Michael Gomez’s Exchanging Our Country Marks weaves together various strands of the historical record to create a comprehensive history of American slavery. In this fusion of history, anthropology, and sociology, Gomez relies heavily on primary sources, such as newspaper ads for runaway slaves in colonial America. This article provides a firsthand account of the African … Read more
Zora Hurston’s essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” paints a picture of the love, compassion, and self-confidence that serve as her moral compass. These values guide her journey and create awareness about the African American culture and its place in society. Throughout the essay, Hurston demonstrates a strong sense of self and composure … Read more
Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision changed the world by empowering African Americans to fight for their rights through nonviolent civil disobedience. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is widely considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. In it, he called for an end to racial segregation and discrimination. His words inspired … Read more
James Baldwin was a novelist, essayist, and playwright who explored the complexities of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies. His writing helped to legitimize black English as a language variety with its own distinctive features. In his work, Baldwin championed the voices of marginalized people and gave them a platform to speak their … Read more
Ruby Bridges was an American civil rights activist. She was the first African-American child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South. Bridges’ parents worked as sharecroppers on a plantation in Tylertown, Mississippi. In 1960, when she was six years old, they decided to send her to New Orleans to live with relatives so … Read more
The Civil Rights Movement was a time when African Americans fought for their rights. This movement started in the early 1960s and lasted until the late 1970s. During this time, black people fought for equality in all areas of life, including education, employment, and housing. The Civil Rights Movement was a major turning point in … Read more
Harlem Renaissance was a movement in the early 20th century that celebrated African American culture, especially in the form of poetry. Some of the most famous poets associated with the Harlem Renaissance include Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. The Harlem Renaissance was an important time for African Americans to express their creativity and heritage through … Read more
There is no single answer to this question as there are many factors that contributed to the enslavement of African Americans. However, racism played a significant role in both the origins and the perpetuation of slavery. The first slaves in North America were brought over from Africa in the early 1600s. At that time, Europeans … Read more
The African Diaspora refers to the historical movement of African people from their African homeland to various parts of the world. The African Diaspora began in the early 1500s, when African people were forcibly transported to European colonies in the Americas. Over the centuries, African people have continued to migrate to other parts of the … Read more
In the United States, obesity is a significant problem for African American women. Obesity has been associated with many diseases. Obesity has been shown to cause type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Obesity also leads to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. In African American Women, obesity can lead to more health risks than … Read more
Over the past Decade the word racism has become one of the most argued words since the civil rights movement. Only the difference is the black population didn’t have the same rights as the white population. There were peaceful protest all throughout the country, and the police force responded with brutal and unnecessary violence. There … Read more
Chapter 3, goes into how the missionaries tried to help blacks after the civil war. The missionaries, however, had more enthusiasm than they did knowledge. When a poet was asked to describe each race he described the whites as tribe chiefs, red people were proud warriors, the yellow people were princes, and the black people … Read more
There are many social issues that our society faces on a daily basis. Many people do not truly notice or understand these issues, because they are not directly affected by the issue. Just because you aren’t directly affected by an issue does not mean that you should make an attempt to understand the issue from … Read more
Through his affiliation with the Pan-Africanism movement, The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA), and The Black Star Line, Marcus Garvey will forever be considered one of the most prominent reformers in Black History. It is difficult to make a difference in this world. You are just one person in a world … Read more
In 2005, the Ying Yang Twins released “one of the greatest rap songs about sex”, titled “Wait (The Whisper Song)”. This song hit “No. 3 on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop singles chart, is up for best rap performance by a duo or a group” (Ollison 2006); however, was unabashedly misogynistic. This song received incredible praise for its … Read more
Clinical Research Ethics Between 1932 and 1972, a clinical trial sponsored by the U. S. Department of Health, welcomed 400 African Americans to join a trial. The perception of trial was very different from the participants and the researchers (sponsors). Participants thought they were getting treatment for “bad blood”, which means a minor illness. In … Read more
