.

It’s really sad to read American history and learn about terrible periods that lost a sense of humanity, such as Slavery, the invasion of American Indians lands, and the discrimination of women. The American slavery, that started in 1619 and ended in 1865, was one of the worst and most terrible events that created the word inequality in the human world; “All men were created equal” (Thomas Jefferson). However, African Americans were treated like animals during the 17th century. African Americans had to work on farming, and serve white families without even getting paid. Harriet Beecher Stowe, an American novelist, owned a painting in 1852 that showed how slavery looked and how the relationship between the master and his slave was not equal. The picture showed an angry, white owner yelling at a black slave. The white person was holding a stick in case the slave didn’t do what he said. The black slave looked fearful. The picture showed the difference of clothes between black and white people. The painting was similar to the image that the movie 12 Years a Slave showed. The movie had a scene that showed a farmer yelling at Solomon Northup, a character in the movie, to work harder. Although Solomon Northup was forced to do the work like the other slaves, he accepted it because “he had to survive or die” (12 Years a Slave). Similarly to slavery, women were treated differently than men. Based on the Declaration of Sentiments, “He has taken from her all right in property and he has made her civilly dead” (Declaration Of Sentiments). This shows how woman were treated unequally as men. Also, women had to work in facilities just like robots. In addition, they had a specific time for eating and had to sleep in small rooms. Although African Americans and women suffered from discrimination throughout history, American Indians suffered differently. The American Indians who welcomed European people as visitors, were then being forced to leave their lands, houses, and happiness by them. In the video Trail of Tears, Indian tribes, such as the Cherokees being forced out of their lands for the benefit of the U.S. government, such as invading more lands, and owning gold resources. The U.S. government’s invasion caused death to tons of Indians for defending their lands and moving to cold places. Women, black people, and American Indians were treated differently than others because of their race.

One of the advocates that saved lots of American Africans’ lives is the Underground Railroad, which consisted of meeting points, transportation, secret routes and safe houses. The people who worked in this organization used to work on finding the best time for helping Black people to escape from hell to the North or to free states. In other words, this organization represented all Black people who were wrongly convicted of crimes and ordinary black people. The Underground Railroad is one of the well known organizations in today’s world for saving thousands of African Americans’ lives by helping them escape from the dictator government.  Another example of an important advocate is Susan B. Anthony, who was born into a politically active family that fought in the abolitionist movement and campaigned for prohibition. During a prohibition movement Anthony was not allowed to speak at a convention since she was a woman. This inspired her to fight for women’s suffrage as she realized that no woman would be taken seriously in a political setting if she couldn’t even submit a vote. Her motivation for such action was that she believed other goals could not be completed through political action if women were not taken seriously and given as equal voice. One of the consequences of Anthony’s actions is that she was arrested in a voting booth for voting. Although Susan Anthony knew that she was going to jail for voting, she decided to suffer just for her morals and ideas. Susan B. Anthony died before women received the right to vote, but her work still paid off and the 19th Amendment was passed. Although Anthony focused mostly on suffrage in her lifetime, she was also a huge activist for other causes, such as women’s rights in general. Anthony was a one of the first people who led women’s rights and helped drive the achievements that have been made. Her impact was strong  and gave a big push to the new generations to continue her work.

Although history books said that American slavery ended in 1865, unfortunately, slavery still exists in different forms in today’s world even in the United States and Europe. For example, labor slavery and sex slavery. In labor slavery, people are being forced to work in industries without getting paid, such as farming, ranching, and fishing. Sex slavery; around 22 percent “are trapped in forced prostitution sex slavery” (Slavery Today). In addition, slavery in today’s world is worse than it was in 1850. In 1850, a slave in the American South cost $40,000. On the other hand, in today’s world, a slave “costs only $90 on average worldwide” (Slavery Today). The existence of slavery today causes poverty which creates the word inequality in our world that Bryan Stevenson in TED Talk talked about; “Opposite of poverty is not wealth. I don’t believe that. I actually think, in too many places, the opposite of poverty is justice” (Bryan Stevenson). The discrimination of women also still exists in today’s world even in the United States. In other words, there are still some religions, and organizations that believe in treating women differently than men, such as Radical Islam. Radical Islam is one of the organizations that treat women differently than men. They believe that women can’t be treated equally as men because they are a degree lower than men instatus. In the Quran, Sura 2:228 says: “Wives have the same rights as the husbands have on them in accordance with the generally known principles. Of course, men are a degree above them in status” (Sayyid Abul A’La Maududi, The Meaning of the Qur’an, vol. 1, p. 165). This sentence or belief is similar to men’s thoughts about women back in history. Before the feminist movement, properties and rights were taken from women because of their gender. Women suffered to gain their freedom, wherefore today’s generation can’t let them suffer again. Therefore, all people around the world should work together on continuing feminists’ work to give rights and freedom to women, who are mothers, sisters, and wives. People can help in ending slavery, the discrimination of women and reducing American Indians’ pain by joining organizations that specialize on that. Also, It’s really important to make students read about importants events, such as World War I, World War II, slavery, the discrimination of women, and the invasion of American Indians’ lands so they don’t repeat them again in the future.

Slavery, the discrimination of women, and the suffering of American Indians took a really long time to be recognized by people because they didn’t learn about them in school. Also, old generations repeated wars because they didn’t read about the ignored part of history. However, today’s generation is really lucky to have history books that talk about ordinary people so they can learn from history’s mistakes. Most of today’s generation are learning about history, so today’s generation should understand that future generations will never forgive them if they don’t do anything to stop the repentance of history’s mistakes. Therefore, today’s generation should work on making peace by ending slavery, the discrimination of women, and the suffering of American Indians in today’s world.