The book complemented the country’s changing intellectual climate and growing sentiment for equal rights for blacks. It legitimized the academic study of African American history and remains “the Bible of the field”…
President Abraham Lincoln flirtation with African- American Civil Rights, John Wilkes Booths undying love for the confederacy, and the ultimate fall of the Confederate army. Independently, each of these points hold little weight of importance, but together these three points created a fire storm lasting close to six years, costing more than 620,000 Americans lives, and two faiths’ that will ultimately be entwined with each in the history book. A collision of two people that will be forever attach with each other in the history book a faith where you can’t talk about one without talking about the other. In this essay, we will discuss each of these points; Booth passion toward the Confederacy, the fall of the Confederate army, and Lincoln wanting…
When one is asked of some of the most significant periods of African American history, two spans of time that are always thought of: The Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement. During the Great Migration, Americans moved to New York to seek a better standard of living and relief from the institutionalized racism in the South. The pouring in of black people into Harlem created the Harlem Renaissance. This brought the debate over racial identity and the future of black America to the forefront of the national consciousness. Artists and writers such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston championed the “New Negro,” the African American who took pride in his or her cultural heritage.…
Washington and Du Bois both wrote during the 20th century when black people were just were beginning to try and fight for civil rights. They were two sides of the same coin when it came to decided what was the best approach for black people to begin this movement towards equality. Booker T. Washington believed that if we showed ourselves to be productive members of society and achieve economic independence that it would lead to true equality, so for right now we should set aside needs for civil rights. On the other hand W.E.B. Du Bois believed that it needed to happen much sooner than later and they both had their own reasons for why they thought they were right. To begin with Washington he gave several ideas as to why he believes patience…
If there were no written documents of our African history, could we tell the story of back then, according to how we as a people live today? As African American people the answer is no because as African American people, we need to understand where we came from, so we can understand where we are going. In the article “Beyond the Written Document: Looking for Africa in African American Culture,” explains how important history is and all of the information it can provide. With historians in the past to historians today, we can understand where we came from. In this particular article, learning about were African Americans came from, culture, slavery, agriculture, and what happened beyond the written document would improve many African American individuals today.…
Many African Americans were prepared to share in the reform era with the rest of society, but because they were not considered citizens of the nation, they were left out of the reform. As the government became more responsive to the people of America, it refused to address the issues of humans who have contributed to this world as much as any other race. In Washington’s address to establish the Exposition building, he embodied the voice of many African Americans as well as white supporters to encourage the development of a beneficial asset to society. The establishment of the Exposition marked a period of uniformity between the black and white community as the building was deemed “equal to the others on the grounds” (Washington, 101). African Americans became more involved in American affairs with the intention of receiving equal access to American affairs.…
Art can inspire one to look beyond the bleakness of his or her environment and aspire for more. Richard Wright, born in 1908, spent his formative years in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee; unfortunately, all three states were notorious for their observance of the racially discriminatory Jim Crow laws. Biracial author Thomas Chatterton Williams was raised in the suburbs of Westfield, New Jersey, where he discovered Hip-Hop culture and nearly allowed its negative influences to deter him from leading a productive life. Richard Wright developed a love for literature during his childhood and his voracious desire to read imparted in him an outlook that surpassed the limitations that the Jim Crow laws placed upon blacks Americans. Thomas Chatterton Williams’s appreciation for reading developed once he’d enrolled in college and realized that there were books in existence that offered more intellectually stimulating insights than the ones offered in rap music.…
Introduction The 1930’s is a decade that experienced one of the worst, if not the worst, economic conditions in the history the United States of America. This decade is the Great Depression era. Everyone, rich and poor, suffered during this time. People lost their homes and their jobs, mostly due to unemployment.…
After looking at the positive and negative things America did after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period, we agree that America did not exactly meet all the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence. It is evident that America had many goals and ideals it wanted to reach when writing the Declaration of Independence. However, both America’s citizens and government did not come through correctly with the laws they put forth. Especially when faced with the Native Americans, and freed slaves, America did not give them the rights they deserved or promised. As all of these things were happening during westward expansion, it was clearly difficult for America to make things just for all people, while trying to gain power and land.…
Since the Reconstruction Era many years ago, the role and place of African Americans has significantly shifted. (pg. 589, pg. 1128) After 150 years of fighting for racial equality and de-segregation, African Americans experienced a great victory with the first black president in the White House, Barack Obama.…
(Proposal) The most significant war in the nation’s history was the American Civil War. The Civil War guided The United States to get better equality and grant the freedom deserved to the African American. The United States began to relieve itself from the long catastrophe of slavery during the four years of the American Civil War.…
Students should be required to take courses in minority or ethnic studies as part of all college degrees. The unique value of ethnic studies in colleges and universities is that these studies promote respect and understanding among races, support student success, and teaches critical thinking skills. Ethnic studies by and about racial minority groups presents a different narrative that is shaped partially by histories of oppression in the United States. as well as by the intellectual and cultural resources and traditions of those communities. Ethnic studies evolved from the demands of Black Americans for an education that is relevant and meaningful, that affirms their identities and selfhoods, and that works toward human liberation.…
Every year during the month of February the nation celebrates Black History Month. Many Americans wonder why there is a Black History month. What makes African Americans distinctive from all other Americans. Black History month or National African American month originated from the Negro Week. The cofounders of this organization were Carter G. Woodson, George Cleveland Hall, W.B. Hartgrove, Alexander L. Jackson, and James E. Stamps.…
Over the course of the years that African American Studies has been a separate functioning entity, there have been different ideological and political reasons for why African American studies are needed in institutions of higher education. Scholars such as Nathan Hare, John Henrik Clark, John W. Blassingame and Devere E. Pentony have given their own varied rationales as to why they believe African American Studies is a necessity within these institutions; if it is even one at all. Each of these men have different opinions on this topic but they do share one similar perspective. The historical importance of black people should be taught and made a fundamental component of African American Studies because in institutions of higher education,…
This essay will critically focus on black history and its importance in the opinion of Maulana Karenga. In addition, this essay will focus on the advantages and the possible disadvantages of the viewpoint of Maulana Karenga and his asserts of Black history. Professor, activist and author Maulana Karenga, “asserts that Black history is indispensable to the introduction and development of all other subject areas [because it] places them in perspective, establishes their origins and development, thus aids in critical discussion and understanding of them” (43). He believes it’s important that African Americans as well as others can gain from our history by reconnecting to their foundation.…