‘Vogue is a fashion magazine, and a fashion magazine is about change,” Anna Wintour. Imagine a girl walking down the crowded streets, when she suddenly see a newsstand filled to the brim with brand new magazines. She sees poking out amongst the chaos the beautiful colors of the cover of Vogue. She feels the excitement … Read more
Guy Ferguson, a strong-willed man who endured 13 admittances into Crownsville Hospital after the amendment to allow all races – not just blacks – was interviewed and recounted his stories that he had experienced in the asylum. Ferguson became the victim of “being stripped of his clothes, locked in seclusion… ” (Stevens) Ferguson tried escaping … Read more
How did Radical Republicans gain control of Reconstruction politics? The Radical Republicans gained control of Reconstruction with the 1866 election. There was violence against freedmen, and the Northerners were outraged. The Republicans came up with the 14th Amendment. It gave anyone born in the United States citizenship. This included freed slaves. Numerous Northerners saw the … Read more
Introduction The Civil Rights Era was one of the most tumultuous times in our American history, that fact is no more visible than in Birmingham, Alabama which during the timespan from 1957 to 1963 was known as one of the most segregated and violent cities in the south. Numerous beatings, bombings, and other violent confrontations … Read more
Personal authenticity can be defined as having a real true and an honest relationship with oneself and others. To have an authentic relationship two people must have a genuine and strong bond with each other. The theory of authenticity is expressed by Sherry Turkle in her argument titled “Alone Together”. In Turkle’s argument she strongly … Read more
Since the Europeans settled in North America, African-Americans were oppressed and enslaved by whites. Although the Civil War abolished slavery, there was still racial segregation that excluded blacks from certain rights; there was still a harsh system of inequality by white supremacy. Blacks were banned from associating with whites in regular and public institutions such … Read more
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American airmen in the military, and fought during World War Two. The men would experience nine months of training in order to graduate and earn either commissions or Army Air Corps silver pilot wings. The squadrons were always very successful in the missions during the war, after a … Read more
Running a marathon is a test of will. A seasoned runner knows very well that the end is the most difficult part of the race, other than the beginning. It does not, however, take said seasoned runner to know that you do not stop running before you have crossed the finish line. In this way, … Read more
John brown the radical abolitionist who believed in the violent overthrow of slavery. Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut and he spent most of his childhood in Ohio. Brown’s father, was a very religious man, whose Calvinism formed the pillars of this family’s household. His professional life and some business failures which made him go … Read more
I listened to the audiobook version of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and as I listened walked through the streets of Boston. One night as I listened to Michelle Alexander talk about how African American men are far more likely to be stopped and searched by the police, I … Read more
Some factors that lead the “bad” Wes Moore into the drug trade can be social immobility, national explanation of poverty, his has an older brother that is doing the same and statistics. Wes experiences social immobility throughout generations of his family. It is extremely hard for him and his mother to get out of poverty … Read more
True Equality We live in a judgmental world; believe it or not that’s just how it is. People are going to judge you before even knowing you and what your intentions are. Brent Staples, who is an African American, experiences the moment of feeling like a threat to women and people based on his color … Read more
Throughout the years Chicanos have had to face many adversities, perhaps more than any other minority. Chicanos are considered to be those that are of the Mexican decent or of that origin, with that being said California had and has always had a vast population of Chicanos for many decades. Nowadays the triumph of many … Read more
During the early 1800s, slavery played a major role in America, specifically the southern part of the nation. African-American Nat Turner greatly opposed slavery and those who enforced the act that questioned individuals’ humanity. Nat Turner’s actions proved that he had the strength to revolt and stand up for what he believed in. His actions … Read more
In the article “Pride and Pain on Opening Day at a Museum of African-American History” written by Melena Ryzik she writes about the accomplishment and pride of African Americans. She incorporates what it is to be proud and appreciate one’s culture. Her article is written on the opening the National Museum of African American History … Read more
Anne Moody in his book ”Coming of age in Mississippi”, isn’t sure that the civil rights movement will end up as being a success. She is having a lot of doubts about the future, questioning herself about her sacrifices and the suffering she had to endure as an activist. In 1968, the civil rights movement … Read more
