In her recent book White Rage, Carol Anderson explores various time periods of progress made and how subsequently they each were met with by the history of white supremacist reaction, or white rage, to the African American fight for justice. Since the passing of the Thirteenth amendment to the Civil Rights movement to the election of President Barack Obama, white rage has fueled deliberate roll back to these achievements of African Americans.…
W.E.B DuBois’s “The Souls of Black Folk”, introduces “the veil” and “double-consciousness” as two concepts that describe the typical Black experience in America. The concepts gave a name to the agony that many African-Americans felt but could not express. The concept of “the veil” refers to three things. The 1st veil refers to the dark skin of Blacks, which is a physical distinction from whiteness. The 2nd veil refers to a white person’s ability to clearly see Blacks as real Americans. The 3rd veil refers to Black person’s ability to clearly see themselves outside of the description that White America prescribes for them.…
Undoubtedly the aim of his oppressors has been to convince him that his history is unimportant so as to deprive him of the sense of pride that is so necessary to feel wholly human. By espousing that “he has no worthwile past, that his race has done nothing significant since the beginning of time, and that there is no evidence that he will ever achieve anything great” (Woodson 6), his oppressors can be sure that the African American will continue down the path of mis-education that so allows for his subservience to a system that cares nothing for him. However, “if you teach the Negro that he has accomplished as much good as any other race he will aspire to equality and justice without regard to race.” (Woodson 6) The core purpose of African American studies is to take back from obscurity that piece of the historical puzzle without which the African American would be amidst an endless identity…
Although at one point in time Black history seemed ‘Lost, Stolen, or Strayed”, however much of the African American past has been reanalyzed and rediscovered. Unfortunately, High Schools, students and many others have not gotten any of this new research and many still base their thinking on information that existed in 1986. When CBS produced Black History film Lost, stolen, strayed some of the History films were more than 30 years old; W.E.B. Dubois wrote history of the African slave trade in 1869, and Black Reconstruction in 1935. (Ruffins, 2007).…
Physician-assisted suicide raises many ethical and moral issues. For patients who advocate for PAS, they acknowledged that the act promotes human dignity, autonomy, and is a humanizing act to end their suffering. PAS is an act of healing for the terminal sick to help end their daily struggles and many see it as a dignified choice. It is evident from patients’ voice and Dr. Byock testimonials strikes the heart of the senseless need to keep the terminal ill alive. Along with the inevitable deaths comes costly medical expenses that can better serve to improve the country and the communities’ welfare.…
In the New Jim Crow written by Michelle Alexander, Alexander reminds us of the retrospect of what we once knew, the grating truth hidden behind the land of freedom, racial prejudice towards the colored. Although today, America guarantees liberal rights to every individual of color. Alexander argues that the cateism still lingers beyond the lines of our society. Michelle supports her argument through the rebirth of the Old Jim Crow, War on Drugs and the racial caste system.…
In Sedaris’s remembering my Childhood on the Continent of Africa, and the Rachel Dolezal wikipedia page, both essays share a common lack of self identity in ones culture, resulting in a need to falsely synthesize an experience they never physicsally could. Sedaris’s essay establishes his arguement by providing anecdotal evidences of his partner, Hugh’s, unorthodox childhood experiences as a diplomat in Congo, to his dull suburban North Carolina upbringing. Through the use of the emotional appeal pathos and the juxtapositon of both childhoods, Sedaris allows the reader to envision the craving of a unconventional lifestyle he never got to encounter. The effectiveness of Sedaris’s comparison is noted by his humourous ironic tone, by providing…
Chicago has been known for its violence. Many claim that it is due to class while others think it is due to race. Research of gangs typically does not include the role of race, though a closer look at gangs in Chicago tells a story of hatred between races. Frederic Thrasher, an experienced sociologist of gang research, followed Robert Park, a noted liberal and leader of the Chicago Urban League, in arguing that gangs were the problem of violence in the city and not race. Park says “gangs” came from the “city wilderness” without regard to race, creed, or color. Park along with Thrasher are both wrong since it is because of race that the…
Racism is an issue which frequently generates a great deal of heated debate. Back in history, the aspect of slavery is portrayed as the way of life for African Americans. Therefore, during the between 1954-68 period, the movement of black Americans became one of the most important movement in our history. It first appeared in the United States and the main concept of this movement concerned with social equality. Nowadays, most people believe that the negative effects of apartheid do not appear in African Americans in today’s society anymore. However, in my view, I am firmly convinced that African Americans still struggle against racism and oppression in several ways for equality and rights.…
African American history has been distorted for many years. "[T]he wider public of freedmen and freedwomen do not receive as much attention as one might wish in a book with a subtitle that promises a study of “popular politics.” (West, 2004). A lot of what is portrayed in history about African Americans has been the image of slave or criminal. Most times, history fails to show other images or accounts of minorities, especially African Americans, in post slavery America as being strong, family oriented or successful. Popular accounts of African American “strength” have included Marcus Garvey and the Pan-African Movement of the early 1900s and The Black Panther Party of the 1960s and 70s. Although these are more common subjects studied by historians, they often neglect to show the "celebration of education, marriage, the respectability of black women, and the promotion of interracial and interethnic solidarity and anti-imperialism"(McGinley, 2009). Propaganda and media control has allowed colonialism and imperialism to prevail until this day.…
The core principle of history is primary factor of African-American Studies. History is the struggle and record of humans in the process of humanizing the world i.e. shaping it in their own image and interests (Karenga, 70). By studying history in African-American Studies, history is allowed to be reconstructed. Reconstruction is vital, for over time, African-American history has been misleading. Similarly, the reconstruction of African-American history demands intervention not only in the academic process to redefines and reestablishes the truth of Black History, but also…
The north made rum which was traded for slaves. The north would build ships to participate in the slave trade, and when the slaves reached the north they would be used to build more ships to increase the amount of slaves being brought to the United States.…
Their account of the era rested, as one member of the Dunning school put it, on the assumption of “negro incapacity.” Finding it impossible to believe that blacks could ever be independent actors on the stage of history, with their own aspirations and motivations, Dunning et. al. portrayed African Americans either as “children”, ignorant dupes manipulated by unscrupulous whites, or as savages, their primal passions unleashed by the end of…
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” George Santayana.(Brainy Quote) This means, regarding this research, that if African Americans do not remember the past, past achievements and accomplishments, past trials and tribulations, then history is bound to repeat itself. The purpose of this research is to persuade the audience that an African American studies class should be required by all states for high school students to graduate. African Americans are at a disadvantage in terms of education, because the school system does not require those students to be enrolled in an African-American studies course to graduate high school. Therefore those students are forced to learn about "white" America and know little about "black" America.…
It is my great privilege to express deep sense of gratitude to my faculty mentor for his sincere efforts, valuable guidance, amicable assistance and inspiration for the completion of my dissertation report.…