Examining the state of African-Americans, or referred to in my era, black people, might take a rocket scientist. Determining the progress or the lack thereof is difficult due to the many contradictions that are always present in any worthwhile analysis. The dilemma is deciding on what criteria to use for judgment. What time frame will serve as the reference, and when have the greatest changes been evident? There is a propensity to look at changes in the United States over a century, the period of 100 years. So keeping with the trend I ll focus on the last 100 years, beginning with the year 1909, the year the NAACP was formed, and when my alma mater Tennessee State A& I was founded . Reflection over one hundred years will remind us of the trials and the triumphs of a people, along with the missteps that hinder our ability to progress"