The Civil War was a time of great change for many people, especially people who had been slaves before the war. They were finally free and required the help of the American government to adjust and get started in their new lives as free men and women. Although they received their freedom, they did not … Read more
Letter From Birmingham Jail By: Brendan Southern Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), was one of the most influential and memorable of that of the civil rights movement. Being a well-educated black christian he appealed to many people of many demographics throughout America. Aside from this, he was highly persuasive, and properly motivated to lead the … Read more
“I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any racial, ethnic or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences” (Sonia Sotomayor). There are so … Read more
Michelle Alexander’s book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”, essentially analyzes the United States criminal justice system. The main thesis/ argument of her analysis is that mass incarceration constitutes a new system of racial oppression that is similar to slavery and the original Jim Crow. Furthermore, she claims that mass … Read more
After the Civil War the United Stated faced even bigger problems. Many questions were raised by everyone all over the country on how the U. S would work. The Union came up victorious while the South was completely destroyed, crops were damaged and the social status for African Americans was being questioned. While war was … Read more
In the early and late 1950s, discrimination against African Americans (AA), especially in South America – still existed even after the Abolition of Slavery in 1865. AA’s were segregated from the rest of the White Americans and were not treated equally and so were unable to experience the freedom the white people had. Jim Crow … Read more
July 10th, 1875 was the day that miss Mary Mcleod Bethune was born in Mayesville South Carolina to her mother and father, who previously themselves were slaves. Mary, later in life, would come to be recognized as “one of the most prominent African American women of the first half of the twentieth century– and one … Read more
Black, grey, and purple discolored painfully upon my body. Damaged to the touch. Facing my father knowing whatever I say I will be smacked. I will be whipped. I will be beat. I will have bruises. People hear about this dreadful experience, forgetting about the devastating action us whites exhibited towards African Americans. We distinguish … Read more
A renowned baseball player once said, “Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re just wasting your life”( BrainyQuote. com) He anticipated people to react to the world in 1940s and 1950s to show that places should … Read more
The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of racial attacks in 1943 throughout in L. A, California, throughout a amount once several immigrants arrived for the defense effort and new appointed, servicemen flooded Los Angeles. U. S sailors and marines attacked Mexican groups, recognizable by the zoot suits they favored and would always where, as … Read more
When the Civil War ended and the 13th Amendment was passed, former slaves moved to Atlanta in great numbers (Atlanta’s population was 20% black by 1860 and 46% black ten years later). As the war-ravaged southern city of Atlanta was being physically reconstructed, the recently freed African Americans experienced a Reconstruction that was both different … Read more
The little rock nine were students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School who were African American. The Little Rock Crisis was about the students who were not allowed to go to the school that was a segregated school. This was supported by, Orval Faubus,The Governor of Arkansas. The nine people who were in the … Read more
On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition. Edwards has since actively sought to spread the observance of Juneteenth throughout the U. S. … Read more
President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne division troops under the federal command to protect the Little Rock Nine because Governor Faubus was against the idea of allowing nine African American children to enter an all-white school. The Brown v. Board of Education decision helped public schools to be desegregated including Central High School. … Read more
Society telling those who feel positively about the confederate flag that they do not have the right to display it, because it “is a symbol of racism and slavery”, is an issue throughout America that causes unwanted and unnecessary problems. This issue requires education on the topic, and the people of America to have an … Read more
For more than a century now the right of the African Americans have been taken away. Slavery in the Unites States dates back to the year 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia January 11, 1864, the 13th amendment was proposed by Senator John B. Henderson of Missouri if passed it would abolish all slavery in the United … Read more
In The Cosmopolitan Canopy, the author, Elijah Anderson, discusses and describes public areas in the city of Philadelphia, where diverse groups of people can mingle and relax in peace, despite their differences. Anderson refers to these public spaces as “cosmopolitan canopies. ” According to the author, who has lived and worked in different areas of … Read more
In 2015, Carlton W. Reeves, a U. S Mississippi District Court judge talks about how racist brutalism is in its wake again. Reeves is on the verge of giving his sentence about a murder case where an African American, James Craig Anderson, was murdered by three young men named: Deryl Paul Dedmon, Dylan Wade Butler, … Read more